AMR dead in the water (Boat anchor)

[Pops110]

Fingers crossed it all goes well Ged and it's back in the system soon.

Might be time for a gtg. Would be great to catch up again.

Cheers Dave

[Misternavi]

i've dealt with cam from maxmedia in the past due to faulty ifi iDSD Dac and service was amazing. came over to my work and fixed it on the spot.


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[Grimmie]

On Thursday, 23 March 2017 at 0:28 PM, Steve M said:

 

To think, you agonised for over 2yrs in deciding to purchase the AMR-777 dac, and now this bad outcome ...

Steve.

 

 

Heh Heh, I did too, what a drip! Not as long-winded as the process for a Phono stage though, that process could see out the decade. Lets hope it's not actually a bad outcome just my usual tortured, tedious procedure.

Edited March 24, 2017 by Grimmie

[Grimmie]

58 minutes ago, Pops110 said:

Fingers crossed it all goes well Ged and it's back in the system soon.

Might be time for a gtg. Would be great to catch up again.

Cheers Dave

 

Sounds like a plan, maybe. As I emailed to my repairer tonight, "I desperately hope we get a resolution for this and good luck with the parts he’s sending. Chickens are not being counted but Cameron has at least supplied the eggs."

[Tony M]

@Grimmie

 

Sincere apologies if I came across as some sort of smart arse trying to tell you what you should've done - definitely not my intention.  I totally get that we all do what we think makes sense to us at the time and sometimes we wish we'd chosen an alternative option.

 

Anyway, glad to see things are looking up and best wishes for a speedy and complete resolution.  The DP777(SE) is definitely a device that leaves a big hole in a system when it's not there, especially if you also use it as a pre as I do.  I'd hate to have to try to replace mine.

[PKay]

8 hours ago, Grimmie said:

If I had one wish for a superpower you can forget x-ray vision and flying, I'd choose hindsight every time. How cool to know the consequences of everything you say or do before you say or do it. I definitely would have sent it back to Maxmedia in Melbourne (not Sydney, where'd I get that from. It's actually Level 1, 8-14 Howard Street. North Melbourne) if the tooth fairy had given me hindsight instead of wonderful good looks that are irresistible to women, and mosquitoes incidentally, I always get bitten)
 

HOLD THE BUS!!!! Just had an email, literally popped up right now from my techie, apparently parts are on the way from Maxmedia. I swear that's as far as I got with the above post. HOW AMAZEBALLS!

 

I am really, I mean really, REALLY pleased at this turn of events, It's the first light at the end of the channel tunnel, (pushing a hand-cart) I'm glad I didn't go bagging the distributor / retailer or AMR, except it's so hard to not be bitter and twisted when this kind of thing happens, I did as I say love the unit when it worked.

 

No idea what prompted this, and I refuse to be cynical re this thread etc. Just a happy co-incidence I'm sure, - fingers crossed and I'll keep you informed.

 

Ged

That is a great result. Especially since you bought the unit from the local distributor. 

[Marc]

Ged, I spoke with Cameron at Maxmedia late last night. He had no idea this was not yet resolved, and was indeed most concerned.

The parts were being sent out today.

 

Cameron and Maxmedia have always been great to deal with in my experience, and the only mistake here I believe (not attributing blame to anyone) but with the benefit of hindsight, persistence and communication directly with Maxmedia would likely have seen the situation rectified much quicker.

 

Hope it all ends well for you Ged.

[Addicted to music]

30 minutes ago, Marc said:

Ged, I spoke with Cameron at Maxmedia late last night. He had no idea this was not yet resolved, and was indeed most concerned.

The parts were being sent out today.

 

Cameron and Maxmedia have always been great to deal with in my experience, and the only mistake here I believe (not attributing blame to anyone) but with the benefit of hindsight, persistence and communication directly with Maxmedia would likely have seen the situation rectified much quicker.

 

Hope it all ends well for you Ged.

 

The SNA magic wond....

 

no wonder I populate here....

 

Thats awesome Marc,  just goes to show that a bit of communication helps....

Would have avoided all this trouble.  

[Grimmie]

Many thanks for the apology @Tony M but absolutely not necessary mate. Over all the years frequenting SNA I've always enjoyed your posts and contributions, can't imagine you being a smart-arse. I do indeed use it as a pre, and very clever it is with a great range of digital and analogue inputs. I've got to say, if it weren't for the fault I'd still be praising it to the hills (except the heat output) but a year on the trainers bench makes you doubt any players ability to make a come back.

 

Thanks too to @Marc though if you saw the file of emails I have to all and sundry regarding this, persistence and communication may not be in your list. Again, looking back, my decision to avoid the delay of sending to Cam proved to be somewhat ironic. I am pleased though that he was able to act quickly once reminded of the situation

[georgehifi]

2 hours ago, Nap250 said:

No idea what prompted this,

 

This thread.

