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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
128x128wharfy
limomangus's avatar
limomangus
1,190 posts
 
What's your Deductible? 
autospec
451 posts
 
Sir:     I'll buy your ref-5 if you want to sell it..........Will
chronoglidesky's avatar
chronoglidesky
45 posts
 
My beloved Onyx (my cat, RIP 2 years ago now) managed to destroy TWO top-end Lyra cartridges (at different times). Bless. I wagged my finger sternly at him and said "no, bad puss" each time, but I suspect he didn't quite get the message.
timinphoenix
17 posts
 
Hello

I am a technician, an Audio Research owner, and this happened to me also. I fixed mine.

Send me your preamp for no charge evaluation. No charge unless I order parts. No labor charge unless I can fix it. You would pay return shipping cost if unsuccessful.

ehometech8022@yahoo.com

Tim Martin, Scottsdale   480 253 2781 ........  pls text me first

papafrgog
101 posts
 

That is awful. Considering the cat has 9 lives, you'll probably run out of money before the problem is truly solved. But seriously, clean it up, disclose the damage and sell it to a electronic tinkerer as a project. Use the proceeds to offset a replacement. 

Although I'm not an ARC guy, I believe that most manufacturers of high end gear have improved the components they use over the last 10 years. You might find better sound at a lower price point in the ARC product  line.

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