Marantz HDMI Board Failure.

[Grant Meldrum]

I've just registered with Audioholics.

I'm running out of options but I'm hopeful that another member might be able to help.

Last week my Marantz SR7009 decided to call it quits. Inputs were recognised but all audio outputs failed.

I took the unit to the authorised repairer for Marantz in Perth, Western Australia.

I have just received an email stating that while the problem has been identified, the Australian distributor does not carry the required replacement board.

I was told that I require part number CX870 which is the replacement for the faulty HDMI board.

Despite having been advised of the board requiring replacement, I have been unable to find it.

Can anyone help?

 

[tyhjaarpa]

I would contact Marantz directly.

 

[agarwalro]

You could try their parts order page.

http://www.us.marantz.com/us/support/pages/order_parts.aspx

 

[lovinthehd]

Doubt Marantz US would be much help, rather Marantz Australia http://www.qualifi.com.au/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=81:marantz&catid=41:marantz&Itemid=799

 

[TLS Guy]

This looks like another corporate disgrace in the making.

Denon Marantz has been sold. Your problem has made me make inquiries.

Marantz USA has turned over their entire parts business to Encompas. They are a large parts dealer. I have used them before. Recently I have found they have become virtually useless and don't stock parts.

I recently was asked to repair an expensive TV just out of warranty for friends here in MSP. Encompas who should have had what I needed did not. After a lot of searching I found an outfit that was rebuilding boards here in he US. I ordered what I needed and got core credit for the defective board, and much to my surprise the rebuilt board worked perfectly.

In your case in Australia I find your parts are handled by qualify.com.au.

They seem lousy and list no parts.

This is the contact info for Marantz parts in Australia.

Service enquiries

(03) 8542 1144

service@qualifi.com.au

Good luck with that outfit.

I did a parts search on Encompas and they do not have the part you need here in the US

I think existing laws need enforcing. It seems firms are flouting the law and their obligations with abandon.

I dread having to replace one of my pre/pros. I have become more and more convinced over time it will have to be a DIY design and build. More and more are doing this now.

I think these forces really are threatening this hobby. My guess it is heading to extremely expensive boutique units, DIY or a sound bar.

I have become increasingly concerned about this issue of late. Unfortunately I don't think your problem is now out of the ordinary and set to become the rule.

 

[slipperybidness]

This looks like another corporate disgrace in the making.

Denon Marantz has been sold. Your problem has made me make inquiries.

Marantz USA has turned over their entire parts business to Encompas. They are a large parts dealer. I have used them before. Recently I have found they have become virtually useless and don't stock parts.

I recently was asked to repair an expensive TV just out of warranty for friends here in MSP. Encompas who should have had what I needed did not. After a lot of searching I found an outfit that was rebuilding boards here in he US. I ordered what I needed and got core credit for the defective board, and much to my surprise the rebuilt board worked perfectly.

In your case in Australia I find your parts are handled by qualify.com.au.

They seem lousy and list no parts.

This is the contact info for Marantz parts in Australia.

Service enquiries

(03) 8542 1144

service@qualifi.com.au

Good luck with that outfit.

I did a parts search on Encompas and they do not have the part you need here in the US

I think existing laws need enforcing. It seems firms are flouting the law and their obligations with abandon.

I dread having to replace one of my pre/pros. I have become more and more convinced over time it will have to be a DIY design and build. More and more are doing this now.

I think these forces really are threatening this hobby. My guess it is heading to extremely expensive boutique units, DIY or a sound bar.

I have become increasingly concerned about this issue of late. Unfortunately I don't think your problem is now out of the ordinary and set to become the rule.

Back to the hey-day of DIY wouldn't be a total disaster

 

[TLS Guy]

Since i'm recovering from a hip replacement a week ago, I have time on my hands. I have spent a number of hours on your problem, with zero success.

I can not find a new HDMI or refurbished one anywhere.

There are quite a few units for parts or repair. The trouble is there is no indication of the failure.

I did note a very large number of remotes for those units for sale and that speaks volumes.

I also note that unit has far from stellar reviews.

So essentially although that unit is at the higher end of the price point and not that old, it is headed for the recycling center, or for sale parts or repair. To be fair you would need to disclose the problem and that the HDMI board is NLA to be ethical about it. I personally would dump it off at the recycling center.

Now I am going to change track so to speak.

When seeking a replacement, do not buy a receiver. They have always been problem units. Now they have 11 power amps in them and a ridiculous number of facilities that have no business being in a box like that, they should be given a very wide birth.

I have never liked or used the things, but for convenience have recommended them. Now I am absolutely not going to recommend them.

You need to replace this with a good pre/pro and use separate amplification. Things have now got to the point where separates are an absolute essential.

Next issue is protection. These new units are complex ad frail and need robust protection. That means installing whole house surge protection and powering everything except power amps from uninterruptible power supplies.

This has been a salutary thread and requires wide reading a distribution.

This is now the new low this industry has descended to.

 

[Bucknekked]

Since i'm recovering from a hip replacement a week ago, I have time on my hands. I have spent a number of hours on your problem, with zero success.

This is now the new low this industry has descended to.

TLS Guy,
As a retired physician, getting downtime due to a hip replacement seems quite a challenge. I wonder if you are wearing out the guy who did the work? I bet you can ask some tough questions. I hope you heal quickly and come back to 100% mobility pain free very soon. I wish you the best.

On the audio front, I read both your posts with interest. I always enjoy what you write and I can appreciate your perspective given your history with audio equipment. I know from your point of view, AVR's are a compromise and therefore fall short as a recommendable solution. In this specific case, having a parts fiasco re-inforces that. If there is indeed a widespread failure rate of HDMI boards, or any significant part, that isn't being stocked for repairs that is a problem with no visible solution.

