Somewhat local to you, EBC Electronics in Manville NJ. People ship gear to him from all over the country. He does great work at reasonable prices so he is swamped. I have used him for SS amp output transistor replacement. Right now he is too backed up to accept new repair orders. If you reach out and say your local he may be able to fit you in.
Qualified service technicians disappearing! Recommendations wanted
My McIntosh MA6900 sat idle (in original boxes) for one year during home renovations. Power Guard now kicks in upon turning power on (likely a capacitor died while idle). My last McIntosh authorized service shop closed, next closest says 16 months queue! Any recommendations that don’t have me shipping the very heavy unit or waiting over a year to get my center of my system back to life? I’m in Fairfield County CT. Any qualified technicians that are not part of McIntosh’s (shrinking) list of authorized service shops?
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What about Audio Classics? EBC Electronics: Specializes in McIntosh repairs, including issues like bad channels, distortion, and power guard protection. They offer a 90-day warranty but are currently backlogged until February 1, 2025. Bob the Tech “Bob the Tech” is an electrical engineer providing experienced McIntosh audio / video repair and restoration services since 2017. Bob the Tech Audio, LLC, founded in 2020 allows Bob to focus more time servicing and enjoying quality vintage audio. In these few years Bob has repaired or restored over 1000 McIntosh components of all types and vintages, maybe yours. We have the parts, tools, and technology to diagnose and repair your equipment. We work on the earliest vintage tube equipment to modern equipment with digital interfaces and surface mount technologies. FYI: I found this info: “The typical repair time for a McIntosh MA6900 can vary widely depending on the repair shop’s backlog and parts availability. Reports suggest it may take anywhere from a few weeks to several months. Authorized service centers often face delays due to high demand, with some users reporting waits of 4–6 weeks for parts alone. In extreme cases, delays of up to 16 months have been noted. Expedited services may be available for an additional fee at some repair shops”. |
It is not good news that McIntosh’s current estimated backlog for servicing out-of-warranty equipment is around one year This is a significant delay in their repair process. I do not own a McIntosh product but would be very frustrated over these extended wait times, which is probably compounded by parts availability and technician workload. It seems McIntosh service timeline appears to be a significant pain point for customers. I wonder if the recent acquisition by Bose in November 2024 might potentially impact future service processes, though the long-term effects remain uncertain. FYI: “Interestingly, the recent acquisition by Bose has raised concerns among audiophiles about potential changes to McIntosh’s service and quality. Some forum users worry that the company might adopt a more “disposable style of electronics” while maintaining premium pricing. For potential buyers, the key takeaway is to factor in potential long wait times and consider purchasing secondhand, where you can often find McIntosh products at 50-70% of their original retail price”. |
One year backlog??? Good grief! I'm going to panic every time I turn on my MC-225 which was produced in 1963.
My advice is the same as @ghdprentice. If I were you, I'd spend less than $1,000 for this incredible Reisong 300b Integrated Amp to use while you are waiting on your McIntosh to be repaired. https://www.amazon.com/BoyuuRange-A50-MKIII-300B-Intergrated/dp/B094HX4LMY
Or, spend about half that amount on the Reisong A10 EL34 Integrated Amp.
Both would be worth keeping for another system when you get your McIntosh back. I am amazed at how good the Reisong's perform and their build quality. I saw a Steve Guttenberg review on them in the past and took a gamble. Glad I did. |
We are in New Jersey and also have a sound room to come hear new things. We have been repairing modifying upgrading rebuilding for 25+ years. We also have our own line of products. We usually have evening hours after 7pm and weekend hours for people who work. It is all about hearing new things, and having fun meeting new people. I cannot offer details to reach us but if you search the forums, you can find us. Happy Listening. |
Sad. And, disappointing. I’m certain that Mac is not particularly happy with their level of service, but scarcity of technical resources may be the issue. Let’s face it, given the choice of career paths of mature young people today "fixing other people’s stuff" may not be the most rewarding financially, or emotionally. As someone put it: "it’s about the Be Do Haves." I "Be" a <fill in the blank>. Does this align with how I want to define my life and career? "Do" -- do I like doing the work? And, "Have" -- am I making the money (and other benefits) I am looking for? Most of us hit 2 out of 3 at best. But it does offer an explanation of why "bench tech" would not offer the esteemed, highly rewarding career of choice for aspiring individuals with upward mobility. We still work one day per week (semi-retired) trying to keep good audio gear from ending up in the dumpster. I call it my "involuntary not-for-profit organization." But, we stay after it because there is no one within hours of us that does what we do (several months lead wait time) and it’s hard to turn people away with a strong emotional attachment to their gear. If you are planning a road trip to the midwest (Southeast Missouri) we’ll be happy to take a look. Best of luck. |
Why do you think you need a Mcintosh certified repair shop? Any qualified storer shop can fix Mac gear, it's not specialized, or overly complicated. 1yr is ridiculous, just find a good local shop, or something kind of local have them take a look. Have you just opened it up, removed, cleaned then replaced all the fuses? Could always be something stupid like that. |
Firstly, so glad I reached out to this forum...great input and thank you all. I am reaching out to several of the resources suggested. I do have a decent amplifier that is filling in adequately while I get this addressed. I will report back once it's all fixed. As to the suggestion I take it apart myself, I confess I'm not confident to do more damage than good so while it very well could be "something stupid like that", in most scenarios I'd be the stupid one for trying. Thanks again all!!!
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Technicians with tube expertise are declining, and it’s mostly due to poor compensation related to warranties servicing from manufacturers. I spoke to a guy in New York City who is retiring and there’s no one there to take his place so he’s closing his business. . McIntosh pays its authorized dealers terribly and obviously causes warranty work to be low priority in their shop. I bought new components from McIntosh a while back and they needed to be returned and fixed and the piece of gear would’ve taken four months to get repaired. Fortunately my dealer was awesome and replaced the component. McIntosh is clearly falling short in this area and this was ongoing before they were recently acquired. Fortunately they sell very reliable products but all of a sudden we got resale issues of used products which is a factor in buying this companies products. So they need to get there servicing act together and turn repairs around more quickly. This is a management problem and they need to do better. |
@rluton call Holt Hill Audio in Lawrence, MA they truly have the best tech around and he's a Luxman, Accuphase & McIntosh Master Tech. Totally rebuilt my MA230 and it's playing better than ever. I waited for sure, but have other gear so wasn't a big deal. Seems close enough to maybe just drive it up |
Pete at Vu’Jade’ Audio Mods and Repairs |
I suggest driving up to Boston, and bringing your amp to Goodwin’s High End in nearby Waltham. Working inside that store is Jim Fuller of Fuller Sound. He is excellent with all manner of electronics, and I’ve never waited very long. Worth the drive for great competence. Plus a world class brick and mortar shop. |
For repairs on the ARC SP9 MKII, consider contacting the following authorized service centers: 1. George Meyer AV: Specializes in high-end Audio Research service and repair. 2. High End Audio Repair: Offers both warranty and non-warranty services for Audio Research components. Search the above names for the web pages I hope this helps. |
I understand you said you did not want to ship however, if that turns out to be your only alternative, I would suggest you reach out to these folks: https://www.pyramid-audio.com/ While I live in the Seattle area, I visited them while I was in Austin recently. The owner gave me an impromptu tour of the facility and I was very impressed. Good luck! Happy listening. |