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Below is the reply I received regarding a query to repair my amplifier:
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
On Oct 21, 2014, at 9:06 AM, Bernard Poulin wrote:
Good morning M. Xxxxxx,
You won't find an authorized MOON service center elsewhere than at our factory in Montreal Canada.
What is wrong exactly with the amplifier?
Let me know where you are located and I'll prepare a UPS ticket so that they show up to pick it up. Do you still have the box and packaging?
Thank you,
Bernard Poulin
Service & Sales / Service & Ventes
bpoulin@simaudio.com
450.449.2212 Ext. 1206
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
In consulting the UPS web site, carriage fees between my home and the Sim Audio factory will be $61.25 (one way, including additional fees for insured delivery). The amplifier is a W-4070...approximately seventeen years old. I did query several well known repair shops who's work is well regarded by many contributors to the Asylum. According to them, Sim Audio will not, and does not, provide parts, schematics, or support to repair facilities in the US. In addition, Sim Audio may decline a repair if, after their inspection, they have determined your equipment has undergone "unauthorized" modification. Unauthorized(?)
I have declined there offer.
Follow Ups:
Hmm let's see. 122$ shipping comes out to : 7$ per year of enjooyement, or about $0,14 per week of enjoyment. Is that too expensive? I dunno. If you get it repaired and enjoy it for another, let's say, 10 years, then it comes out to 13$ per year of future enjoyment. Or look at it this way : when you bought it, if the price had been 122$ more, but included a free two way shipment to the factory, would you have bought something else?
I would only let the factory touch anything of mine, the place of manufacture is always the best place to have it repaired. That's where the parts and product knowledge are, it only makes sense to me. Actually I've been quite lucky over the past 30 plus years in this hobby with only a few failures.
17 years is a pretty good run, I recently had my 14 year old Magnum Dynalab MD 90 fail, it needed a tuning capacitor and for $100 flat fee plus shipping both ways it was a no brainer... I sent it to them and after asking about some upgrades they offered me a generous trade in toward a MD102. They treated me great and I ended up with a much better tuner in the end. That $30 dollars shipping was well worth it !
Sounds to me as though Simaudio is approaching this in a very professional way. Yes, $124 to ship something is... the cost to ship something.
When buying from a small outfit, I ask whether they will make the schematic available, what their service and support policies are. That gets factored into my decision. Some outfits like to keep all service in-house, and there are a number of reasons why they might want to do that. The most common reason is revs/versions of products that change often as the company keeps improving the product, even in the middle of a production run. In that environment it can become impossible to document the changes in published schematics and service manuals, even if they keep good notes at the factory. Another impetus for keeping service in-house to see how the products hold up in the field. A third cause is the built-in problem of working with s/s gear; with tens of thousands of transistors used in gear over the years, you can end up with gear needing unavailable transistors, and for which there are no usable substitutes. So if a boutique audio company stocks up on hard-to-find parts, they can be the best bet for service.
For a small company to service their gear from 18 years ago is a good thing. Whether it is worth putting a few hundred dollars into is your decision.
BTW, Abecollins is right about Manley: the best customer support I've ever seen. Their technician, Paul Fargo, is a gem.
And I have to join the others who see your complaints as pretty high recommendations for Simaudio. You want to keep the piece working - that's good. Simaudio is set up and willing to keep it working for you - also very good. (I can think of one very highly regarded and long-established tube gear manufacturer who refused to work on one of their own preamps that was fifteen years old at the time. They were right to refuse, as during their early super-growth years they didn't have good rev & version control, which means that none of their schematics or service notes were *quite* right.)
Simaudio's statement on their support page is actually pretty great: "Thanks to the precious care given into parts management, we still offer service on our discontinued models dated from the early stages of the SIMA production, including the CELESTE series." And BTW, I just saw this after writing about parts stocking and rev/version control. Great minds think alike.
Is it worth fixing? That's up to you. Would I buy from Simaudio after reading this thread? Absolutely.
