Hi Merlin,
I'm in the UK and have some dpa equipment. Sadly I'm not surprised :-(
It may be worth trying to contact Adrian Walker via his UK eBay account, it may be best not to broach the subject of your amplifier on first contact ...
His user name is: ashen40
Hope this message helps if you get it. |
Thanks for the response, Neil! I'll try that. I wonder what your own experience has been. Seemingly, Adrian is better at technology than business -- true of many founders of audio companies!
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Well ... apologies for not responding sooner, I’m a very occasional visitor to Audiogon and was browsing the dpa threads when I noticed your enquiry.
I’m more familiar with the earlier incarnation of dpa - where Rob Watts did the designing. Adrian seems a bit of a "salesman" and seemed more concerned with profit this time round - the new designer based the designs on a less adventurous version of older dpa kit with redesigned hybrid op-amps. When the company got into financial hot water they upped prices, continued to rebrand cables and lost Tom Whelan (old dpa service engineer and all round decent chap) from the board - things went downhill. Adrian eBayed a fair bit of kit. I tried to buy the monoblocs but was pretty unhappy with phone calls discussing the potential sale. |
The Status of the 3rd version of Deltec Precision Audio is that it is being struck off the Companies Register, much like the 2nd version.
Pursuing Adrian Walker will yield you nothing. He is not a Designer of electronic equipment and apart from himself no one works for Deltec. Certainly not any servicing function.
Your amp can be repaired. Most parts can be sourced. Of the hybrid op amps I do have the original prototype pcb which may work.
It is pure chance that I happened upon this thread. I like to check what Adrian Walker is up to?
You can contact me here or by the Pinkfish forum. My advice is free.
Tom Whelan former Service Engineer DPA Digital. |
Where did you send your amplifier? If at an address in South Marston in Swindon it may still be there. |
Thank you very much for your advice, Tom, and to your dedication. As a fan who fondly remembered the early Rob Watts DPA gear, I bought a full set of MA1s, CA1, 3-channel Power Plus Mains Filter, and Black Slink cables nearly new from someone who had been evaluating them for USA import. I unfortunately delayed hooking them up. When I finally did, one amp failed immediately. I contacted Adrian, and shipped the amp back for service at his request. His technician (named Dave?) fixed it, I paid for the (expensive) repair, and then Adrian temporized for months before finally ceasing communication altogether without ever shipping the amp back. I had sent it directly to him late December of 2015 in Corfe, Mullen, Wimborne, since he was vacating the South Marston premises for DPA. It might have been repaired there, or more likely, at either Wimborne or DPA's subsequent address in Poole. Not living in England, there wasn't much I could do about it. A cautionary tale, for sure.
Peter Goodrich
Marquette, Michigan, USA
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I believe it may have been repaired at Dave Clarke's home in Swindon. He was the Designer of the amp. I say this because everything about Adrian's business is vitrual. There is no office, no factory, no employees and I think no products. But there is a Web Site. Dave Clarke has of October 2017 sold up and moved on. And at least according to Companies House in the UK is not a Director of the 3rd and soon to be struck off version of Deltec Precision Audio. Perhaps you bought your equipment from a guy called Andrew Lovely? After May 2011 when Adrian and Dave broke Company Law to sack me I lost interest in their brand and products.Their only passion in my opinion was greed. My experience of Dave Clarke's designs much like the Reviewers is not favourable. Your amp has been stolen so you should at least lodge a complaint with the British Police. Even as a foreigner you have this right. At £3000 the amps list price it is not something they can dismiss. In closing in April 1990 a unanimous board motion was carried to sack Adrian Walker from the original Deltec Precision Audio. I invited him to join the second version of Deltec when I founded the company in January 2008. A very bad move on my part. Tom Whelan
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Appreciate all the information, Tom. Wish I had known more of this DPA history before I bought Andrew Lovely's system. He's probably not to blame for the amp's failure, but it was unusual that nearly all the gear arrived without original packaging and manuals, and he was no help when I asked who might repair the amp. I don't know the process for lodging a police complaint against Adrian, but will look into it. Meanwhile, if you learn where I can get another MA1 or if someone wants to buy my remaining one...! Peter
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Hi Peter,
I live and work locally to DPA’s address in Poole, and today I purchased the contents of a storage container that was full of DPA spares and some complete units. I thought what i was buying was 15 complete new units, but maybe 12 are missing the faceplates. It is all CA-1, SA-1 and MA-1 seperates.
I’m going to be seriously out of pocket here but there is an LG box with your name and address on it and your unit in it. So although i’ve bought all this in good faith from the storage company, as the bill hasn’t been paid for quite some time and they could not contact the guy, is rightfully yours. If you can pay for the postage you should have it back. I do need a few old Harley parts from the states, maybe you can help me out with a couple of small parts as a way of thanks?
Hope to hear from you soon.
Joe Walsh, Poole, Dorset.
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Hello there,
just found this thread as I am searching for a way to have my DAC repaired. From the above it seems like not much sense in approaching dpa. Does the previous team of DPA Do repair/service for the products and how to get in contact? Had my DAC for repair in 2009-10 however the problem looks like back again
Kim Knudsen
DK |
Kim, DPA is defunct, unfortunately. There is no official service — best to hope that a hifi service tech near you can diagnose the problem and get the necessary parts.
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What a story joewalsh buying a storage unit with peters unit in it. Peter, did you receive your amp back? |
This is for Tom Whelan:
Tom, I understand that Joe Walsh, who purchased the remaining DPA stock including my amplifier, has contacted you about finishing the service on my MA-1. Is that correct? I'm willing to pay for your work, of course. Please let me know the status of this?
Thanks!
Peter
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A sad situation and a cautionary tale for many of us.
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Lost amp now back with owner who paid Adrian Walker £800 up front repair fee for work that was never done. The amp was sent to me by Joe Walsh and I repaired the amp for £96 on a strict parts and postage basis, no charge for labour. This sorry saga has lasted 4 years. But happily the amp is back home Stateside working quite well or so I have been told. |
Tom,
I wonder if I can ask you a question about an Enlightenment CD transport and DX32 I recently acquired? With the LCD display on the transport is the backlight replaceable or is it part of the display? Unfortunately this one does not seem to light up. Also are there any service diagrams for these as there seems to be an issue where the DELTRAN imtermittently looses lock. Many thanks. Russ
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He is still at it, just had a very close shave with Walker, a very dishonest man and total fantasist, avoid at all cost. |
This is a message for Tom Whelan (dpa_service)...
Long time no see Tom!
I trust you are keeping well.
Must get together for some special Greek brew...
Alex |
Who can service DPA PDM 256 DAC ? Sent a couple of the messages to Tom (dpa_ service ) , but he did not reply on my last ones.
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