Failed Hard Disk in a Bose LS-48

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blur

384 posts

Ultimate Geek

#89415 1-Sep-2011 20:03

Hi there

I have an annoying problem with my Bose LS-48. The system has started to make terrible noises which sound like the hard disk. When I turn the power off on the system I get an error on the screen of "FAILED 802 Call Bose"

Googling tells me that this is a failed hard disk message.

The drive itself is a Toshiba 40GB 2.5" drive, and is cheap to buy on-line. However I have read lots of threads where people have been unable to get the Bose system software on the drive and have resorted to paying Bose's extortinate prices for the replacement part.

Has anybody had any luck swapping out a drive in a Bose system?

My HTPC - Case Antec Fusion Remote, MOBO Intel DH67BLB3, CPU Intel Core i5-2400S 2.5 GHz, RAM 8GB DDR3 1333, HDD 120Gig Corsair Force Series 3 SSD system | WD Caviar Black 2TB data, Tuners Black Gold BGT3595 dual DVB-S/S2, dual DVB-T, Video nVIDIA GeForce GT 520, 1024MB, Sound Intel® High Definition Audio (onboard), OS Windows 7 x64

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#515310 1-Sep-2011 20:08

Don't know the answer. If the disk is still running can't you just pull the disk out and clone it sector by sector with Ghost or something?

Unless they had some sophisticated locking to an hd serial I can't see how that would fail.

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grolschie

911 posts

Ultimate Geek

#515474 2-Sep-2011 08:18

Did you purchase this system new, and if so, how long ago? I am just wondering if the CGA is applicable here.

blur

384 posts

Ultimate Geek

#515478 2-Sep-2011 08:31

Good call on the CGA. The system was purchased new, however it must have been 4 or 5 years ago now so sadly I'm not sure that this would apply now.

I think what I might do is pull the drive out in the weekedn and connect it to my PC and at the very lease see what file system they use. I've read it's Fat32, but want to confirm this.

A sector by sector copy seems like the go - will report back.

grolschie

911 posts

Ultimate Geek

#515485 2-Sep-2011 08:38

Hmmm... I guess Bose markets itself as high-end, right? I wonder how long is reasonable to expect these systems to last? A sales person could possibly tell you. You might be covered, presuming the system is not owned or used by a business.

B1GGLZ

1961 posts

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#515488 2-Sep-2011 08:43

blur: Good call on the CGA. The system was purchased new, however it must have been 4 or 5 years ago now so sadly I'm not sure that this would apply now.

If the system is 5 years old I would suggest it's past its use by date and not worth fixing or trying a CGA claim. At least you still have the speakers. The unit doesn't even show up on the Bose website so unlikely to be supported and 40gb is a mighty small HDD these days.
I'd be looking at replacing with at least a Blu Ray player and separate amp.

bazzer

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#515506 2-Sep-2011 09:12

B1GGLZ:
blur: Good call on the CGA. The system was purchased new, however it must have been 4 or 5 years ago now so sadly I'm not sure that this would apply now.

If the system is 5 years old I would suggest it's past its use by date and not worth fixing or trying a CGA claim. At least you still have the speakers. The unit doesn't even show up on the Bose website so unlikely to be supported and 40gb is a mighty small HDD these days.
I'd be looking at replacing with at least a Blu Ray player and separate amp.

Except I wouldn't expect the speakers to be up to much.

graemeh

2078 posts

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#515509 2-Sep-2011 09:23

B1GGLZ:
blur: Good call on the CGA. The system was purchased new, however it must have been 4 or 5 years ago now so sadly I'm not sure that this would apply now.

If the system is 5 years old I would suggest it's past its use by date and not worth fixing or trying a CGA claim. At least you still have the speakers. The unit doesn't even show up on the Bose website so unlikely to be supported and 40gb is a mighty small HDD these days.
I'd be looking at replacing with at least a Blu Ray player and separate amp.

I disagree, I would expect any crappy old stereo to last beyond 5 years. There is no reason why modern electronics should fail this quickly.

Given the premium price that Bose charge for the products and their high end positioning I think you should get at least 10 years out of it if not more.

Definitely take it in to the shop you bought it from and see what they say. If they don't agree then get a written repair quote and go to the disputes tribunal.

blur

384 posts

Ultimate Geek

#515511 2-Sep-2011 09:27

B1GGLZ:

If the system is 5 years old I would suggest it's past its use by date and not worth fixing or trying a CGA claim. At least you still have the speakers. The unit doesn't even show up on the Bose website so unlikely to be supported and 40gb is a mighty small HDD these days.
I'd be looking at replacing with at least a Blu Ray player and separate amp.

I strongly disagree with what you are saying here. I in fact run this with my Media Center so the hard disk size doesn't matter, however it affects the functionality.

cyril7

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#515513 2-Sep-2011 09:29

Please dont get me started on what a waste of space Bose is, over the years I have installed quite a number, everytime I come away discusted in the poor quality, in particular the sound, a more conventional system of 8" inwall/ceiling using common amplifiers/AVR is way cheaper and superiour in sound and more aethentic as the speakers are both concealed and sound proper.

I can never get my head around the quite distinct and abrupt break in the jewel to sub crossover that Bose have, in the end as hard as you may try you cannot make a 2" set of wall speakers and a sub work well, well if you like good sound that is.

Cyril

B1GGLZ

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#515679 2-Sep-2011 13:32

I would agree with Cyril.
Bose equipment is way over priced and the online reviews indicate ongoing problems.

blur

384 posts

Ultimate Geek

#515710 2-Sep-2011 14:05

B1GGLZ: I would agree with Cyril.
Bose equipment is way over priced and the online reviews indicate ongoing problems.

Yawn - I'm not getting into this, please see the origional topic.

freitasm

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#515713 2-Sep-2011 14:13

As pointed, this topic is not really about the product or brand, but about the repair on a specific fault... So let's stick to the topic.

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trig42

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#515756 2-Sep-2011 15:04

It would be an interesting case for a CGA claim. Those LS48s were about $6-7g? I nearly bought one but got a 28 (no HDD) instead - I love it by the way. I would have thought something that you spent that much on should last more than 5 years.

You didn't get it from Eastern HiFi did you? Be hard to take it back there... (that's where I got mine!)

Bose do have an NZ office though, and what's a 40Gb HDD worth - nothing.

Keep us posted.

bfginger

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#515775 2-Sep-2011 15:27

They kept system software on the HDD instead of flash?

What you could do with is a drive image from the HDD of someone else with the same model for you to write to a new drive.

blur

384 posts

Ultimate Geek

#515788 2-Sep-2011 15:41

bfginger: They kept system software on the HDD instead of flash?

What you could do with is a drive image from the HDD of someone else with the same model for you to write to a new drive.

Yeah, this is something that I am not sure about. I'll know more once I get the HDD into my PC and do a bit of analysis. Like I said, I've read reports of people trying to ghost the drives, but without success and their conclusion was that Bose had done something in the firmware of the drive to identify the drive as a true "Bose" replacement part.

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