Aaaggh - sick Cambridge Audio CA840C CD player

[AlexM]

Just a quick update on the happy ending to this saga.

Richer Sounds notified me that the DAC board couldn't be repaired, and that they would need to replace it. Fair enough, I thought. The quotation was c£250 to fix, which caused me to suck my teeth a little, but I authorized them to begin the repair work.

About eight weeks passed, and I hadn't heard back from them so I started to chase for an update. Apparently they didn't have any spares stock, and were waiting for a batch to be send from China. I said that the repair had taken an unacceptable time amount of time, and because no definite timescale could be stated for completion of the repairs I wasn't prepared to wait any longer. At this point I was expecting them to waive the repair fee and return the player to me unfixed.

The customer services team exceeded my expectations and said that they would supply me with a brand new unit FOC, and that my third-party pieces would also be returned to me.

This is outstanding customer service, albeit with a little prompting from me, and a very generous offer given that the player was purchased in August 2008.

Hats of to Richer Sounds for their willingness to stand behind the product, and look after their customers.

Regards,
Alex

[myles]

Nice outcome. I know the knowledge of the front of shop guys is sometimes not the best, but they (as a company)do seem to still care about customer relations, even if it is for retention purposes!

[Puffin]

I would have contacted Mark Bartlett at Audiocom as he had it last. Nice guy AFAIAA. Now you at least have a working unit, but un-blinged

[AlexM]

The service team have agreed to return the Audiocom clock module, regulator and the faulty main board, so I will have the opportunity to re-bling it again if I want to get brave with the soldering iron .

I thought it was very good of Richer sounds to take the hit and supply a NIB unit, as although it is now superseded it still would be offered for >£600 on clearance.

[leo]

I'm late seeing this but glad you got it sorted. I think you just had bad luck with the unit, if you only had the Audiocom clock and its psu fitted its highly unlikely this had anything to do with the faulty channel of the cdp (just incase you had any doubts in having the clock refitted)
If a clock goes faulty you'd get somethng like the disc spinning out of control

[sq225917]

Frankly that amazing service replacing a modified unit.

[AlexM]

Simon, I thought so too. I was fairly surprised that they accepted the repair job at all. I can only assume it was in recompense for not being able to source parts in an acceptable timeframe, but even so...

Regards,
Alex

[sq225917]

Look at it this way though. That one story repeated across the internet just before their 850cd comes out- has to be sales gold. ;-)

[AlexM]

So..... It gets better

Richer Sounds couldn't fulfill their.promise of a new 840c as there was.no stock left, so they decided to give me a new 851c instead. Given the.list price of nearly £1200, I didn't take too long to think over the offer of an upgrade to a brand new, superior player with warranty for £128.

That is rather generous, I think, to put it mildly!.

I will post my.listening impressions once I've burned it in and have had an extended listen.

Regards,
Alex

[synsei]

That is an outstanding result, I've always received excellent service from the company. Very well done Richer Sounds...