Green Wagon Posted September 11, 2015 Author Share Posted September 11, 2015 :o They replied. Basically advising me that without the unit in front of them they can't diagnose the cause of the errors. And that I should contact the aus agent. Very polite, and pretty much what I expected. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Equaliser Posted September 11, 2015 Share Posted September 11, 2015 Ha! I nailed it with the type of response they will tell you. "Send the unit to a local distributor, they won't tell you what is wrong in detail except they will repair it and it will cost you a big fat repair bill, have good day sir". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony B Posted September 12, 2015 Share Posted September 12, 2015 I've had various CA products over the years and every single one of them have failed! I ended up just throwing them in the bin and moved on. Never again! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djb Posted September 17, 2015 Share Posted September 17, 2015 Excellent read I've never owned a Cambridge component But I'd respected them at their price point Not now 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Equaliser Posted September 19, 2015 Share Posted September 19, 2015 (edited) To be fair the only piece of Cambridge I'd ever own or recommend is there cd and dvd players. Apart from a few models, they are for the most part, pretty good. Edited September 19, 2015 by DefQon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Green Wagon Posted September 20, 2015 Author Share Posted September 20, 2015 Cough, cambridge cd player sitting here, dead because of shorted front panel smd board, wont let unit power up at all, just sits there and blows fuses, Cough. Mmmm yes, oh I agree entirely, their cd players are so much better built. Cough choke vomit. :ph34r: 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ancientflatulence Posted September 20, 2015 Share Posted September 20, 2015 Well, I was thinking of selling my 840A and 840C ............ probably won't bother now ........... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Green Wagon Posted April 20, 2016 Author Share Posted April 20, 2016 This bs saga continues. After sitting on the shelf for several months, I had a chance to have another look at it. Well. It didn't like sitting there. It now refuses to work for more than a few minutes even with nothing other than power connected. As soon as I put a dmm on the speaker terminals, it trips out. Every 'error' under the sun. From overheat to dc to shorted leads. It really has lost its mind. Because the protection system all feeds back and forth from a pic ic on the front panel board, We (Myself and owner) decided to take a gamble on a new board. I ordered a new front board assembly from the Aus agent, they in turn ordered a new board from CA england (so I'm lead to believe anyway. England that is). Several weeks later I get a box that contains. TWO boards. Both the same part. Both, second hand. I would guess they are supposed to be 'refurbished'. Did I say I thought I'd ordered one new board ? The paper work says I ordered one board. Only got charged for one. No mention of second hand or refurbished. I gave them both a look over before even reopening the unit. Glad I did. I cannot, will not, even contemplate using either board. I sent the Aus agent an email 4-4-16 with my concerns and photos. They assure me they asked for a new board, so are at a loss to explain whats going on and that they would email ca to find out whats going on. I sent a follow up enquiry 14-4-16. I have yet to receive any reply other than the gent I've been dealing with is out of the office until early may, and that someone else is handling things. But wait, can no one send an email ? maybe they have, maybe they've received a reply, I have no idea. This is all absolute bs. Please, tell me, as a consumer, that you would accept either of these parts to repair your unit...................... Unit still with original board in place. With the TWO boards sent to me. One board has obviously been worked on. Under the flood of epoxy you can see its had several tracks destroyed, and bodged with a bit of wire. Badly. In all the places I've worked, I'd get fired for that sort of half arsed rubbish. The second board, well, whats it's story ? new, second hand, salvaged from the skip ? At least the first board doesn't have glue all over the connectors................. So far the Aus agent has been really good to deal with. Well, up until I hear nothing about whats happening. It's now wearing very thin. Thats why I'm posting this. As a warning to anyone contemplating a ca purchase. Don't forget, ca is owned by 'audio partners' who own a string of brands, not just ca. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Muon Posted April 20, 2016 Share Posted April 20, 2016 Nasty! