[net.audio] Technics CD player problems

lopresti@tilt.FUN (Dan Lopresti) (03/26/85)

     In late October I bought a Technics CD player, model Sl-P8.  It
worked perfectly for about two months, then started refusing to play
discs it previously played perfectly.  It also became very susceptible
to external shocks--even touching the controls lightly caused it to
skip.  Of course, no one around here repairs CD players, so I had to
ship it to the Technics factory service center in Secaucus.  That was
almost three months ago, and I still don't have it back.  So, what I
want to know is:

	1)  Has anyone had a similar problem with this player (ie. is
	it a real dog)?

	2)  Is three months a reasonable time for them to repair this
	thing?

	3)  Should I just sue them to get my money back and chalk this
	one up to experience?

		Daniel Lopresti
		Princeton

brown@nic_vax.UUCP (03/28/85)

> 
>      In late October I bought a Technics CD player, model Sl-P8.  It
> worked perfectly for about two months, then started refusing to play

I bought mine in November.

> 	1)  Has anyone had a similar problem with this player (ie. is
> 	it a real dog)?

I'm sorry to say that mine has worked perfectly!  I even spin records,
part time, and have taken it on 3 jobs since getting it.  NOT ONE PROBLEM.

> 	2)  Is three months a reasonable time for them to repair this
> 	thing?

Three months doesn't seem to good, but I have heard of longer periods.
Did you call them on the phone to find out what is happening?

> 	3)  Should I just sue them to get my money back and chalk this
> 	one up to experience?

Call them first, like I mentioned above.  Sueing probably won't do any
good if you didn't try to work it out first.  For legal reasons, phone
calls don't count, unless you record them and have them giving permission,
on the phone, recorded on tape, that the recording is ok.

Mr. Video

ron@brl-tgr.ARPA (Ron Natalie <ron>) (03/30/85)

> 	2)  Is three months a reasonable time for them to repair this
> 	thing?
> 
Something is wrong.  I have sent a lot of stuff to Technics over the
year for various types of service (I was an engineer in a college
radio station and DJ's break things).  You should contact them and
find out what's going on.

-Ron

karn@petrus.UUCP (04/01/85)

My SL-P7, about 9 months old, will skip if I pick it up and shake it.
When I first bought it it wouldn't skip no matter how hard I shook it,
so I suspect that the servo adjustments drift with time.  Since it plays
just fine in normal use this is just a curiosity, but if I do encounter a
problem later I'll probably just follow the service manual instructions and
readjust the servos.

This points out something I said a while ago. Forget about the electronics
in the CD players, they're practically identical. It's the mechanical stuff
that's always the weakest link.

Phil

rfg@hound.UUCP (R.GRANTGES) (04/02/85)

[]
THis is a fantastic Day!!! First I tead about "half speed mastered,
direct to disc, Super Fi Recordings. Then A guy with a calibrated
shake that doesn't "drift" over a period of months. Sony/Phillips
should junk their mechanisms and clone you.
:-)  :-)  :-)

-- 

"It's the thought, if any, that counts!"  Dick Grantges  hound!rfg

waynez@houxh.UUCP (W.ZAKARAS) (04/03/85)

Hello again

Since my first article on the BAD SL P8 (yes I started it)  the repair shop
in Red Bank NJ called me .  He said the worm gear in the tracking section
of the laser was bad.  He ordered the part, said 10 days , (5 more left)

He also said $60.00 for opening and realignment after service plus parts 
(the worm gear) I asked why the gear went bad He said he didn't know why.

I'll get back to the net once I get it back in my hands.

WayneZ...

rfg@hound.UUCP (R.GRANTGES) (04/04/85)

[]
I hope you're not dealing with Monmouth Stereo!   If so abandon all hope of
a repair. Abandon all hope of retaining at least $60. Expect when you 
com[plain that they kept it for months and didn't fix the problem that they
will look at you contemptuously and say, "You should buy a new unit." or
"You shouldn't have bought such a cheap machine in the first place."
If, on th eother hand it's <not> Monmouth Stereo, let us know if they
fixed it, whoever they are. The Red Bank area needs a good repair facility.
We don't need the notorious Monmouth Stereo.
THe above dialog is word for word from my own experience and has been
checked out against the experience of several others - in fact, anyone I
know who ever dealt with their service organization. Their retail
operation is ok if you don't mind paying more than you have to - which is
ok because they do keep some stuff around for demos.

-- 

"It's the thought, if any, that counts!"  Dick Grantges  hound!rfg

waynez@houxh.UUCP (W.ZAKARAS) (04/04/85)

Latest Edition:
The repair shop in Red Bank (Panasight & Sound on Broad Street)
called me today,  They now quoted the parts (worm gear) as backordered
and won't come in from Japan until the END of MAY!!!!!!! (UGH CHOKE SPIT)
They said that they would try to get the parts from a scraped unit if
one became available.  Until that time comes I'm screwed.
I'll post the results in the end of May

WayneZ...

kek@mgweed.UUCP (Kit Kimes) (04/15/85)

A friend of mine who works at Pacific Stereo, Audio and More told me
that they have had nearly a 100% return of Technics CD players.  He 
no longer recommends them.  He feels the best low cost player on the 
market now is the new Sony (304?).  It sounds great and it will play
one of their demo CD's that no other player will play because of scratches
and a slight warp.
 
					Kit Kimes
					AT&T Consumer Products
					Montgomery Works
					Montgomery, Il. 60538-0305
					..!ihnp4!mgweed!kek

sjc@angband.UUCP (Steve Correll) (04/18/85)

> A friend of mine who works at Pacific Stereo, Audio and More told me
> that they have had nearly a 100% return of Technics CD players.  He 
> no longer recommends them.

My Technics SL-P7 has worked for over a year, and has played flawed
discs which stymie Toshibas, Yamahas, and Sonys. I doubt we have a
large enough sample size here to generalize, and I am skeptical of
stereo stores because the one on the north side of the street will
slander brand X to sell you brand Y, while the one on the south side
will slander Y to sell you X.

I suggested by mail to the original poster that he demand in writing
(with copies to the appropriate authorities) a new unit. As I recall,
the product failed within two months of purchase and had been in the
shop for more than two months thereafter.  I suspect that the dealer
and manufacturer will be cooperative once they see that copies of the
complaint are going to the state consumer affairs board, the "action
line" column of the local newspaper, the Better Business Bureau, and
the major stereo magazines.

At any rate, this seems a more promising approach than complaining to
the net.
-- 
                                                           --Steve Correll
sjc@s1-b.ARPA, ...!decvax!decwrl!mordor!sjc, or ...!ucbvax!dual!mordor!sjc