Anyone solved MF Tri Vista SACD problems?


I am starting this thread for my friend who bought this Musical Fidelity Tri Vista SACD player as used two years ago. Now the transport mechanism and also the servo board (we think) are broken. Does anyone know if there still is some company who can repair these players or modify them with new parts (transport+servo board). It seems to us that Musical Fidelity has moved forward and abandoned its old Tri-Vista customers. No help from their side at all. All info/help is appreciated.
mkilpi
Even Mickey Fremer said in a review (a component other than the kW SACD--maybe an amp or speakers-can't remember) - said: I used my kW SACD, which still plays---for now.

MF (Musical Fidelity) just SUCKS. Simple. I don't care how good their gear sounds. After the CD experience, I will never buy a MF product again.

This is one of the reasons I'm using a computer base music server. The transport eventually failed in all my cd players ranging from a Pioneer Elite to very expensive Krells.

Recently I bought a MW Oppo BDP83 w/XLR mod for Blu-Ray and surprisely all the other formats are also excellent. For the 1st time I'm shopping for SACDs. This is relatively inexpensive so no worry if transport fails and Dan can't fix it.
If I were an owner, the initials "MF" wouldn't stand for "Musical Fidelity".
Can I bring some sanity to this thread?

The following facts apply to the UK and Australian markets. I don't live in the US so don't know what happened there or why.

Fact - Musical Fidelity gave full new price value for exchange on other MF products to first owners whose TriVista SACDs failed during their warranty period.

Fact - Musical Fidelity gave large discounts on other MF CD players to first owners whose players failed after expiration of the warranty period.

Fact - the problem with the transports in both the TriVista and kW SACD players is nothing to do with "parts obsolescence". Philips left MF and a number of other manufacturers badly in the lurch by supplying insufficiently robust SACD transports (these have a failure rate approaching 100%). Philips then refused to support these transports with parts or replacements once the failures began. This has been well documented on Audiogon and elsewhere. MF are not the only manufacturer affected - Krell and dCS have been placed in the same position.

Fact - if you have either a TriVista or kW SACD player there is no point in asking for or expecting it to be repaired by the manufacturer. It can't be done. The transport replacements are gone.

How many of the people slating MF on this thread are initial purchasers? If you are, you may be able to get something out of the dealer or distributor. If, however, the US distributor has changed since you bought the player and the current distributor won't play ball, you are probably screwed. That is hardly MF's fault however.

If you bought it used, your only recourse is the dealer.

If you bought it used privately, you're probably screwed.

The problems with these Philips transports came close to sending several companies to the wall.

Given that plus the fact that with the best will in the world nothing can be done to fix these players, the apparently widespread belief on this thread that a manufacturer is somehow responsible to secondhand purchasers of a player - no matter how high-priced - after expiration of the warranty is simply unrealistic.

If you want someone to blame, blame Philips.
No, MF is to blame for not thoruoghly testing and stock piling transports like any responsible company would.( ie Bryston has stock piled over 4000 drives for their cd players).
MF products can become obsolete in every way even before the warranty runs out. This is unacceptable and I personally will never own another MF product( I bought new)!!
However, they do make a great door-stop and conversation piece.