CGA period for a receiver?

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Kookoo

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#290493 15-Nov-2021 13:47

My Pioneer VSX-831 has just crapped out on me. Not too bad - one of the speaker connectors seems to be short-circuiting, tripping the entire unit. Bought at HN less than 4 years ago. Do you guys think I could request a repair under CGA? I have no idea what is these units expected lifetime...

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#2813306 15-Nov-2021 14:23

Worth a try - I'd like to think you should get at least 5 years or more out of a receiver. I'd check with both HN and Pioneer directly - knowing HN they will tell you that you should have purchased an extended warranty and try absolve themselves from all duty.

Can you perhaps bypass the issue by re-arrange the speaker outputs, i.e enabling bi-amping or using zone two to try isolate and confirm your suspicion?

MikeAqua

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#2813330 15-Nov-2021 15:12

I'd expect 10 years out of a quality receiver. 5 years under CGA wouldn't be unreasonable.

Be prepared to push back against statements about manufacturer warranty period and you didn't get the extended warranty and blah blah blah.

Mike

rphenix

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#2813332 15-Nov-2021 15:18

MikeAqua:

I'd expect 10 years out of a quality receiver. 5 years under CGA wouldn't be unreasonable.

Exactly cheaper electronics might be less but I also would expect at least 10 years from a reputable brand receiver and floor speakers.

Kookoo

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#2813334 15-Nov-2021 15:24

insane:

Worth a try - I'd like to think you should get at least 5 years or more out of a receiver. I'd check with both HN and Pioneer directly - knowing HN they will tell you that you should have purchased an extended warranty and try absolve themselves from all duty.

Can you perhaps bypass the issue by re-arrange the speaker outputs, i.e enabling bi-amping or using zone two to try isolate and confirm your suspicion?

Well, I can't bi-amp because the speakers only have one input. I kind of went a simpler route isolating the actual speaker as the source of the problem. I mean, the speaker was part of the same purchase, so if it's short circuiting - it's possibly the same CGA conversation. So I simply tried disconnecting SL and connecting SR to that same connector. Got it to trip. Tried the same with the CS - tripped again.

So I'm pretty certain by now it's the amp, not the speaker or the wire.

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Mehrts

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#2813335 15-Nov-2021 15:31

The Sony system I currently have is going on 16 years with no troubles at all, and that's after being moved multiple times around the country!

I'd opt for the CGA route, and push hard if resistance is encountered.

gregmcc

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#2813360 15-Nov-2021 16:51

I have a Pioneer system dating from the early 90's (DC-Z91) still going strong

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mattwnz

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#2813368 15-Nov-2021 17:01

IANAL. Factors to look at are it's value and amount it has been used and whether it has been thrashed. At the very least it should be repairable at an affordable price. I personally would go down the CGA route as 4 years for a good brand isn't that long and I wouldn't expect to replace it every 4 years.

1101

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#2813705 16-Nov-2021 09:56

Keep in mind that the retailer cant mislead you about your rights under the CGA , they can be prosecuted for that (in theory)
So dont accept any BS from them .

You'll need to be able to argue what a reasonable life should be , some do some research into that first
Modern amps with complex microprocessors and signal processing are likely to be less reliable than amps from back in they day when an amp was just an amp.

Dunnersfella

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#2814022 16-Nov-2021 20:26

Go in (if possible) and have a chat.

The supplier is in Auckland and called Monaco if that helps

Kookoo

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#2824184 4-Dec-2021 13:38

A quick update. I took it to HN who sent it for assessment at Monaco. The assessment was free so that was a great start.

Got it back 2 weeks later - NFF. Came home, unwrapped it - one of the corners is dented in, and the power plug is twisted so I can't even plug it into the wall. Looks like it's been dropped on the floor. What really makes me mad is that it's been carefully wrapped in styrofoam and bubblewrap when I got it back. So someone did the damage and then figured - what the heck, we'll just wrap it, the customer will never notice.

Took it back to HN this morning, they'll send it back to Monaco. Maybe they can drop it on the other corner so at least it looks symmetrical.

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insane

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#2824263 4-Dec-2021 15:36

Gutted, that's pretty piss poor!

What were they expecting, you to just accept it, or for you to claim it from your insurance? Wonder if they even repaired it at all?

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Dunnersfella

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#2824276 4-Dec-2021 16:14

The only way to ship an AVR is in its original box, with the original packaging... I'm afraid anything else will risk major damage.

The likes of Monaco will hold spare boxes for shipping of AVR's as their reps will have installed their AVR's in shops originally and then 'helpfully' taken some boxes back to the warehouse for use by their service team.

Kookoo

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#2824534 5-Dec-2021 00:48

insane: Gutted, that's pretty piss poor!

What were they expecting, you to just accept it, or for you to claim it from your insurance? Wonder if they even repaired it at all?

I guess it depends on when the damage was done. If it was in transit to Monaco there's no way they even turned it on - you can't plug it into the wall. The cable is soldered on, not a figure-8 one, so they couldn't have used a different cable.

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mattwnz

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#2824537 5-Dec-2021 01:16

Will they be able to get spare parts to repair the damage to the enclosure? Doesn't sound good

Kookoo

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#2840461 30-Dec-2021 14:10

Good news. Got the unit back from Monaco, the enclosure has been replaced and the plug's been straightened.

Bad news. It still won't work. Goes straight into "Check wiring" routine and then shuts down, even when nothing is actually plugged into it.

Good news. Took it back to Harvey Norman (they gave me the look of - "Oh, not you again!"). They tested it themselves, confirmed it's faulty, and gave me store credit which I immediately put towards a new amp. That was a good outcome despite how long it took to sort, so kudos to Harvey Norman Wairau Park.

Now, a question. They claimed that if a speaker is short-circuiting it could've resulted in voltage surge (???) back into the amp which could've fried it. The amp is supposed to go into safe mode, but if doesn't - it'll get fried. Which, if true, means that once I plug in my new amp (haven't received it yet) - I'll fry it too. How can I test my speakers to eliminate them as a culprit?

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