If companies like D&M Holdings have sold off their parts and repair business to a 3rd party, and the 3rd party chooses not to invest in inventory, consumers like us are in a fix (pun alert) because that is something beyond us.

Having dribbled all that drool, what are the chances that boutique vendors for discrete components will be any better at repair time? How is the problem better solved and the consumer better served with discrete components at failure time?

 

[KEW]

When seeking a replacement, do not buy a receiver. They have always been problem units. Now they have 11 power amps in them and a ridiculous number of facilities that have no business being in a box like that, they should be given a very wide birth.

I have never liked or used the things, but for convenience have recommended them. Now I am absolutely not going to recommend them.

You need to replace this with a good pre/pro and use separate amplification. Things have now got to the point where separates are an absolute essential.

Dr. Mark,
What do you think about using an AVR as a pre-pro with seperate amplification?
I like to think (and hope) that something like the AVR-4300 with external amps, the Eco setting turned on (which dropped the temp by 10 degrees before I added external fans), and using a fan to draw air through the unit would remedy the concern.
Paying $800 for a Denon AVR-4300 is a lot easier for most of us to stomach as compared to paying $1500 for a Marantz AV-7703.
That $700 saved by buying the Denon could buy an Outlaw 5000 5Ch power amp and an AC Infinity AIRCOM S9 fan cooling system.

 

[TLS Guy]

TLS Guy,
As a retired physician, getting downtime due to a hip replacement seems quite a challenge. I wonder if you are wearing out the guy who did the work? I bet you can ask some tough questions. I hope you heal quickly and come back to 100% mobility pain free very soon. I wish you the best.

On the audio front, I read both your posts with interest. I always enjoy what you write and I can appreciate your perspective given your history with audio equipment. I know from your point of view, AVR's are a compromise and therefore fall short as a recommendable solution. In this specific case, having a parts fiasco re-inforces that. If there is indeed a widespread failure rate of HDMI boards, or any significant part, that isn't being stocked for repairs that is a problem with no visible solution.

If companies like D&M Holdings have sold off their parts and repair business to a 3rd party, and the 3rd party chooses not to invest in inventory, consumers like us are in a fix (pun alert) because that is something beyond us.

Having dribbled all that drool, what are the chances that boutique vendors for discrete components will be any better at repair time? How is the problem better solved and the consumer better served with discrete components at failure time?

TLS Guy,
As a retired physician, getting downtime due to a hip replacement seems quite a challenge. I wonder if you are wearing out the guy who did the work? I bet you can ask some tough questions. I hope you heal quickly and come back to 100% mobility pain free very soon. I wish you the best.

On the audio front, I read both your posts with interest. I always enjoy what you write and I can appreciate your perspective given your history with audio equipment. I know from your point of view, AVR's are a compromise and therefore fall short as a recommendable solution. In this specific case, having a parts fiasco re-inforces that. If there is indeed a widespread failure rate of HDMI boards, or any significant part, that isn't being stocked for repairs that is a problem with no visible solution.

If companies like D&M Holdings have sold off their parts and repair business to a 3rd party, and the 3rd party chooses not to invest in inventory, consumers like us are in a fix (pun alert) because that is something beyond us.

Having dribbled all that drool, what are the chances that boutique vendors for discrete components will be any better at repair time? How is the problem better solved and the consumer better served with discrete components at failure time?

Actually I was not thinking of it from a repair standpoint. I think service is fast disappearing in the rear view mirror. I was actually looking at from the odds of failure perspective.

These units with 11 power amps and Heaven knows what else are absurd. Heat generation is one thing. The power supplies are far too small and many are now quoting power specs with 1 channel driven! All this presupposes a high chance of power supply ripples and worse.

The worst place to locate power amps inside a receiver. That is a worst case scenario.

It has become clear to me that when giving recommendations we do not consider likely longevity nearly as much as we should when it probably should be the primary concern, especially now.

 

[TLS Guy]

Dr. Mark,
What do you think about using an AVR as a pre-pro with seperate amplification?
I like to think (and hope) that something like the AVR-4300 with external amps, the Eco setting turned on (which dropped the temp by 10 degrees before I added external fans), and using a fan to draw air through the unit would remedy the concern.
Paying $800 for a Denon AVR-4300 is a lot easier for most of us to stomach as compared to paying $1500 for a Marantz AV-7703.
That $700 saved by buying the Denon could buy an Outlaw 5000 5Ch power amp and an AC Infinity AIRCOM S9 fan cooling system.

I would say it is better then actually using the power amps.

If I were doing that I would remove the power amps from the case.

The issue that is hard to get an handle on is whether the build quality of pre/pro is better than a receiver's. I have no data on that, but I have a hunch that it is as so many go to pro installers for high end systems. They are highly trouble adverse as am I.

This whole Atmos thing is a pity and a real shame it was introduced for home usage. I can be certain that has aggravated this situation enormously.

The last thing is that I posted a while ago about using good vintage gear in the AV age.

If you want high quality on the cheap that is a really good way to go. Fine electronics and two really good speakers is hard to beat. I can tell you a pair of good speakers never miss not having a center.

I note now that clones of old Quad gear are now proliferating from China. Some I note are updated to have digital input. I have no idea if any are reliable. However if they are using Peter's analog circuits they are outstanding value.

 

[KEW]

I note now that clones of old Quad gear are now proliferating from China. Some I note are updated to have digital input. I have no idea if any are reliable. However if they are using Peter's analog circuits they are outstanding value.

I hope they are. It is a crime to see a classic and effective design fall to the wayside!
I hope you get a chance to examine one of the Chinese clones to see how well they preserved the integrity of the original design.