Cam's a really nice guy, probably just needed a little poke.

 

Cheers George

[sir sanders zingmore]

8 minutes ago, georgehifi said:

 

This thread.

Cam's a really nice guy, probably just needed a little poke.

 

Cheers George

 

I've met Cam a few times. Lovely guy and I'm really glad this is being resolved. 

[Addicted to music]

No longer a "boat anchor"    

[TP1]

It's always workable when a distributor supports local techs with parts etc and I'm so glad this is the case for your AMR. In my case the unit has to be sent to Germany because the manufacturer refuses to allow local techs to touch it, and the cost is uneconomic to pursue.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[georgehifi]

4 minutes ago, Tasso said:

It's always workable when a distributor supports local techs with parts etc and I'm so glad this is the case for your AMR. In my case the unit has to be sent to Germany because the manufacturer refuses to allow local techs to touch it, and the cost is uneconomic to pursue.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

 

So what happened to yours, did you end up sending it? and what was the total cost?

 

Cheers George

[andrewp]

I got a mint AMR cd 77 if anyone interested

[Grimmie]

1 hour ago, Tasso said:

It's always workable when a distributor supports local techs with parts etc and I'm so glad this is the case for your AMR. In my case the unit has to be sent to Germany because the manufacturer refuses to allow local techs to touch it, and the cost is uneconomic to pursue.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

 

Yes @Tasso that was my fear, not just the repair but also upgrades promoted, time consumed and postage, I got it into my head that all I wanted was the unit working again not all that damn fuss, it was this thinking that led me to use the local guy (who I'm sure you know of, but I'll not name him unless he wishes it. The heat's really on him now.) I missed your thread on the Audiodeske Vinyl Cleaner,  those babies ain't cheap when new for sure. Back to the original question, how long should you expect a component to last, how long did you get out of that?

[Grimmie]

1 minute ago, andrewp said:

I got a mint AMR cd 77 if anyone interested

 

This raised a chuckle, possibly not the thread for that, but I do love your optimism.

[andrewp]

Well mate Im stoked yours is well on the way to being sorted. What a great outcome and support from people up the ladder here.

[TP1]

 

So what happened to yours, did you end up sending it? and what was the total cost?

 

Cheers George

 

 

The pump failed on my Audio Deske Vinyl Cleaner. A quick check on the net revealed its a common problem. Radiance Av , distributors, advised that the manufacturer refuses to supply parts or schematics and they insist the unit be sent to Germany for repairs.

 

An examination of the unit reveals why. The case is entirely made of PVC and all the joints are plastic welded. It was basically not designed to be repairable in the way other manufacturers have designed their products to be disassembled. The new cost is around $5k but this unit is a few years old so would be worth less than half that amount if working. ( there are also expensive brushes and filters that must be replaced ). Repair cost was quoted at around $1380 which would be a risk given the reliability record of the machines. Even a new clone from China ( made from superior materials) costs less to buy outright

 

 

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[TP1]

 
Yes [mention=105453]Tasso[/mention] that was my fear, not just the repair but also upgrades promoted, time consumed and postage, I got it into my head that all I wanted was the unit working again not all that damn fuss, it was this thinking that led me to use the local guy (who I'm sure you know of, but I'll not name him unless he wishes it. The heat's really on him now.) I missed your thread on the Audiodeske Vinyl Cleaner,  those babies ain't cheap when new for sure. Back to the original question, how long should you expect a component to last, how long did you get out of that?

I judge manufacturers and distributors not only on the reliability of their product, but by what they do in the event of a problem. Your case demonstrates that people can buy AMR confident in the knowledge that any problems will be sorted in the event help is required. For my unit, I could not give that level of confidence to prospective purchasers.


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[VAKMAN]

Hi All,

 

Sorry, but I just couldn't resist posting to this forum after all these years.

 

Just to provide a little context, I am a proud owner of both the AMR CD77.1 CD Player and the AMR DP-777SE DAC.

 

I purchased the CD 77.1 Player from Cameron at MaxMedia back in 2011 and has performed flawlessly for all these years, until which time we had a major electrical storm in Sydney just over 15 months ago. During this storm, whilst listening to the Hi-Fi System, the circuit breaker triggered, loosing all electrical power to the house.

 

Once the circuit breaker was turned back on, I noticed one of the mono-blocks refused to power back up with the AMR CD77.1 displaying a message on the screen indicating "Voltage Outside Operating Range".