WW
"A man need merely light the filaments of his receiving set and the world's greatest artists will perform for him." Alfred N. Goldsmith, RCA, 1922
I do not have a problem with their policy as long as they do not go out of business. Maintaining quality control of their products long after the warranty runs out makes good sense for higher end makers. Sadly, there are a lot of hacks out there, past and present, as so many can attest to and sadly, owners tend to bad mouth the manufacturer or model when things go badly.
Marantz never made a SM or schematic for the 10 and 10b so if one needed service it had to go back and until recently there were only 2 recognized experts in repairing them, I think 1 passed away not long ago. Similarly, KLH had only limited service data for its model Twenty-Seven and most of the amp's and tuners in their compact series. While they had authorized service centers, the service data was very limited and KLH encouraged sending the units back for service if other than minor work was needed. They would not release the data or sell apartment to a service center not authorized. There were a number of companies that would not release service data or sell parts to a non-authorized service dealer and why finding service data for some companies is almost impossible to find. Sams tried to fill the gap but finally threw in the towel.
Olson labeled electronics similarly never had manuals nor authorized any repair centers, you had to bring them to an Olson store that then shipped the to the Olson service center for the region.
Don Brian Levy, J.D.
Toronto ON Canada
In my line of work, I frequently evaluate requests for proposal from manufacturers of computer hardware who want my company to provide support and service around the globe for their product/s. What happens far too frequently is these companies just do not have enough volume of sales to make the economics of it work. I suspect this may also be a main reason why Sim does things the way they do. When you think about the cost to train techs, build technical libraries, stock parts, provide space, tools, test equipment, etc. it can add up to a substantial investment - then multiply that investment by the number of repair locations and you have a BOAT load of money tied up. If it’s a high sales volume item, justification for the investment is much easier than if volume is small. In fact, if the volume is small the investment likely will NEVER pay for itself. Nothing against Sim, by all indications the make very good sounding gear, but they are not exactly a household name in the business ... meaning small sales volumes. I think they deserve kudos for the level of support they do provide. Sometimes economics are a bitch, and this may well be one of those times. In the end you'll have to decide whether the amp means enough to you to just bite the bullet.
Edits: 10/22/14
I don't understand what your beef is?
I agree with the OP,this policy is preposterous. I have had several McIntosh components and they had no problem sending me firmware update chips to install myself.
Forget Bryston, their great warranty would not offset the crappy sound one would be subject to for 20 year....yuck!
Surely you can see a difference and consider how a mishap in one arena might be more easily remedied than a mishap in another?
Big J
"... only a very few individuals understand as yet that personal salvation is a contradiction in terms."
That's funny! Great warranty but lousy sound.
They are on the side of the consumer by practicing policies which will help keep them in business, and allowing their products to be operational for a long time.
Few manufacturers will touch anything of theirs which has been hot-rodded or such-like by a party other than themselves.
Best of luck.
From a business prospective sim audio is smart. They are the only game in town. As a business owner you can't beat that. As a consumer I would not buy their products knowing they have to go back to the manufacturer to be fixed. At least with audio research or mc intosh you have a choice.
I had to send one of my mono amps in. Shipping wasn't cheap, but service was great and turn around time short. Of course I knew were they were made and where they were serviced before purchase.
Years ago I had to send a Classe DR25 in for repair. It was out of warranty and I had to pay the shipping both ways, but they ended up fixing the problem for free. I would not have even considered sending it anywhere else except back to the manufacture.
------------------------------------------------------------
Your mono amps are worth servicing. They're discontinued and highly sought after in the Classe line. And your speakers are quite nice too! I have the baby brother to your D700's in my office.
They do make beautiful music together! I know that you've enjoyed your 500's for years now.
Edits: 10/22/14 10/22/14
+1 excellent service for me
Good plan.
Edits: 10/21/14 10/21/14
... Are there any more emails or have you spoken to Mr Poulin or somebody from Sim Audio on the phone?
