Where to get out-of-warranty gear serviced? (Marantz PMD661 specifically)

For no apparent reason, my Marantz PMD661 stopped working last week. It simply won't turn on, with batteries or the power adapter. Since it's a little more than a year old, Marantz won't have anything to do with servicing it. I'm in New Orleans, Louisiana and there doesn't seem to be an authorized third-party service center here.

Marantz recommended All Star Electronics in Tampa, Florida, but I'm a little wary about using them. I called All Star. After describing the situation, they said they had no idea what the problem was, but that it would cost about $250 to repair. Sounds like they'll charge me $250 even if it's something simple.

Can anyone recommend a trustworthy repair center? Where do you take your out-of-warranty gear? I have a job coming up very soon and I need to have this thing working!