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Telecine Posted April 20, 2016 Share Posted April 20, 2016 (edited) @@Pegasus My CA 640A is still working beautifully I don't think that the logic failure is on the board with this device Edited April 20, 2016 by Telecine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pegasus Posted April 20, 2016 Share Posted April 20, 2016 I have given up and bought a Bryston power amp to use instead. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Telecine Posted April 20, 2016 Share Posted April 20, 2016 Should be a tad more reliable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Muon Posted April 20, 2016 Share Posted April 20, 2016 This bs saga continues. After sitting on the shelf for several months, I had a chance to have another look at it. Well. It didn't like sitting there. It now refuses to work for more than a few minutes even with nothing other than power connected. As soon as I put a dmm on the speaker terminals, it trips out. Every 'error' under the sun. From overheat to dc to shorted leads. It really has lost its mind. Because the protection system all feeds back and forth from a pic ic on the front panel board, We (Myself and owner) decided to take a gamble on a new board. I ordered a new front board assembly from the Aus agent, they in turn ordered a new board from CA england (so I'm lead to believe anyway. England that is). Several weeks later I get a box that contains. TWO boards. Both the same part. Both, second hand. I would guess they are supposed to be 'refurbished'. Did I say I thought I'd ordered one new board ? The paper work says I ordered one board. Only got charged for one. No mention of second hand or refurbished. I gave them both a look over before even reopening the unit. Glad I did. I cannot, will not, even contemplate using either board. I sent the Aus agent an email 4-4-16 with my concerns and photos. They assure me they asked for a new board, so are at a loss to explain whats going on and that they would email ca to find out whats going on. I sent a follow up enquiry 14-4-16. I have yet to receive any reply other than the gent I've been dealing with is out of the office until early may, and that someone else is handling things. But wait, can no one send an email ? maybe they have, maybe they've received a reply, I have no idea. This is all absolute bs. Please, tell me, as a consumer, that you would accept either of these parts to repair your unit...................... Unit still with original board in place. With the TWO boards sent to me. boards.jpg boards2.jpg One board has obviously been worked on. Under the flood of epoxy you can see its had several tracks destroyed, and bodged with a bit of wire. Badly. In all the places I've worked, I'd get fired for that sort of half arsed rubbish. bodge 1.jpg bodge 2.jpg bodge 3.jpg The second board, well, whats it's story ? new, second hand, salvaged from the skip ? At least the first board doesn't have glue all over the connectors................. second hand.jpg So far the Aus agent has been really good to deal with. Well, up until I hear nothing about whats happening. It's now wearing very thin. Thats why I'm posting this. As a warning to anyone contemplating a ca purchase. Don't forget, ca is owned by 'audio partners' who own a string of brands, not just ca. C204 on the second board looks to have been touched with an iron Must have been pulled, otherwise why the glue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pegasus Posted April 20, 2016 Share Posted April 20, 2016 I'd also like to add that the "approved Cambridge Audio warranty agent" in Queensland - AV Digitech at Underwood were completely useless in their attempts to initially repair the Azur 740A. They refused to come to the party when the amplifier refused to fire up for the first time after they had repaired it as their 90 day warranty had expired (I had left the amplifier, still in it's plastic shrinkwrap, on the shelf for five months after they had "repaired" it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Green Wagon Posted April 20, 2016 Author Share Posted April 20, 2016 @@Telecine You really want your wife to collect your life insurance don't you 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pegasus Posted April 20, 2016 Share Posted April 20, 2016 I don't have either Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gz76 Posted April 20, 2016 Share Posted April 20, 2016 For anyone contemplating purchasing any cambridge audio product. DON'T. Those Cambridge (and Arcam) units have similar squashed together internals so servicing is a PITA, I just throw them out and don't bother fixing them. … Which is why when these sort of units go back to Cambridge for repairs, they just throw out the bad modular boards and fit in new ones. Deep down I'm disappointed. Higher up I have to understand that not everything can be fixed. Economically. I had an 840A die on me. I took it to the authorised service agent for repairs. They decided that some major board needed