From what you posted it is not clear who will pay for shipping. It is also not clear if you have an estimate of the repair or if you explained further what is wrong with your amp.
From the email you posted Sim "might" be offering to pay the postage and "might" be offering to do the repair for free or at a discount. It is impossible to determine from the information you posted.
If there is no more correspondence/communication on this matter, other than what you have posted, I suggest you phone Mr Poulin to discuss it.
Phone Sim and clarify everything about postage, repair costs and raise your concerns. Do this in a polite and humble manner, what have you got to lose?
Smile
Sox
Talk to them !
So: $61 shipping one-way doesn't sound too bad in the scheme of things. And if they let just anyone fuck with the circuit boards (probably SMD) then fixing the damage done by someone who doesn't know what they are doing would cost a lot more time and energy.
but i do agree, it would be better overall if a company would just say, OK, you own the amplifier, here are the schematics and what you need to fix it.
OTOH, with the competition in this industry so intense, there is little incentive for a company to do that.
and maybe, just maybe, a company would have a policy like that to convince the product owners that their products are SPECIAL, when in fact they are just magic tricks in a box. which they are. but what's behind the screen? no good magician will reveal his tricks for nothing.
You shoulda bought a Bryston!
That's true, Bryston gives a 20 year warranty. If you had a Bryston they would fix it for free.
For 17 years of ear bleeding sonics? What a bargain.....
Oz
Don't worry about avoiding temptation. As you grow older, it will avoid you.
- Winston Churchill
NT
Oh, a Fremer follower!
I don't own a turntable...
.
I agree...
Why decline their offer? seems reasonable. And most manufactures don't give out their schematics.. you want someone to guess at what needs to be repaired?
Reasonable? $450 repair cost for an amplifier with a current Bluebook value of $500?
Bluebook value is about as meaningless as any valuation service in existence. About the only usefulness it has ever had was for a dealer to justify his allowance for trade in and the insurance company paying out.
Also, value is not the same a fmv or price. Value is what something personally worth to someone meaning the price one to pay is variable and related to a number of factors. Something on a person's must have list as it completes a collection has a higher value than the value placed on the same item who is a flier or the make and model is an orphan or, does not fit the profile of what a buyer normally would buy.
For instance, I have a soft spot for the 1st generation Sherwood amps and tuners with less of a soft spot for the similar period Sherwood receivers, though I like them also. I also have a soft spot for the KLH Twenty-Seven and if I ever found one in absolutely mint condition, already have 2 in average+ condition, with all paper work would pay far in excess of the going price. Most persons here do not value these units as highly as I do and therefore would not pay what I would.
Don Brian Levy, J.D.
Toronto ON Canada
Hi, Lance,
Putting money into a dated stereo component is no different than putting money into a dated automobile; if you put $1500 of repair into a $2000 car, the car is still only worth $2000. Whether or not you spend the money just depends on whether you really like the car. Or the amplifier in your case.
Good luck,
Tom
Find a good, used specimen and be happy...
-RW-
you'll fit right in!
"Once this was all Black Plasma and Imagination" -Michael McClure
Geez, bitching about 60+ bucks? GMAFB!
-RW-
nt
.
I recently developed a problem with my 15 year old CA300. I found a local repair shop, and before I brought the amp in (I have a guess what's wrong) I e-mailed Classe and asked about availability of parts. The person at Classe responded quickly, and said that the CA300 was still a very fine amplifier, despite its age, and that the company felt that many repair shops would have problems correctly diagnosing and repairing the fault. Therefore he recommended returning it to the factory.
Since I would be perfectly happy to have this amp for another 10-15 years, I figured it would be a good investment.
I haven't gotten the amp back yet (I only sent it a week ago) but feel that Classe demonstrated a very professional approach to customer service
Friend of mine has a Musical Fidelity amp that had an issue and spent well over a $1000 on people looking at it and 'fixing it' and shipping before it was finally fixed. I am sure he would have gratefully spent 62 and change to ship it to its place of origin.
instead of "boycott" talk.
