Electronic Repair Shops in the Northern Virginia Area?

wje · « **on:** 18 Sep 2008, 01:08 pm »

I know there have been threads in the past that I've read through in regards to recommendations on repair shops. I have a solid state power amp that is causing me a bit of grief and was wondering if someone could recommend a shop in the Northern Virginia area capable of analyzing the issue and fixing it for me?

Also, a little off topic. While I've been a member here for I believe 3+ years now, I haven't been that active on the forum. Many life-changing events have occured over the past few years. We were fortunate enough to sell our townhome at the height of the real estate market and then get into a single family home as the market started to dip - though not as far as it has dipped at the current moment. With this purchase, the home had an unfinished basement. I spent several months in 2007 framing, electifying, plumbing and installing mechanical work in the basement. Among the permit process, the inspection process, I subcontracted the drywall work and the carpet installation. However, lots of sweat equity was applied in getting the space (1,100 s.f.) finished up. With that behind me, my focus has been brought back to audio - just as it has since 1986.

I'm not sure if I'll really be able to get all the way up to "hi-fi" as "mid-fi" will have to due - since my daughter will be heading off to college in 4 years. Plus, having a teenager isn't cheap! Trendy clothes, dresses for homecoming, etc. can eat into an audio budget awfully quick!! However, what gear I do have brings me lots of peace. I rarely care about movies - but, music remains the cornerstone.

woodsyi · « **Reply #1 on:** 18 Sep 2008, 02:00 pm »

Welcome back. Where have you settled in? Bill Thalmann at Music Tech in Springfield is a Conrad Johnson Specialist. He does bunch of other stuff too. I know of two happy AC members who have used his service. Here is a link. http://www.musictechnology.com/

doug s. · « **Reply #2 on:** 18 Sep 2008, 03:40 pm »

other possibilities:
http://bws-tube.com/

http://www.soundimagesusa.com/entry.html

doug s.

Bemopti123 · « **Reply #3 on:** 18 Sep 2008, 04:15 pm »

Maybe a couple of states off, but I have had excellent success with an Audiogon member called EZEKIEL. He is an expert in all things solid state and I have had at least 2 units brought up to specs all at a very reasonable price. The catch is that he lives in Tennessee, so shipping should be considered. I am telling you, his prices are ultra modest, especially if you think about the parts he uses...I wonder how he ever makes any money on his repairs. He also repairs and sells tons of gear in Audiogon. Check him out.

woodsyi · « **Reply #4 on:** 18 Sep 2008, 04:46 pm »

Just my impressions. Bruce at BWS runs his shop from a detached garage in his back yard. It's full of vintage transformers and tubes and what not. I got tubes from him that were very good. I think he is better with tube gear but that's just my impression. Sound Image seems to have made an almost complete transformation to an upscale HT outfit. They still have vintage used gear for sales and a repair counter over it. Music Tech is a busy place teeming with pro musicians every time I have been in there. It's in a big unit in an industrial park. It's definitely a bigger operation in terms of repair and service than the other two.

richidoo · « **Reply #5 on:** 18 Sep 2008, 04:54 pm »

The Analog Store is in Raleigh, but he regularly gets big Plinius and Macs from all over the country by mail. Good diagnostics, 30 years experience, tubes/ss. Alex is a nice guy and very experienced.
Rich

doug s. · « **Reply #6 on:** 18 Sep 2008, 04:58 pm »

Quote from: woodsyi on 18 Sep 2008, 04:46 pm

Just my impressions. Bruce at BWS runs his shop from a detached garage in his back yard. It's full of vintage transformers and tubes and what not. I got tubes from him that were very good. I think he is better with tube gear but that's just my impression. Sound Image seems to have made an almost complete transformation to an upscale HT outfit. They still have vintage used gear for sales and a repair counter over it. Music Tech is a busy place teeming with pro musicians every time I have been in there. It's in a big unit in an industrial park. It's definitely a bigger operation in terms of repair and service than the other two.

yes, bruce specializes in tube gear, but i suspect he would be good w/any s/s gear. i have used him for repair and tubes, & i think he's good. sound images used to do repairs big-time; you are right that they now specialize in ht install. but, they still have a good service dept, afaik. tho i haven't used them recently. and, i agree about music tech - i have heard great things about them.

doug s.

wje · « **Reply #7 on:** 18 Sep 2008, 07:34 pm »

Thanks for all the great recommendations. The amp that needs repair is a Parasound HCA-2003. Being a bit of a beast, I'm a bit afraid to let UPS manhandle it and damage it any further. Parasound will repair it - but, they're only 3,000 miles away on the "other" coast. In my research, I did stumble across Music Technology in Springfield. There was a thread over in AudioKarma where a member sent his CJ amp to them to perform an upgrade. A copy of the scanned receipt revealed the contact information for that company. I've sent their repair center an e-mail earlier and am awaiting their response.

