My #@%$ Cat Destroyed My ARC REF 5SE. Soliciting Suggestions.


(Public service announcement-keep your pets away from your audio equipment)

I love my cat. But not as much as I once did :-)
The short story is cat pee corroded the main board to my ARC REF 5SE. 

Homeowners insurance doesn't cover repair or replacement because owning a pet means you assume liability/responsibility. Ironically, or strangely enough, If my neighbor's cat or dog did this, I could collect.

My options-
Repair it. Fixing it will cost 7K. The main board alone is 6K.
Buy a pre-owned replacement at close to similar price. And if I go pre-owned, what's the market on a REF 5SE with a destroyed main board.
Go in a different direction.

What would you do?

TIA,
David
wharfy

Showing 1 response by gktaudio

Very sorry for your situation. I agree 100% with teo_audio. I've repaired amps, preamps, crossovers and other gear with printed circuit boards, built circuit boards, amps, preamps, and more. I've rebuilt traces, cleaned boards, repaired burned board sections, and more. I would be very hesitant to declare it irreparable without actually seeing the damage, though I would not pay $6k for the board.

Would you be OK with posting pics? You can PM me with them if you wish. I won't do the work, but could possibly offer another opinion that aligns with teo_audio, which might encourage you to seek out a willing tech. The cost is substantial, so I encourage you to not give up quite yet.

Also, although you didn't solicit veterinary advice, anzaanimalclinic provided excellent information.