Your post positively reinforces my viewpoint that Sim Audio is indeed, a most excellent company, standing behind excellent products.
"Asylums with doors open wide,
Where people had paid to see inside,
For entertainment they watch his body twist
Behind his eyes he says, 'I still exist.'"
"Boycott talk"? That statement is the product of a fertile imagination. Read the first post. It contains an email, copied verbatim, that originated with Sim Audio. It is their statement of fact, not mine. I did not make mention of a boycott, suggest a boycott, nor imply anyone should initiate a boycott. I do, however, wish I had read it seventeen years ago. It would have had a profound impact on my amplifier purchase decision (a Bryston 3B was on my short list). To paraphrase, they have a monopoly on all Sim Audio product repairs. Now if that fact gives you a warm and fuzzy feeling about the altruistic motivations of Sim Audio Ltd...
As for me, I believe John Dalberg was so right about absolute power; it corrupts...absolutely!"
only person who took it that way.
But ultimately you're correct. "Boycott" was not said in your OP.
What i said about Sim Audio still applies: and they are "stand up" as far as I am concerned.
Cheers,
"Asylums with doors open wide,
Where people had paid to see inside,
For entertainment they watch his body twist
Behind his eyes he says, 'I still exist.'"
your being unreasonable, but that OK,
Did you like the amp when it was working?
Both are best avoided.
Most audiophiles and music-lovers I know would be delighted to discover that not only is a 17-yr-old product still supported, the manufacturer will undertake repairs and restoration themselves. I think you're reading too much into their concern for your audio well-being, which seems genuine.
We take responsibility for our choices and we move on, or we rot.
Big J
"... only a very few individuals understand as yet that personal salvation is a contradiction in terms."
MXxxxxx,
Your post only makes me respect SimAudio more than I did before you publicly whined about them.
Seventeen years old? It's certainly out of warranty so they can elect not to work on it if they so choose, in fact if they get wind of this thread I wouldn't be surprised if they withdraw their offer.
No manufacturer needs a "customer" like you!
Al
Whom is M. Xxxxxx ?
.., that could make it be more difficult for SimAudio to diagnose and/or repair it. SimAudio carries an inventory of stock parts. SimAudio would also have no way of being sure about the type and quality of alterations performed, for all they know the "altered" unit could be unsafe. It's not hard for me to understand why SimAudio might object to working on a modded or altered unit.
....they don't want to fix someone's botched attempt at an upgrade on their products. Higly understandable.
Oz
Don't worry about avoiding temptation. As you grow older, it will avoid you.
- Winston Churchill
Geez send it back to the factory if they're willing to do the work good for them. 17 years? Talk about standing behind their products. Good for them.
Give me rhythm or give me death!
Yeah, the OP's message has the completely opposite effect on me, not what he intended. If I were on the fence about Simaudio, I would feel inclined to buy a product of theirs, not run away.
Oz
Don't worry about avoiding temptation. As you grow older, it will avoid you.
- Winston Churchill
Big J
"... only a very few individuals understand as yet that personal salvation is a contradiction in terms."
It is a 17 year old amplifier and THEY are paying for the shipping?
What do you find wrong with that?
And if you decline "there" (sic) offer, what do you have now? A doorstop?
Oz
Don't worry about avoiding temptation. As you grow older, it will avoid you.
- Winston Churchill
Yes, you read it wrong. The cost to dispatch this amplifier to Sim Audio is $61.25...one way. That, and the return postage, must be paid by the owner. $122.50, which does not include the cost of repair or inspection. In short, you will pay $122.50, assuming you would like them to return it, regardless of the outcome. All this so the one and only repair shop on the North American continent may or may not repair it.