Additional digging led me to an authorized Parasound repair center in Silver Spring (Audio Clinic) - just outside the beltway on Rt. 29. The other options (Sound Images, & BWS) sound great, too. There was another shop - Burke Electronics out of Woodbridge - but, they only work by appointment. The next slot would be next Saturday - so, I might jump on an option to at least have someone start analyzing the issue before that time.

Sadly, I'm finding out that locating a good repair shop is getting quite hard. It seems that our "disposable" society has meant that such skills are not needed nearly as much as they have been in the past. This might be OK for a $15.00 toaster from Wal-Mart. However, what's one to do if their $3,000 amplifier is on the fringe?

Woodsyi, I moved a bit futher out to Haymarket. I used to live in Centreville. The increase in the commuting time has not been too much of a burden on me. I've been doing it for 2 years now - never a complaint.

wje · « **Reply #8 on:** 19 Sep 2008, 03:05 am »

Quote from: doug s. on 18 Sep 2008, 03:40 pm

other possibilities:
http://bws-tube.com/

http://www.soundimagesusa.com/entry.html

doug s.

Edit: Doug,

Thanks for this recommendation. I did call Bruce of BWS Tube late this afternoon. He seems like a great guy. I've got to decide my next move.

DTB300 · « **Reply #9 on:** 24 Sep 2008, 12:56 pm »

Quote from: wje on 18 Sep 2008, 07:34 pm

Thanks for all the great recommendations. The amp that needs repair is a Parasound HCA-2003.

Though not in VA, but in MD north of the beltway off Route 29 is:

Audio Clinic 12160 Tech Rd Silver Spring, MD 20904 (301) 587-0070

www.aci-hometheater.com

They are an authorized Parasound repair center. $80 payment upon drop off for the larger amps, then they will fix if under $200 total, or else contact you with the cost.

wje · « **Reply #10 on:** 25 Sep 2008, 04:17 pm »

Quote from: DTB300 on 24 Sep 2008, 12:56 pm

Quote from: wje on 18 Sep 2008, 07:34 pm
Thanks for all the great recommendations. The amp that needs repair is a Parasound HCA-2003.
Though not in VA, but in MD north of the beltway off Route 29 is:

Audio Clinic 12160 Tech Rd Silver Spring, MD 20904 (301) 587-0070

www.aci-hometheater.com

They are an authorized Parasound repair center. $80 payment upon drop off for the larger amps, then they will fix if under $200 total, or else contact you with the cost.

DTB, Thanks. I was in contact with them last week. They actually have Saturday hours, too (9 a.m. - 1 p.m.). This makes it quite convenient for those of us who are pressed for time during the week and can't make it to certain businesses before they close.

Parasound has a list of authorized support agencies on their Web site. Unfortunately, it's a bit out of date. ACI has sinced moved to their new location - however, their old address is reflected. Also, Sound Images in Falls Church used to be an authorized repair center. However, their old address was still listed - and they haven't been officially recognized as "authorized" for the past 3 years or so.

I did, however, opt to head to Music Technology. It's easy to get to (just off Braddock Road & 495). They charge a $68.00 "diagnostics" fee, which can then be applied to the actual repair. They work on a boatload of Conrad Johnson stuff - assuming quite a few pieces get shipped into them. I know when I was there, I could see several face panels with that "signature" CJ light gold front panel cover.

I'll be sure to update this thread with my results once all the dust settles with this repair.

DTB300 · « **Reply #11 on:** 30 Sep 2008, 01:03 pm »

Quote from: wje on 25 Sep 2008, 04:17 pm

DTB, Thanks. I was in contact with them last week. They actually have Saturday hours, too (9 a.m. - 1 p.m.). This makes it quite convenient for those of us who are pressed for time during the week and can't make it to certain businesses before they close.

Parasound has a list of authorized support agencies on their Web site. Unfortunately, it's a bit out of date. ACI has sinced moved to their new location - however, their old address is reflected. Also, Sound Images in Falls Church used to be an authorized repair center. However, their old address was still listed - and they haven't been officially recognized as "authorized" for the past 3 years or so.

I did, however, opt to head to Music Technology. It's easy to get to (just off Braddock Road & 495). They charge a $68.00 "diagnostics" fee, which can then be applied to the actual repair. They work on a boatload of Conrad Johnson stuff - assuming quite a few pieces get shipped into them. I know when I was there, I could see several face panels with that "signature" CJ light gold front panel cover.

I'll be sure to update this thread with my results once all the dust settles with this repair.

I have not tried ACI either, and I saw the wrong information on the Parasound site, but the when you google ACI the right location is listed. I may still give them a shot as they only 20 min away for me. If I do I will also report back here on the experience, etc.

I have emailed Music Technology concerning another amp I wanted to repair but was ignored as I never received an email back - I sent two emails. Even an email that stated "NO WE DO NOT WORK ON THOSE", would have been fine with me. So they have essentially lost my business. I do know they are an agent for Allen Wright and Vacuum State Mods for players, so I have heard of them and good things are said about them, so maybe my attempt to work with them was just an anomaly.

wje · « **Reply #12 on:** 14 Nov 2008, 01:20 am »

I might be impatient, but ...

