Talon-New owner-NO customer service

I have to disagree with the notion that manufacturers have no obligation to fix gear for a second owner. What if Toyota or GM had this policy? The idea that after the original owner is through with something, it becomes a throw-away is morally outrageous, and any high-end company that believes this should be exposed and publicly shamed.

On the other hand, companies should not be expected to do repair work for free. If they invest in spare parts inventories, they should be able to make some money on those parts. If labopr must be spent on repairs, they should get paid just like any appliance/automotive erpair situation.

I also don't agree that Rives Audio bears "no responsibility" for the speakler. He bought the whole company. He did not (as I understand) buy its liquidated assets after some kind of bankruptcy, so I don't see why any obligations would be cancelled.

These are kind of academic to Robyatt's immediate problem, though. There was probably no legal obligation from Talon to Robyatt (presumably, the warranty had expired, or was not transferrable).

It does seem like Rives tried to help him out, to some degree. Rives / Talon did not make the amplifier, so they can not do internal repairs to it, although it seems reasonable for them to sell a new one (which they have offered ot do). If they couldn't fix the amp, they should have told you where they got it, or who could fix it, or if the amp manufacturer was out of business or charged outrageous prices to repair, why it would be better to just buy a Crown amp.

I would try to figure out who made the amp originally (look for a label, a marking on a circuit board, or just ask Talon / Rives), and contact them directly to ask if they can repair it. $1600 seems high. Subwoofer plate amps are available from Madisound and Parts Express for under $500, but I don't know what you have. It amy turn out that the reall problem is the amp manufacturer.

If the buzz is coming from the amplifier itself (not through the subwoofer speaker), it is almost certainly the transformer. This should not cost more than a couple hundred dollars to replace, and should really be undr $100. I would look inside the amp. Many transformers are made up of thin plates screwed together to form the core. There usually are 4 screws and nuts, one in each corner. Try tightening these up, see fi this solves your problem. If you can find a part number on the transformer, you may be able to buy a new one cheaply and replace it yourself.

Regarding Rives / Talon, it is hard to say much without knowing how much the amplifier cost originally. It sounds like they tried to help, but are not deserving any above and beyond awards. I would like very much to hear Mr. Rives' side of the story, though.

Disclaimer: I own a pair of Talon Audio Hawk loudspeakers.

The response from Rives clears up the big question, namely, the $1600 repair cost (much of which is labor to rework the cabinet). This makes sense. The remaining question is if it's possible for someone (other than Talon/Rives)to provide / replace the buzzing transformer (or whatever) in the amp. Is the company still in business? How is their reputation for repairS? Who are they?

As someone who bought his Talons new, I am glad to hear that Rives will service them at a reasonable price for either me or whomever I sell them to.

I am a little mystified by the concern many companies have about product sold over the internet or by unauthorized dealers. How did the product get into the hands of the unauthorized dealer? If it wasn't stolen or extorted, and isn't counterfeit, they should be obligated to stand behind it. It should not be up to the consumer to have to verify that a dealer is authorized. Do you check with DeWalt to see if Home Depot is an authorized dealer before you buy a saw? The manufacturer made it, sold it, made their money, and agreed to provide warranty. How have they suffered a loss that justifies weasling out of warranty obligations? If their loss is due to loss of image because someone is turning their product from an exclusive boutique product into a commodity, I can understand that. In this case, the manufacturer should just shut off the dealer who is violating the marketing plan. Every major audio component is serialized, and the company should know who they sent each unit to. If they keep wholesaling their product to dealers who discount it, they have no right to complain.

While manufacturers have a legal right to do what's in their financial interests, so do we. We should continually publicize manufacturers who have bad attitudes toward second owners. This should drive the used price of their products downward, which will hopefully dissuade new buyers from buying their products. If companies that are openly hostile to the used market, like Theta, hear enough people say their product is great, but can't stand the depreciation when they go to sell it, maybe they will change. On the other hand, companies that treat 2d owners well (like AtmaSphere)should be rewarded with high used market prices, to encourage people to buy new without fear of losing everything.

Cleaned up - You are absolutely right that this is the condition of the market right now. I do not think that it is right, though. How did this guy get these speakers? Did Von Schweikert sell them to him, make his fair profit? If this is a one time deal because of some special circumstance, it shouldn't be such a big deal to VS. If this is a recurring problem, VS should stop selling speakers to him. While VS seems to have the LEgAL right to do what he wants, it seems like from a perspective of fairness, he should take responsibility for his product.

Robyatt has done much to aggravate in this situation, but in all fairness, he was not looking for warranty or free service, but reasonably priced serice. As Talon / Rives was not the manufacturer of the amp, they were not able to provide this. They were willing to do what they could, at a price that was reasonable for what they had to do. It seems like a better solution would have been for Rives to refer Robyatt to the original manufacturer of the amp, who, if they are still in business and a reputable company, should have been able to repair it for a few hundred dollars.