And please, those of you who believe proper repairs can only be be done by the factory...you are mislead. Some factory repair technicians do an excellent job, some do not. Many independent electronics repairmen do a superb job. You need look no farther than the threads in this forum to find them and read of their talents. An amplifier as old as my Celeste W-4070 is not rife with proprietary integrated circuits or sophisticated software. It is mostly built with common off-the-shelf components, most of which are found quite handily in the US. The crux of the issue is there are a myriad of ways to assemble those parts. The amplifier must then be adjusted for the best performance. That is why technicians, in the factory or in your home town, prefer working from schematics and specification sheets.
The notion that Sim Audio is this benevolent source of council and healing is, quite frankly, ridiculous. They repair this equipment because it is profitable. And, it is especially profitable when you have positioned yourself as the sole-source.
"Many independent electronics repairmen do a superb job."
Yes, but 'many' is not 'all'. I've seen more than my fair share of botched repairs and modifications to audio products. While I think SimAudio might be better served finding a select group of trusted repairers, rather than insisting on an in-house only repair policy, I can envisage a company not wishing to have its reputation effectively ruined by poorly repaired products in the wind.
This potentially also helps preserve the resale value of Sim Audio's products long-term. Think of it like having a full service history on a car. You know that if there have been repairs, they have been under factory conditions, and not dependent on the skills of a third-party repairer. While the third-party may be excellent, they remain an unknown quantity. Again, however, I don't see why this couldn't be extended to include repairers trusted by Sim Audio.
-
Editor, Hi-Fi Plus magazine, Lun-duhnn, Ingerland, innit
I suggest you take it to "Two Guys Who Are Electricians" and have them muck with it.What do actually propose - that electronics manufacturers be required to provide schematics and parts to whoever wants them? How about training - should they have to train anyone who wants to try to repair their products? If an unauthorized company/person screws it up, should the manufacturer be required to un-muck it? That if you choose to send it to the manufacturer, they have to pay shipping to/from?
rlindsa
Edits: 10/21/14
..and the to have a product that worked for 17 years and provided enjoyment for that time then advise others not to do business with the manufacturer is really pushing the limits.
I don't see the problem. Perfectly reasonable, and amazingly common among high end products. Same goes for Audio Research. A couple of hundred bucks for shipping to get back a working, vintage amp is a bargain.
It is a 17 year old amp, who else would you want to fix it.
You are whining. They make excellent products.
Clearly, you do not subscribe to a fundamental principle, "...its YOUR machine, you paid for it, you may do whatever you wish with it". In short, you should be able to have any capable person you wish repair it. If you are unfamiliar with this fundamental principal you may wish to peruse RightToRepair.org, or a number of other forums. Your information is also erroneous. Audio Research does, in fact, make information available to repair facilities outside of the factory.
In the US, auto manufacturers attempted to impose repair restrictions in which only the manufacturers representatives (the dealers) would have access to the tools and information necessary to complete repairs on vehicles of their manufacture. The courts, particularly in California, have ruled this to be illegal in the US. You may wish to forgo the right to deal with whomever you choose because you enjoy the wherewithal and/or convenience the factory provides. Many of the rest of us feel uncomfortable about entrusting one entity to provide service and support for our expensive possessions.
You can have "any capable person you wish repair it." And the manufacturer can reasonably decline to fix that piece of your equipment if it wishes. Not sure what you mean by "illegal" with respect to CA car repairs. It's not like a criminal offense or something. I guess, if it were me, before I posted a cranky, nasty post, I would make sure I knew precisely what I was talking about.
Kerry
Clearly, you do not subscribe to a fundamental principle, "...its YOUR machine, you paid for it, you may do whatever you wish with it". In short, you should be able to have any capable person you wish repair it.
Simaudio isn't stopping you from taking it to an independent repair technician, they are just not going to lend their support to the person you chose.
You seem to think that Simaudio has an obligation to provide their support and intellectual property (i.e. schematics, bias settings, troubleshooting procedures, etc.) to third parties who might wish to service their products, like the auto industry does. But the auto repair industry contains 100000+ businesses employing on the order of a million people, and the major auto makers employ on the order of 100000 people each with revenues in the $100B/year range.
