Top CD player wanted

[farflungstar]

A morality story ....

I sold my Goldbug Mr Brier to Adrian a few months back.
It was the one I bought from DOM at NWA and so was in perfect condition.
I shipped it out to Spain in "bomb-proof" packaging by UPS Express.
On arrival Adrian informed me that there was no stylus tip on the cantilever and the wooden top plate on the headshell had come off and was lying loose inside the box!!
Both stylus and headshell were intact when I shipped (I took photos).
I fully refunded Adrian's money without question and he shipped the damaged Brier back to me.
It's now with DOM for TLC.

The point of my post? Honour.

I know the cartridge was perfect when shipped - I trust the buyer that it arrived faulty. Nobody should have to shell out their hard earned cash for a dud.

Adrian is out of pocket as he had to pay for shipping to the UK.
I am out of pocket as DOM's bill won't be cheap but it's "the right thing to do".

My lesson learned is that I won't ship stuff out of the UK again.

Steve

Steve was a gent over it. I was sooooo disappointed as it has been on my wish list for over 20 years and had been paying for it over a couple of months thanks to Steve's generosity!

I've had lots shipped to me without issue including numerous Shilabe carts from Hugo, Reed arms, and gear from Tom and others without any issue. I guess it's down to luck, a stupid bit of wood came loose during transit that no one could have imagined happening but it did.

The next big buy was the Opus - and look what happened. They say they come in 3's so I better be careful and buy something cheap first!

[Ninanina]

One thing I learnt about buying used is that CD players/transports are the most risky of all hifi purchases

I've never had a problem buying used amps, dacs or speakers but have had a problem when buying cdp's. I was really worried when I purchased my used CD5XS even though it came from a dealer with some protection and a warranty but I think the bombproof Naim packing helped

The only time I had a problem when buying used hifi, and I've purchased loads over the years, was a lovely Teac VRDS player; it was in superb condition but still had a fault which made it unplayable, the seller refunded me and allowed me to keep it, however it was a private bereavement sale and it came from a very good home and lovely people

[farflungstar]

Well, yes, but that sounds like a pot. and/or balance control fault (guessing here) whereas, unless the CDP had output pot's, I can't see that an imbalance at line level out would be derived from the same cause. Anyway, as posted above, there are electronics engineers and electronics engineers. Incredible true story of the Goldbug Briar cart. (a long time ago, I'd guess); must have been dropped from a great height; an aeroplane, maybe, if air-mail ?

Actually I dont think physical force was the critical factor with the Brier. There is a wooden top to the headshell and it was this that came off and found itself free to jiggle about around the stylus. No one could have foreseen this. In my opinion it was the glues age that was the fault, and it's failure could have been caused by humidity, temp, or force. It looked like a rubber based glue and didn't look to be in good shape, 30 odd years is a long time.

Steve had packed the cart double boxed with exemplary packing and was genuinely as shocked as I was and immediately offered a refund. I never even had it out if it's little plastic box after 2 months of sending Steve whatever I could afford to buy it. We were both truly pissed off but pragmatic about it.

[twotone]

I've taken faulty amps to engineers who said they couldn't find the fault, and then taken them to others who have found it and fixed it within the hour. Not all EEs are created equal.

Well knowing the guy in question, as I do, I'm sure he would have spent whatever was required to get the amp sorted but some of those old Japanese amps are nearly forty years old now and very complex with parts no longer available but yes not all engineers or doctors or solicitors are the same I agree but it all comes down to money at the end of the day.

[Floyddroid]

Thanks guys but call me old fashioned is really like a player and tangible media.

Me too.

[Barry]

One thing I learnt about buying used is that CD players/transports are the most risky of all hifi purchases

I've never had a problem buying used amps, dacs or speakers but have had a problem when buying cdp's. I was really worried when I purchased my used CD5XS even though it came from a dealer with some protection and a warranty but I think the bombproof Naim packing helped

The only time I had a problem when buying used hifi, and I've purchased loads over the years, was a lovely Teac VRDS player; it was in superb condition but still had a fault which made it unplayable, the seller refunded me and allowed me to keep it, however it was a private bereavement sale and it came from a very good home and lovely people

I've bought, over the years, three CDPs; two within the UK, one from Poland. All arived in perfect condition and all performed flawlessly. I guess it's all down to luck.

[Ninanina]

I've bought, over the years, three CDPs; two within the UK, one from Poland. All arived in perfect condition and all performed flawlessly. I guess it's all down to luck.

That's pretty good Barry so I guess I was just unlucky

[montesquieu]

I've bought, over the years, three CDPs; two within the UK, one from Poland. All arived in perfect condition and all performed flawlessly. I guess it's all down to luck.

I've had three CDPs arrive with issues, a stable platter Pioneer which lost the lens from the laser en route (it was found in the box but not in good-enough nick to re-use - relatively easy fix thankfully); a Teac transport that arrived totally goosed and wasn't worth repairing (new mech being around the same price as I'd paid for the transport); and a Lampizator-type modded Marantz that also arrived with problems. All were in original boxes BTW.

I've twice had a cartridge lose a stylus en route - once en route to me (a fancy retipped Denon whose stylus guard slipped off and took the new cantilever with it) and another (an AT) I had shipped to someone else, just normally in the box in the mistaken belief that a push fit stylus guard would stay on (you think I'd have learned).

OK I have got through a lot of kit (not quite on Jerry's scale but I've not been too far behind at times) but I've had things arrive with tubes smashed inside tube cages (how they managed that I'll never figure out), with bent panels and corners knocked out of whack, with cracked boards, smashed connectors or internal wires disconnected.

I seriously minimise any courier use these days. In fact nowadays I'd rather drive two hours for a meet up when selling or buying than risk shipping. When my Radford STA100 is ready I'm planning a six hour each way drive to North Cornwall to pick it up rather than trust couriers. When I got my EAR 912 I drove to Belgium to collect it.

The last thing I'd ship anywhere is a turntable. I got a Lenco a while back that was shipped to me loose in a box in a single skin of bubble wrap (around the whole thing including plastic lid), arm weights left on, platter left on, needless to say it arrived as a mixture of plastic shards and matchwood - this after I was assured it would be packed carefully.

But the second to last thing I'd ship anywhere is a CDP. My Audio Note transport was collected from Brighton when purchased and dropped to/collected from an Audio Note employee who lives local to me when it had to go back for transport issues. No way I'm trusting that to anybody.

[Ninanina]

Tom that's exactly my thoughts about shipping/receiving CDP's

When I sold my Pioneer stable platter I wrapped it in so much bubble wrap it turned out to be a huge package and I still worried that it might not arrive in one piece and working as it was when it left me... it turned out ok though..

I have absolutely no problem in buying/selling amps, dacs or speakers but CDP's always worries me..

[Lawrence001]

An EE has just cancelled the collection of my tri vista dac on Sunday and stuck it in the post, I hope it arrives safely as it weighs a ton.