Exemplar 3910 any good?

[riceboy]

I'm wondering if anyone has heard a Exemplar 3910? I know some of you have the 2900 Exemplar and feel it is a great redbook player. Here is the link of the sale I am looking at:

AudiogoN ForSale: Exemplar Denon DVD-3910

Thanks for your help and input

[tkam]

I imagine it'd be pretty good and as a base the 3910 is a better machine than the 2900.

[deepak]

Laine- I believe user "yikes" had or still has one. He hasn't posted here in a while, but I've seen him post in Headfi's high end forum recently. Maybe send him a message.

I've heard his player a few times, but can't comment since it wasn't in my system.

[Salt Peanuts]

Also, IIRC, jp# has/had one, and boomana has Exemplar 2900. You may want to shoot them a message, too.

[guzziguy]

Also, IIRC, jp# has/had one, and boomana has Exemplar 2900. You may want to shoot them a message, too.

JP had an eXemplar 2900. It's mine now. It's by far the best digital front end that I have owned, but I haven't compared it head to head with anything other than my sacdmods E5. The eXemplar wins hands down.

I haven't heard an eXemplar 3910, but like Todd says, I would think that it could only be better than the 2900 because the underlying player is better.

[Voltron]

I heard one a number of times at sleestack's place although he doesn't have it any more. I think it is a very good unit and it is better technically than the 2900 which I have heard even more often.

[boomana]

I'm quite happy with my 2900. I'm going to assume the 3910 is at least as good (I've not heard one), and that's a really good price from what I've seen. I'd try it out. If you ended up not liking it, you could easily sell it for what you paid.

[riceboy]

Hi Everyone. Thanks for all your help and suggestions. I've contacted the seller and await his response . Thanks again all.

[riceboy]

Hi Everyone. I'm a proud new owner of a Exemplar 3910. Here is what is in the machine just in case the ad is gone:

• Includes Siltech wiring upgrade

• The power supply rectifiers are upgraded

• Several critical caps are replaced with Blackgates

• The AC power input is hardwired with upgraded wire, replacing the 3 mechanical connections in the stock unit

• 5 new independent high performance shunt regulators are added to the unit

• The stock clock is replaced with a TENT ENGINEERING re-clocking circuit powered by one of the new shunt regs

• A new active loaded, shunt regulated tube stage is added along with a new set of high performance stereo outputs

• ALSO includes the critical "post-DAC mods" (Post-digital-to-analog converter).

NOTE: Many Exemplar 3910s do not include this essential upgrade

______________________________________________________________

Thanks for everyone's suggestions and help. Hope you had a good weekend too

[DigiPete]

congrats, should provide plenty of pleasureable listening

[tyrion]

Laine, nice pick up. That looked like an excellent deal. I look forward to hearing your impressions.

[guzziguy]

Congrats Laine. My eXemplar 2900 has most of the same upgrades. I'll be very interested in hearing your opinion as to how your 3910 compares to the ARC that you just sold.

[riceboy]

Thanks everyone . I am curious as well to how it is going to sound opposed to my ARC CD-7 that I just sold. I can't wait to hear it. Now I can play some of my SACDs and DVD Audio stuff that has been sitting on the shelf for some time. I had a stock Denon 2900 before so I like to see how the mechanism is on this model as well. I'll keep you all posted.

[purk]

Congrats Laine! The Exemplar 3910 should be one heck of a unit. The redbook on my Exemplar 2900 is almost as good as the Cary 306 SACD and a significant more refine than the Cambridge 840C that I used to have.

[catscratch]

Seems like a very solid unit, congrats. I'd like to ask for some short impressions against the 840c once you get it. I'm still in the source-swapping stage for my rig, and if the Opus 21 doesn't work out, it would be nice to know the alternatives.

[Salt Peanuts]

Congrats on your new source, Laine.

[purk]

Seems like a very solid unit, congrats. I'd like to ask for some short impressions against the 840c once you get it. I'm still in the source-swapping stage for my rig, and if the Opus 21 doesn't work out, it would be nice to know the alternatives.

I will try to answer this a bit since I owned the 840C for about a month. Basically, the Exemplar 2900 just have better tonality with better bass and nicer midrange than the 840c. It is also a good bit more refined over all. I felt that the 840C is very good redbook unit but it slightly harsh around the edge, while the Exemplar is smoother and more fluid. The Denon is also more engaging and more musical than the 840c.

[catscratch]

That's very similar to how I feel about the 840c - very good and a great bargain, but 2 distinct flaws: abundant digital glare which messes up instrument tone, and insufficient weight/fullness in the mids and on down. It's a very capable source, detailed, airy, and spatious, but a little too thin, a bit harsh, and with some metallic/digital quality to the sound. Can't think of anything better for $1k but still has some room to go before it gets to the high end.

[HiWire]

That seems to be the Cambridge Audio "house sound"... a bit bright and hard. I was interested in testing an 840C, but was dissuaded by the owners' impressions and my sales rep.

[purk]

That seems to be the Cambridge Audio "house sound"... a bit bright and hard. I was interested in testing an 840C, but was dissuaded by the owners' impressions and my sales rep.

The 840C is pretty good source for the money and probably the best buy for a new source at that price. I would rate the overall performance to be better than my old SACDmods Sony SCD-C555ES in redbook playback.

[luvdunhill]

abundant digital glare

that's an understatement it is a player that makes a good first impression, that's for sure.

[4N6]

The 840C is pretty good source for the money and probably the best buy for a new source at that price. I would rate the overall performance to be better than my old SACDmods Sony SCD-C555ES in redbook playback.

Anyone with any experience with mods of the 840C? Reference Audio Mods (Reference Audio Mods, cd player mods,audio mods, audio modifications) has some interesting modifications listed for the 840C but I am still a little hesitant to send mine in.

[morphsci]

That seems to be the Cambridge Audio "house sound"... a bit bright and hard. I was interested in testing an 840C, but was dissuaded by the owners' impressions and my sales rep.

I do not find it bright or hard at all, unless the original CD is bright and hard. I do not think it has to do with a forgiving amp as the GS-X is pretty ruthless in showing you the warts on your upstream components.

[catscratch]

Holy crap those mods are expensive! They better do the deal, because the competition in the used market at that pricepoint is fierce!

[purk]

Holy crap those mods are expensive! They better do the deal, because the competition in the used market at that pricepoint is fierce!

I agree given the state of the economy. RAM is not a bad modder but their quality of work can be alarming. Ram left a loose screw in my modded SCD-1 that I sent to them. The player kept blowing the fuse luckily I found the problem. Tom Hankin is having a bad luck with them right now with his mod Shanling CD3000 that never seem to work right.