Simaudio is a small high end audio company which employs something like 50 or 60 people and they don't have the need or the staff to manage a network of authorized service centers. They probably feel that the only way they can ensure the quality of repair work is to do it themselves, and it's probably justified.
What I don't understand is why you would WANT to send it anywhere else? What exactly do you find objectionable about sending it to Simaudio vs. sending it to some other company?
I have several objections:
Sole-source...It is done to maximize profits, there is no altruistic component whatsoever. The premiss that it would be an onerous undertaking for the manufacturer to provide information to other repair shops is hogwash. Since I started this thread I have spoken to three of the techs I have done business with in the past. Two have read some of the comments and were absolutely astounded by how little most seem to know about the electronics repair business. Shops don't get there schematics and specification books from the electronics ferry; THEY PAY FOR THEM! The proprietary parts they must get from the manufacturer, but unless they are needed for a warranty repair, are PAID FOR by the shop (and subsequently by you, the consumer). There is nothing, whatsoever, benevolent about a manufacturer setting up a network of repair facilities. They do it because their customers demand it and the repair shops are willing to pay for the parts/information because they see a profit in it. One tech told me all he needs to get documentation and parts (from most manufacturers) is a telephone and a credit card. It isn't altruistic, it's business! Sim Audio doesn't do this because their customers don't demand it and it is very profitable to compel owners to send everything home to Montreal...PERIOD.
Send...I would rather "take" and look the repairman in the eye and convey my concerns and description of the problem so that I may leave him to his work knowing he understands the nature of my problem.
One of my Simaudio amps failed and I also need to get it serviced. But as long as Simaudio is able to provide service, there is no way I would want to send it anywhere else. I believe the manufacturer is best equipped to service their own products. I've also had several bad experiences with independent "authorized" repair shops:
One shop took 6 months to repair my Pioneer Kuro TV because they didn't investigate the root cause of the problem and instead they just ordered one part after another until they had replaced every LRU in the set, and only then asked Pioneer for help. They also lost the remote. Thankfully, it was a warranty job so I didn't pay for all those boards.
I've had two pieces of equipment which were in excellent condition when I sent them but returned with cosmetic damage. In one case, the damage was significant and obvious so I couldn't believe they tried to get away with it.
I had a CD/DVD/universal player returned to me (twice!) without fixing the problem but claiming they had. Same for a VCR.
I once sent an amp for repair, and they threw away the original box and packaging I sent it with, and returned it in an oversized box with only peanuts for protection.
I think it's great that Simaudio is willing to service their legacy products. This is one of the benefits you get when you buy audio equipment from a reputable high end manufacturer, that you generally don't get with mass market oriented manufacturers. You should take advantage of it rather than complain about it.
Does you fundamental principle also include "and if you muck it up, the manufacturer/authorized repair facility still has to fix it"?
rlindsa
Yup, Audio Research does indeed provide parts and schematics even decades after a product has been discontinued. I have an ARC VT100mkII schematic along with notes and expected measured electrical values scribbled on it while talking to their service department. I have also purchased faceplates and knobs for old ARC preamps when I wanted to swap colors.
Same for Manley Labs. They sent me parts and a schematic so I could perform a DIY repair on a couple smoked cathode resistors. Their tech even walked me through a couple pointers over the phone while I had my multimeter and soldering iron ready to go. It sure beat having to pack up a 70 pound amp!
Pass Labs has sent me free parts and some that I've purchased, including a meter movement for an X150.5 and a machined aluminum front panel 'wing' for an X3 3-channel amp.
Thiel has sent me free replacement brass feet for my CS2.4 which were lost in a recent move. They also sent me free touch up stain for my CS1.5 speakers decades out of warranty.
I love the no hassle dealings with these companies so I can understand your frustration. Just blame it on CANADA !!