My amp spent 2 weeks at Music Technology, with no estimate and I was informed that it would be at least another 2 weeks before that would occur. I then picked it up from there and headed for Sound Images where they were listed as an authorized repair center on Parasound's Web site. I checked with S.I. to ensure they could take care of the repair, and, yes, they could. Well, the last 7 weeks at S.I. has been crap. I checked in every 2 weeks with the tech. He finally got some schematics from Parasound on CD, but they were the wrong ones. I had the PDF of the proper schematics, so I headed to Kinkos and had them printed on 24 x 27" paper - they were nice and clear because that was the default size of the PDF. I then dropped them off over a week ago after hearing that my single working channel of the amp was no longer working. Yikes!!

I finally called in yesterday to see if any progress had been made. No was the answer. I then asked how far the amp had been taken apart - and, it was in several pieces. I then asked to pick it up today, but was told it would take a few days to get it re-assembled for pick up.

I hope to get the amp back early next week (in worse shape than I brought it in) only to head to Audio Clinic, where they are truly authorized to repair Parasound.

Was I really expecting too much? I only wanted a repair. 7 weeks of it sitting around isn't what I'd really call a repair - especially since clobbering my only working channel.

woodsyi · « **Reply #13 on:** 14 Nov 2008, 01:50 am »

Sorry to hear about your problems. Dealing with repairs and mods can try your patience. You just can't be in a hurry. I usually give 6 months for a job. I still like Music Tech. If you need an amp while you get yours repaired, let me know. I am sure I got something.

doug s. · « **Reply #14 on:** 14 Nov 2008, 03:37 am »

wow - that sucks - 0 for 2.

i also have an amp i could lend you, if you are wanting for tunes...

doug s.

DTB300 · « **Reply #15 on:** 8 Dec 2008, 02:19 pm »

Quote from: wje on 14 Nov 2008, 01:20 am

I hope to get the amp back early next week (in worse shape than I brought it in) only to head to Audio Clinic, where they are truly authorized to repair Parasound.

Did you ever take the amp to Audio Clinic? What was the result and your experience with them?

TheChairGuy · « **Reply #16 on:** 8 Dec 2008, 03:58 pm »

That really does just suck about Sound Images in Falls Church.....back when I lived in the area I bought several pieces from them and they repaired or updated a couple pieces, too (without issue....tho I do remember waiting a very long time to get my Thorens TT back for something pretty simple).

I wonder if it's new owners....the website is new'ish I see

John

wje · « **Reply #17 on:** 16 Dec 2008, 04:06 pm »

I picked up my amp from Sound Images after it was re-assembled a bit over a week ago. The down-side is that I had to pay $100 for their analysis fee - though, it's of little value to me as I can't go about repairing it myself. However, I did find another shop local to where I live (I'll keep the name out of it for now) and I should be getting my amp back in a week or so. The parts have all been ordered and the repair will run approximately $300. The issue was with the "outputs" on the amplifier being blown. I'm assuming this is 3 separate circuits since it's a 3-channel amp.

Soon ... soon, I can feel it.

Out of respect for Sound Images, I feel that Bret has too much on his plate. He's still the owner, and appears to be very involved with the operation of the company ... as well as performing the repairs that come in. I don't want to cry about the time - I just desire honesty. If it's going to take 10 weeks - then tell me that up front. Then, my expectation will be realistic.

Edit: In one of my conversations with Bret, he revealed that when he was attempting the repair for what he thought was the issue - actually worsened the problem - and then what was partially working wasn't working at all. I did ask about the $100 "diagnosis" fee since my amp had not been repaired and actually left in worse shape. Needless to say, Bret wasn't there when I picked the amp up and the sales guy handling the closure said the fee still applies. I guess I could go through my credit card company to intervene for me, if I desired that. Though, I suspect I need to let go at this point in time.

TheChairGuy · « **Reply #18 on:** 16 Dec 2008, 06:21 pm »

Brett, yup, that's the same guy that ran it 6+ years ago. Quite a vintage collection of gear he has, too, at home. Practically a museum one of his guys said to me once.

He is, ummm, scattered however...as you mention. Too bad - I think he means well.

John

wje · « **Reply #19 on:** 5 Feb 2009, 10:51 pm »

I finally, yes, finally picked up my amp on the way home this evening. The latest shop that I had work on it basically rebuilt the whole unit. New amplifier outputs, new filters, etc., etc., etc.

I'll get it all hooked up later this evening to see how it all sounds. It was working great in the repair shop when I picked it up.

One thing I've learned.

- I'll never buy non-working or partially-working equipment ever again. I know the repair shop struggled with this beast as it was quite complicated to work on. Even though I had gotten the schematics from Parasound, they still were not detailed enough (voltages, etc.) to make much sense.