Is Exemplar the answer?
40% of my hi-end audio purchases have been on time, and 60% have been four or more weeks longer than promised. It just seems to be the way things are done. It's difficult to know when to pull the plug and move on. The Exemplar is probably worth the wait, and it's unlikely you'd be able to take delivery of a comparably modded machine any sooner. But, on the other hand, several folks are working on Denon 3910 mods that have the potential of being better than 2900 mods. So, the wait continues, or the choices expand. Either way, it's a little painful. |
711smilin, I've read about Alex' 2900/3910 mod. In my post above, I was really looking into the crystal ball. It only makes sense that at some time in the near future, there will be at least two modders tweaking the 3910. My point was that new and better machines and/or mods will always come around, and one can be fairly certain that what's best today won't be best for too very long. In my case, I just hope that the Exemplar is great enough to quench my need to have to search farther, and that during the wait for delivery, some other sweet something doesn't catch my eye. |
Here is Jules Coleman's reply to my question regarding the static issue: you can hear the static, but it is of short duration, when you press buttons to skip tracks or to start the machine going. you don't hear it once a disk is playing. it is just a noise associated with mechanical use. once the disk plays, there is dead silence. He also said the Exemplar is the best mod he has heard. |
Hey, we're not going to get into a Modwright vs. Exemplar battle here are we? I'm certain both are excellent. Dan's Sony 999ES has received a glowing review on the "Stereo Times" website, and having owned one of Dan's machines, I can tell you he does stunningly good work. A machine from either modder would make the buyer quite happy. |
Bbeezley, you're going to get several opinions, and you'll never get a consensus of which is best. I'd suggest contacting each of the following modders by phone, ask them questions, and decide for yourself. Perhaps there's someone in your area who owns one of the modded players. Bottom line, I don't think you'll be disappointed with any machine from the following modders: Dan Wright http://www.Modwright.com Alex Peychev http://www.aplhifi.com John Tucker http://www.exemplaraudio.com |
711Smilin, good to hear your positive report. I received the Exemplar last Friday, so it's going into the fourth day of burn-in on redbook. I have it on a Sistrum platform. I don't know if it's the higher resolution of the player, or the Sistrum or both, but last night I heard the benefits of a recently purchased Hydra 4 after I plugged my amp into the Hydra (the Exemplar was already running from the Hydra). Before that, I was never sure if the conditioner was having a definite and positive effect. Again, I'm not sure where to place the kudos, but it's an improvement I clearly heard. |
Exemplar owners...are you leaving the player in "Standby" mode and powering up with the remote, or are you turning the unit on and off with the power switch on the player? Does leaving the unit in "Standby" reduce the life of the tubes? And, if you are leaving the unit in "Standby", is this because it's recommended by John Tucker, or something you're doing on your own? Also, I've noticed a fair amount of high frequency vibration coming from the transport (I assume). I can feel it when I'm changing interconnects and I have a slight grip on the back of the unit. I can actually feel the vibrations in the interconnects themselves. Anyone have a suggestion for damping these vibrations? |
Actually, 711Smilin, I didn't trade up from the Electro to the Exemplar 2900 and make $$$. Considering my initial investment in the Electro plus the cost of the mods and spider clamp, I came out considerably behind in terms of $$$. However, the Exemplar is a better value due to it's phenominal redbook performance combined with its universal capabilities. Also, the EA Electro still does some things better than the Exemplar...if you like the slightly warm and analogish Electro signature sound. |
