Check w/B&W New England out of Reading Massachusetts.
Repair of Classe products
I have owned several Classe amps over the years. Presently I don't own any, however, when I had problems with amp failures I have not been able to find anyone who was able to repair the units due mostly to schematics not being available. This often meant either sending to Classe in Cad. for repairs or making the unit a door stop.
Now that Classe' has closed their door what will become of repairing the units? I don't know of one person in the US that will repair their units and I've tried many of the well known shops. Anyone know of anyone in the US who actually repairs Classe units? Please don't guess, because, as I stated, I tried several shops over the past 15 years. I'm really looking for actual US based Classe repair shops. Their DR and CA series are great pieces and deserve to be serviced!
Now that Classe' has closed their door what will become of repairing the units? I don't know of one person in the US that will repair their units and I've tried many of the well known shops. Anyone know of anyone in the US who actually repairs Classe units? Please don't guess, because, as I stated, I tried several shops over the past 15 years. I'm really looking for actual US based Classe repair shops. Their DR and CA series are great pieces and deserve to be serviced!
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Please see this link: http://bwgroupsupport.com/index/contact I suggest you call this number to discuss your Classe repair problem. |
Again, I'm not looking at sending anything to Classe given the nature of their solvency. As for any tech doing the work, I've tried many great techs and they would not touch it. One, for example, was Audio Classics, in Vestal, NY and I think they are better than decent. There are several others I could name but I would have to retrace my past inquiries. Further, please no guessing. I'm actually looking for someone in the good old US of A that can do the work. |
I have few door stops, may buy one in the future and others own lots of units that will need repairs. Do you know of a US of A based tech that will service them or were you more curious about me? I remember back in the day when GAS closed their doors. The only place you could get them repaired was at GAS Works. They had the schematics, while no one else did. I tried many decent techs but none could ever get the repair right on my Ampzilla. Hopefully, Classe will release their schematics to the public so folks aren't left with door stops and boat anchors. |
Schematics are not really needed when fixing circuits as simple as an amplifier. This is involving fixing the amplifier proper, that is, not any unique and complex circuits pre the amplifier or auxiliary to the amplifier. I know techs who spent their entire working time fixing gear and using the schematics for an item, maybe one time in 10 or 20. The company just went down, it will take time for the schematics to appear. In most cases they will appear and have in the past, when a given company went down. The more paranoid people get ... the more lucky I get with good prices for the given gear. The first 20 years of having my hands in any given gear, I did so without ever having a schematic available. (pre-internet) In the cases of the most complex gear, like home theater processors, 99% of the time, the given implementation of of complex circuit pathways is done by the tech book, to utter perfection. So one can obtain the tech manual for the chips in question, and then see the exact same layout (suggested implementation) in the gear as is shown in the tech manual for the chip. Unique circuits are actually fairly rare. Unique Unknowns (in circuitry) cause high failure rates to appear unevenly and far more often than any company can afford, and are, for the most part... studiously avoided. Your problem becomes software related for such items but even there, the code is generally bog standard and some aspects are unique or subtly altered from stock forms. Getting a competent person who can handle all of that under one roof, is a rarity, especially since time is money, so the mind and hand doing the repair have to be free of time constraints to some degree. Or financially compensated for the extra hassle, and this is the rub, as they say. Costs can be too high on the repairs for the complex gear like processors. I expect some competent and seasoned Classe tech will appear and become the ’go to person’ for classe gear. Simply as they can get things done right in a reasonable time and costing frame. Don’t panic, is the byline. |
When one channel out of two is still working, most techs can work off of that. If they have to, due to not having a tech manual. The working channel is the reference for testing/voltages/current/etc and usually a fix for the dead channel is not that far away. This becomes problematic if the entire amp is dead, or cannot be turned on. It’s then a game for those who like to hurt themselves or prove how good a tech they are, but financially, having the tech manual makes the most sense for a repair shop or tech, that wants to have a viable financial future. but, in reality, no tech manual for a given power amp that, underneath any and all of the given conditions encountered, still has working channels...underneath that.. the amplifier is ultimately fixable. It just requires more swearing and intelligently applied grunt work. Which, depending on the scenario, can be financially non viable in a repair business scenario, but very (near 100%) doable for the determined and capable tech (outside of time/money constraints). as stated, I knew of techs who would never touch a piece without a tech manual available..and other techs who spent their entire tech business career doing over half or more of their repair work, in some cases most (~90%) of their work...was done with no tech manuals. There are only so many ways to design and implement audio circuits. |
I have a Classe CA2200 that now emits popping noise out of the left channel.. Regular sound still comes out but mixed in with the popping.. One time it sent the amplifier into protection mode.. No longer in duty.. So to teo_audio's comment.. No one wants to touch my amp.. Except for one person I almost brought the amp to today... I went online and read some reviews on this guy and half the stuff was bad.. I've tried popular AV shops to see if any of them knows anyone who knows Classe gear and can fix them and not a one said yes.. Going to try B & W Group.. I'll send to Canada if I have to.. No choice.. |
I had a 5300 amp that stopped working last August and sent it in to B&W. Thus was during the transition when Classé announced their closing. It was still under warranty but was honored by B&W. However, It took 4 months for it to be repaired and sent back to me. I’m not sure how repairs work now that Classé has been purchased. |
I just saw this post and I hope this will be of help. I was about to give up after a thorough search all over, until I found out that there was one service center just across the Bay from where I live. They are located in Redwood City in the San Francisco Bay Area, in northern California. R & B Electronics Service Center Company1103 Oddstad DriveRedwood City, CA(650) 363-8691 http://www.randbelectronicsserco.com/ I had my "Classe Audio Six" tuned and serviced there for its phono-stage last year. The pre-amp should now give me at least another 10 years of good music listening pleasure. I plan to have my DR5 taken there for service as well but a friend who knows something about electronics wants to take a look at it first. I own a few other vintage 90s Classe Audio systems and although R & B are a bit pricey, it is nice to know and have this service center nearby. MonTY |
I'm in the same quandry with a Classe Fifteen. I really want to get this thing fixed. Anyone deal with EBC out of NJ? They have quite the listing of things they repair and Classe is one of them! https://www.ebcelectronics.com/ |
Hi rymonda, I just found this web site: http://www.highendaudiorepair.com/cd-players-cd-transports.html Can you check it out? |