 

I called Cameron, who indicated I've probably blown a couple of PSUs and possibly other things. I then sent the "big battle cruiser" down to Melbourne on a wooden crate due to the almost 50kg weight of the unit including the brilliant metal flight case. The freight alone cost over $350, but was a sight to behold due to the shear magnitude of the packaging on the wooden crate.

 

Anyway, a few weeks later Cameron indicated a couple of bespoke parts would be required and would take some time to arrive from the UK. During this waiting period, Cameron indicated why not pickup the DP-777SE DAC with a Quad Core board, as he indicated this version would sound even better than the CD77.1. Because I was in the market for a new DAC and truly missing the sound of music in the home, I decided to take the plunge. A few weeks later, a brand new DP-777SE arrived at my doorstop. Damm did the system sound awesome once warmed up and burned-in in. The clarity, the Soundstage and detail was unlike anything I'd heard in a long time and was definitely a step up from the vulnerable old CD77.1.

 

Another couple of months had passed and my CD77.1 was finally returned by Cameron, complete with a PSU and a special new upgraded DAC board straight from the factory. Again, once plugged in I could not believe what I was hearing. This Damm CD player was absolutely stunning in every aspect, and made my new DP-777SE DAC sound slightly lean, with a shallower soundstage. How is that possible ?????

 

The following week, I called Cameron and said WTF is going on. How can the CD player now sound better than the DP777SE. His response is that they have been busy tweaking away and improving their circuit design and approach, which resulted in the fact the now obsolete (no longer manufactured for over 6 years !!!!) CD77.1 now actually sounds better than their current in production DP-777SE DAC. Absolutely amazing. I can only imagine what their next new AMR product will sound like once released.

 

Not sure what to do with the stunning AMR DP777SE DAC, as I find myself listening to the even better Grand Daddy CD77.1 even more now. The DP777SE DAC itself is less than 1 year old !!!

 

To sum this up, I've had nothing but the best after sales service from both Cameron at MaxMedia and AMR themselves. Therefore, I would take some of the previous comments in this thread with a grain of salt and understand there are usually two sides to the story as to why Grimmie is the situation he is in today.

 

Hope that helps.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited March 25, 2017 by VAKMAN

[Grimmie]

Thanks @andrewp, and just as an aside, merely the prospect of having this resolved has helped get my music mojo back. Just slammed out The Rolling Stones live, 'Totally Stripped' not usually a Stones fan but this was a present from a mate and Brown Sugar had me dancing round the room, (alone in the house).

 

@VAKMAN Thanks for the insite to your experience, glad it was a positive one.  You mentioned that the freight alone cost over $350 then repairs and upgrades? just wondering what it cost you all-up if you don't mind me asking.

 

We all on here are well aware that grains of salt are a required condiment when dining at café internet, often the saltier the better. SNA though is generally a balanced place where complaints are countered by a couple of contrary opinions plus supporting comments and a bit of heartburn. It usually works pretty well and fairly, I hope I didn't come across as too much of a whinger.

[VAKMAN]

Hi @Grimmie,

 

No that's fine. We all whinge one time or another ;-)

 

The total repair cost for the CD77.1 including return freight back up to Sydney was over $4,000. In the grand scheme of things, the player cost me ~$15,000 from memory. Therefore, another $4,000 investment in such a battle cruiser seemed like a logical decision. Considering the number of parts that had to be replaced, including the all important DAC board itself, meant I virtually ended up with a brand new player in the end.

 

Just need to invest in power surge protection this time around.

 

Happy days and remember to keep listening to some wonderful music.....hopefully, with a glass your favourite wine, some Stilton blue cheese and fine english crackers.

 

 

Enjoy my friends....

 

 

Edited March 26, 2017 by VAKMAN

[VAKMAN]

Btw, anyone interested in a virtually new AMR DP-777SE DAC?

 

Never been upgraded, with no modifications. Works brilliantly and is the absolute latest model available. Less than 1 year old and is completely flawless.

 

Sounds stunning on it's own, but when compared to the latest CD77.1 DAC circa 2016, it falls a little short.

 

Please message me if anyone is interested.

 

Chow and back to my red wine.

 

Life is just too short to not enjoy everything our brief existence on this planet has to offer.

Edited March 26, 2017 by VAKMAN

[Time_Lord]

I been reading this topic with interest. I too am curious how much will the repairs end up costing you. I am going through the process of getting my own power amp unit repaired, and it too only lasted approx 3.5years (there already post on this).

 

Sadly to say, and I say this as it is,  the days of being able to find good electronic equipment that can last for decades is over. It is worth while reading up on Planned obsolescence. This is the world of consumerism. People have to constantly buy to replace equipment that breaks down that doesn't last long, or if it is expensive, pay to get it repaired. Reality is, and this is for alot of the consumer products out there on the market today, they are designed to fail in a certain amount of time, or after certain amount of usage.