On the other hand, things could be worse. You could have bought some bargain Chinese piece no longer supported after a short couple years and a dealer network that is no longer around.
The fact that SimAudio is at least offering to pay for shipping and repair a 17 year old amp is a good sign. If they refuse to repair a modified product, I don't blame them one bit. Who knows what some garage hack has done to their design.
Just my 2-cents worth.
There are a number of Chinese sourced electronic units that you can not get any support for including from the factory or parts or repair data according to a number of threads.
Don Brian Levy, J.D.
Toronto ON Canada
C'mon dude! Would you really expect Chinese made gear to have any back up. That's why the crap is so cheap. If it breaks you just buy a new one.
"Just blame it on CANADA !!"
I was thinking of posting that video but you beat me to it. Love it!
If you want to go down the path of anyone other than the manufacturer working on your property, you are not being stopped. If the manufacturer won't give away their intellictual design propery I have no beef with that.
"In addition, Sim Audio may decline a repair if, after their inspection, they have determined your equipment has undergone "unauthorized" modification." If this applies to products within their warranty period that is more understandable. Otherwise to only work on products that haven't been altered is their choice, but not the best for good customer service.
In a good design everything can and does matter - one who knows, understands and admits this when it comes to repairs is the one who I want to use. Refusing to fix someone else's work is respectful of the person who commissioned the work and the person who performed it. Most hacks can fix anything - but how much, if any, they've honored the original design/function is always questionable. And if this kind of stuff doesn't matter what's the point of high end in the first place?
Give me rhythm or give me death!
Try to consider the modification thing from their angle. I doubt seriously that a Ford dealer would want to work on one of their cars where the owner has replaced the engine with a Chevy engine. Why would you expect the same of a small boutique audio manufacturer? As for entrusting a service and support to a single entity - maybe you are new to the high-end audio thing, but that's just the way it is. Get used to it ... or buy Sony. You are certainly free to search out someone else to repair you machine if you do not like the terms of the folks in Canada.
Tough luck. You should have thought about that 17 years ago LOL.
Oh, wait, Simaudio, unlike many other fly by nights, is still in business decades later. Hmm. Could be because they make great products?
To advise people to think twice before buying one of their products because of your slanted view is rather in poor taste.
"Tough luck. You should have thought about that 17 years ago LOL." Brilliant!
Now, for those who are not encumbered with an overwhelming and misguided sense of brand loyalty, consider this; the bottom line is Sim Audio has positioned themselves as the sole-source of all repairs on their products. Don't obfuscate the facts...this has nothing to do with modifications, has less to do with the cost of shipment, and has nothing to do with, "...everyone else does it so why shouldn't Sim Audio" (which is pure rubbish...many manufacturers still employ a network of authorized repair shops). It has everything to do with the fact that you are entrusting one facility with the service of your expensive equipment. Sim Audio is not a charity...they haven't positioned themselves as the sole-source of repair because of some sense of altruism for the customers...they do it because the make more money. They can charge whatever they please because no one can make an informed comparison between cost effective or otherwise. The alternative to their services does not exist. Now, considering the last sentence as fact (stipulated by Mr. Poulin), how can anyone be certain they are receiving a proper cost effective repair from Sim Audio? If it makes noise, your happy? Some of us have a higher standard.
My thoughts exactly. The fact that authorized service is still available after 17 years is not a given across the industry.
I agree. This is the way support of boutique audio products works. Especially if you want it fixed right.
My equipment is predominantly Audio Research and McIntosh. I have two "Factory Authorized" repair shops within a one hour drive of my home. Both shops are factory supported and stock parts. I also had a pair of Manley 300B monoblock amplifiers. On one occasion, when I needed help with an output transformer problem, EveAnna provided me with the name of a repair shop that was only 30-minutes away. Don't believe the one fellow's comment about Audio Research being like Sim Audio. I have first hand knowledge of the facts. That assertion is pure rubbish. What brands of equipment do you own who sole-source there repairs?
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