to be replaced. They also suggested that the board and labour would add up to more than the value of the unit. Economic write-off. I won't buy Cambridge Audio again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Green Wagon Posted April 20, 2016 Author Share Posted April 20, 2016 I don't have either Me either. Wanna hook up some time ? Lets face it, you got screwed buying the CA, At least youll see me comming, for you .............................................................................................. Yes. I can sink really, disturbingly low Hands up, Who wants to vomit :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Citroen Posted April 20, 2016 Share Posted April 20, 2016 I had a 740A. Never had any problems with it at all. Have a 740C. Tray mechanism wouldn't open. It was bought secondhand but was fixed gratis anyhow. I've got no problem with CA products, and there are horror stories with any brand. Nigel obviously has problems with repairing these when they fail. But how many fail? Yes, its disappointing to hear of the after sales service, but the agent I've dealt with was excellent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pegasus Posted April 20, 2016 Share Posted April 20, 2016 Me either. Hands up, Who wants to vomit :D I almost lost my lunch when I read this. Shame Nigel, shame (Best Derrin Hinch voice) 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Green Wagon Posted April 20, 2016 Author Share Posted April 20, 2016 I had a 740A. Never had any problems with it at all. Have a 740C. Tray mechanism wouldn't open. It was bought secondhand but was fixed gratis anyhow. I've got no problem with CA products, and there are horror stories with any brand. Nigel obviously has problems with repairing these when they fail. But how many fail? Yes, its disappointing to hear of the after sales service, but the agent I've dealt with was excellent. I'm not at liberty to say who, or what they said. But from their information, I don't think even ca employees would buy a RECENT ca product...... I might reread what they said, and ask if I can post excerpts from it. Of all the stuff I have had through my hands, this one unit has given more grief than any other. And that includes that damn Classe audio DR-9. Have a look at the various stuff I have posted here. Youll have to trust me on this, I've been doing 'hobby' repairs for decades. No, I'm not super smart or whatever, and I have had units I havent been able to repair. But this thing has given the most grief, without the satisfaction of it working for more than 2 hours. Not like It's the only ca product I've worked on. How many repairs have been here more than a month. How many repairs have I had to go back into multiple times. How many repairs are ones that Other repairers wont touch, or haven't repaired. Just for a laugh, could any other repairers that read this please chime in and say if they've worked on, or would work on a ca product again. I can only remember one other recent unit that I couldn't fully repair (A nakamichi sr4 that had major tuner issues). But it still went out as a functioning integrated amp. Everyone knows you get good and bad of everything. But please, feel free to label me a ca hater. You'd actually be right Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Citroen Posted April 20, 2016 Share Posted April 20, 2016 Just saying my albeit limited experience has been different. Must be damn frustrating from a repair point of view. From your experience looks like you have every right to be a hater! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pegasus Posted April 20, 2016 Share Posted April 20, 2016 O.k. - time to close this topic. I'm trying to sell a Cambridge Audio Dac Magic and a iPod dock in the classifieds (neither of which have ever given me the slightest problem). 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Green Wagon Posted April 20, 2016 Author Share Posted April 20, 2016 Just saying my albeit limited experience has been different. Must be damn frustrating from a repair point of view. From your experience looks like you have every right to be a hater! Just do what I do. Hate everything. Cuts gift lists and present bills, also saves time trying to remember who you like or hate 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gieseler Audio Posted April 23, 2016 Share Posted April 23, 2016 Nigel I have to say I one hundred percent agree with you regarding repairs to CA gear. When I was doing lots of Hi-Fi repairs my success rate with CA was very low to the point where I would automatically refuse to take them on. They always seemed way over complicated in the design & very difficult to work on. It's a shame because they do sound nice & do well in reviews. Audiolab was another UK brand I always liked but once they go wrong they are almost impossible to repair. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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