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Wadia 781i CD Palyer Repair Problem- Worst Service

I bought a Wadia 781i CD Player from the dealer in 2012. It has very limited use. All the sudden, it could not read any CD. When I put the CD in, it always displays "Loading.." , and a moment later, it shows "No Disc".

I called and emailed Wadia. It came to my surprise and big disappointment. Wadia replied :“A failure to read the Cd in a 781 indicates a problem with the CD drive mechanism. Unfortunately the CD drive mechanism in the W781 is no longer made by the vendor. As a result, Wadia Digital is out of parts and cannot offer repair for your W781. “
Wadia did not offer can solution.

Perhaps, Wadia is the worst company in audio industry I have encountered in decades that has such poor commitment to its customers.

Another word, whoever is going to buy stuffs from Wadia may need to include Wadia's service issue into consideration.

Wadia 781i is not a cheap CD player. I hate to see the money is ruined in such stupid way. I would like to ask help to see if anyone in our Audiogon knows any third-party service company/person I can turn to for the repair of this Wadia 781i CD player!!
Thank you in advance.
acoustichow
14 responses Add your response
czarivey
5,946 posts
 
If you know any Godfather, you can explain to him what happened.
pmotz
412 posts
 
Sadly that is not uncommon with CD drives. Essentially all manufacturers use an off the shelf drive and when it goes out of production you're out of luck. High end audio use of these drives is a very small portion of the drive maufacturers business, so they have no influence on the decision to end production. The "good" high end companies will stockpile drives prior to going out of production, but if they experience a number of failures the stockpile can be depleted quicker than expected. Wadia was a "good" company, but they were bought out a few years back and the customer service has deteriorated. For comparison, Audio Research has had a notice on their website for several years that the drive used in the CD-1 was no longer available and they could not repair those units. Audio Research has great customer service, but some things they have no control over.
agape126
27 posts
 
Correction Sir...They still support the CD1, it's the CD2 that's no longer available. I have mine there now being repaired due to shipping.
kenscollick's avatar
kenscollick
278 posts
 
I had the same problem with my 781 Audio research refused to fix it but they did send me a new laser. It was a pretty easy install.
chayro
2,984 posts
 
As stated above, this has happened before with other brands. Musical Fidelity comes to mind. As you said you purchased from a a dealer, I suggest you speak to him about it and he might give you a great deal towards something else to keep your good will. Definitely worth a try.
pmotz
412 posts
 
Agape126, I was going on memory sorry for the confusion.

I did just look at the AR website and it says the following: "Owners of CDT1 transports, CD1 and CD2 compact disc players and D52, D60, D100, D110, D111, D120, and D350 solid state amplifiers should email Customer Support at service@audioresearch.com before sending any of these models to Audio Research for repair".
acoustichow OP
2 posts
 
Hi Kenscollick, When did that happen to your 781i? Thanks.
zd542
5,339 posts
 
I would call Wadia back and see if you can get an upgraded transport. I say this because I have an 861 and turned it into an 861SE. All they did is replace the transport. The same one may work with your Wadia. It wouldn't hurt to ask.
tjassoc
258 posts
 
We have Meridian products, and have received excellent service on our 800 CD/DVD transport drive replacement.

We've been with Meridian for decades and have only good experiences.
aolmrd1241
1,039 posts
 
The big reason I sold my Wadia 861se was just what this thread is all about...lack of service and parts replacment. Time waits for no one... Good luck Acoustichow.
onhwy61's avatar
onhwy61
5,218 posts
 
Every Wadia product I've ever heard sounded excellent, but I can't think of an audio company that has gone in and out of business, been reorganized or changed locations as many times as Wadia. That level of company instability presents a risk for a consumer and it's higher than I would bear considering the number of alternatives.
Ag insider logo xs@2x
tonykay
1,301 posts
 
I have always considered Wadia to be the top of the CD food chain and had planned to buy a 781i or a two-box Wadia when my ship comes in. Now, knowing that Great Northern Sound is gone, and Wadia seems to be going in another direction, I'll have to rethink my future purchase. Experiences, like the one related here, are a timely heads up.
jafant's avatar
jafant
19,604 posts
 
Thanks! for sharing- Acoustic how-

it is imperative that all of you guys post both positive & negative experiences when dealing w/ the companies. No matter what, Wadia has a responsibility to carry parts for fixes/upgrades. It is unacceptable fort his company (or any other) to say we no longer carry a part/transport to fix our spinners.

Keep me posted & Happy Listening!
brrgrr
163 posts
 
I have a Resolution Audio with the GNS mod. I just had Steve Huntley replace the laser , as it stopped reading many discs.
He is working with Resolution audio , and he might be able to guide you in getting a new laser. Just a thought.
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