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In Reply to: Re: Maybe -- maybe not posted by delaney@rea-alp.com on May 11, 2007 at 10:37:40:
thanks delaney - an answer I was looking for.
Follow Ups:
To follow up on your question about McAlister Audio.
I took delivery of a PP-160 and PL-12 preamp. The two are a lovely sounding combination. However, in building this equipment a number of construction mistakes were made:
1. The screws in the case to the power supply for the amp were drilled in a sloppy manner, some not even holding the case together, while others had been redrilled more than once. (I had the case repaired and mounting pieces were welded in the case.) 2. One of the transformers inside the power supply was flopping around on arrival. The bolts were loose. (The floppy transformer was attached to the case with new bolts and isolated with plastic).
3. The volume and balance pots were not grounded and caused a terrible hum when i touched them. They had been glued to the case because the builder did not take the time to counter sink the holes for the shfts, which could then be grounded with the usul locking nut to the case. The shft on one ws bent. (Chiseled old pots off and bought and installed new (better) pots properly grounded to case. Hum went away).
4. The wrong tube sockets were installed for the power tubes and the tubes wobbled. (Installed new sockets and rewired them of course).
5. The transformer covers on the power amp were put on unevenly with reference to the top of the unit. (Cosmetic only).
6. It was delivered with a bad premp tube. (Threw away)
7. The two units in combination had excessive gain, and the preamp volume was loud with the control at 7 o'clock. (Added dual attenuators)
8. Peter McAlister told me he listened to the amp for a number of hours before he sent it. Surely he would have discovered the hum from the preamp due to improper grounding of the pots.
9. It has cost me over $600 to get all this repaired.
The combo sounds lovely. He hand builds and hand winds his own transformers. Everyone who saw them, said they were beautifully made and rugged.
Let me tell you a short story about Peter McAlister. In early June, 2011 I contacted Peter about purchasing a pair of his OTL-195 amplifiers. We agreed upon a price, and about 3 weeks later I received them. Immediately it was apparent they both had a distortion problem. For the next eight days Peter told me how I should adjust them, but nothing solved the problem. I then sent them back to him, at my expense. He said he would get me a new pair immediately. Three months later, and under the threat of legal action, I received a new pair. Immediately, I was not happy with the hum from the separate power supplies. I'd estimate it at 75 to 80 db. I could hear it plainly from thirty feet away! Again Peter said he would get me new power supplies "immediately", That was Sept. 21, 2011. It is now December 22, 2011, and I have not heard from him since November 14, when he said he "almost" had them completed, and would call me the next day. He never called, and I have not heard from him. I have written, and called him, but he has not emailed me or returned my call. I might add, he stated he had played them for several days before getting them to me, and they were wonderful! R E A L L Y !!!!!!
A very brief digest of my 15+ month "odyssey" (to be polite): My pair of McAlister MB-130 monoblocs and separate power supply were finally shipped but packed very poorly (in single wall fresh tomato produce boxes with scraps of rigid styrene randomly crammed inside and a 2" gap between the carton lids and top edge of carton bottoms, sealed with flimsy clear tape and shipped UNINSURED via Post Canada / USPS. Chassis were so severely damaged from (not surprisingly) multiple rough handlings that I would not plug them into the electric service for fear of fire.
Months and dozens of calls and emails later, smooth and fast talking Peter McAlister finally agreed to wire me a full refund per his original verbal "complete satisfaction guarantee" but reneged and went silent.
More months went by and I finally located a Canadian collection firm who went to Canadian court and got McAlister's attention. I received all but $1,500 of the $5,000 he agreed to refund to me. He then demanded that I return the amps. I told him I will when he pays me the shortfall. More silence and incomplete performance on his obligation.
Peter presents himself as a knowledgeable, can't-do-enough-to-please-you guy. So do many used car and time share salesmen. The Barrie constable and collection firm who spoke to him multiple times said he's a "smooth talker" but wouldn't do what he promised them he would do.
That's a shame. You should also post this on the 'Shady Lane' forum.
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