DO NOT BUY anything from AV123

[gonk]

That does seem like really weird behavior for a company that continues to claim top-tier customer service - especially one that has a long-standing comfort with asking customers to install drivers and amplifiers in defective products even when the warranty is still in effect. They're still offering the speaker, so it's not like they can say the driver manufacturer has discontinued it or that they would have run out of replacement parts inventory. Heck, it is still one of their flagship products.

 

[Chu Gai]

I guess we'll all have to wait till the big Kahuna comes back from the hospital to find out what's shaking with that.

 

[Stereodude]

I guess we'll all have to wait till the big Kahuna comes back from the hospital to find out what's shaking with that.

It's just part of their recently changed policy that makes them not able to sell spare parts.

 

[Chu Gai]

It's just part of their recently changed policy that makes them not able to sell spare parts.

Seriously? Humbly bumbly seems to have opened himself up to selling B & C stock MFW cabinets to people. If this is really the case, then maybe they no longer have a sufficient stock of drivers in reserve to sell for people out of warranty and financial issues preclude him from ordering more. I'll betcha you could get spares in Cuba though. Those guys know how to keep cars from the 50's running to this day.

 

[Stereodude]

Seriously?

That's what the reply to the person who inquired.

I am sorry about this. I am trying to see if I can get a sale of a part authorized. We just recently changed our policy so that we are no longer able to sell spare parts.

I will keep you posted with what I find out.

Kindest regards,

 

[Chu Gai]

Got a link for that? BTW, if that's the policy, that's all the more reason to either dump your product while you can as well as to just not buy anything whatsoever from them. Deplorable.

 

[Stereodude]

Got a link for that?

I sure do.

 

[Chu Gai]

Thanks, I'm still banned there I believe.

 

[Stereodude]

Just delete your cookie for the site and you can get in.

 

[Chu Gai]

Somebody pointed out something to me as to why Madpoet will likely be unable to obtain a replacement driver from AV451. Those drivers and product made at the time of MP's Bigfoot origiinally came from Mr. Pu. Now, Pu & Shifty are no longer on speaking terms because I'm sure Pu is probably owed money like so many are. The only way MP could get a replacement through AV451 would be if they happened to have something lying around that they just happened to run across.

Now this gets me to thinking that if this policy change is going to be universal with respect to owners buying replacement parts, then just maybe all this talk about new subs, amps from different places, new speakers with different driver sources, manufacturing in NY state. etc. really means that Shifty is no longer going to be doing business with his old suppliers. Given his long established record of financial mismanagement and not paying people, it would not be unreasonable to think he's dumping Uniaudio and leaving them up sh!t's creek with a ton of debt that he's not going to pay. And, dealing with Pierce Audio Products probably suggests that the MFW line is going to be dumped in a future that's drawing close.

 

[tonygeno]

Not stocking parts for discontinued speakers (drivers, no less) seems quite short-sighted. It's not as if these speakers were discontinued 10 years ago. And I doubt the drivers are proprietary. If this indeed is another result of Mark's fallout with Mr. Pu, it is all very sad.

 

[haraldo]

Not stocking parts for discontinued speakers (drivers, no less) seems quite short-sighted. It's not as if these speakers were discontinued 10 years ago. And I doubt the drivers are proprietary. If this indeed is another result of Mark's fallout with Mr. Pu, it is all very sad.

That's just even another sign of the complete carelessness about customers.....

 

[Chu Gai]

Well, I'm sure they had stock for a period of time Tony but with it drying up and no longer having the ability to call Mr. Pu up and say, "BTW, I know I owe you guys just a ton of money but I'd really appreciate it if you'd send me X drivers for which I'll pay up front.", they created a spin that's their new policy. Hell, if you were Pu and someone asked you for something but that person maybe owed you a million bucks, what would you do?

Hugh, who made a gracious offer of trying to get a replacement for Madpoet, is an Onix dealer and is also on good terms with Pu, may be successful if they're still being made. Hell, if I had product from them and knowing this, I'd call them up and say my tweeter or my mid bass blew and have them send me a replacement figuring at some point in the next few years if I had a problem I'd be phucked.

 

[Zaluss]

Well, I'm sure they had stock for a period of time Tony but with it drying up and no longer having the ability to call Mr. Pu up and say, "BTW, I know I owe you guys just a ton of money but I'd really appreciate it if you'd send me X drivers for which I'll pay up front.", they created a spin that's their new policy. Hell, if you were Pu and someone asked you for something but that person maybe owed you a million bucks, what would you do?

Hugh, who made a gracious offer of trying to get a replacement for Madpoet, is an Onix dealer and is also on good terms with Pu, may be successful if they're still being made. Hell, if I had product from them and knowing this, I'd call them up and say my tweeter or my mid bass blew and have them send me a replacement figuring at some point in the next few years if I had a problem I'd be phucked.

Seriously. With the way things are at AV123 you might as well stock up on replacement parts before time runs out on your warranty.

 

[T2T]

I hope those were not 5.25" drivers that Madpoet was looking for. Sadly, I had a pair of those (new) drivers, but tossed them out a few months back as I felt I wouldn't have a need for them.

In other news, the purging of VA321 gear for my house finally concluded this past weekend when I sold off my final pair of their speakers. Now, my house is VA321 free (or, is that AV123 free?) I finally have no guilty connections or feelings regarding this company any longer.

 

[Chu Gai]

I hope those were not 5.25" drivers that Madpoet was looking for. Sadly, I had a pair of those (new) drivers, but tossed them out a few months back as I felt I wouldn't have a need for them.

In other news, the purging of VA321 gear for my house finally concluded this past weekend when I sold off my final pair of their speakers. Now, my house is VA321 free (or, is that AV123 free?) I finally have no guilty connections or feelings regarding this company any longer.

I believe they were larger. After all that's happened with the company, it seems obvious to me that whenever something is said by them, it only bears a peripheral resemblance to the truth. For example if Shifty says that future incarnations of a particular speaker will use slightly different drivers because they feel it's an improvement, one should rightfully question in their own minds why it's an improvement. It can be an improvement because it's less expensive, because they can no longer obtain them for whatever reason, etc. It could actually be a better driver but given the frequency that people need driver replacements compared to everyone else, I have serious reservations that actions they take has anything to do with moving towards a more quality product.

 

[Stereodude]

In other news, the purging of VA321 gear for my house finally concluded this past weekend when I sold off my final pair of their speakers. Now, my house is VA321 free (or, is that AV123 free?) I finally have no guilty connections or feelings regarding this company any longer.

But now you've saddled other people with VA321.

You should have had a big bonfire to make sure the evil couldn't spread.

Seriously though, I admire people like yourself and a few others who have gotten rid of all their VA321 gear. I plan to never buy any VA321 products again. And, I certainly won't be putting the gear I have from them now in my basement HT. But for now, the VA321 gear I have will stay in the great room. I don't think I could justify the hit I'd take on the speakers vs. replacing them just because I have severe ethical qualms with the ownership of the company and the way it is run.

 

[cmryan821]

But now you've saddled other people with VA321.

That was the exact thing I felt when I got rid of my two mfws. I felt kinda bad each time but they both emailed about how much they liked them so I felt neutral about it. Still can't feel good about it.

You should have had a big bonfire to make sure the evil couldn't spread.

I actually thought about playing high level sine waves with the mfws until they crapped out and posting the video on the va123 forum for the fanboys to cry about. Probably would have got me banned and cost $500, but it would have been worth it. Oh well.

 

[droht]

That was the exact thing I felt when I got rid of my two mfws. I felt kinda bad each time but they both emailed about how much they liked them so I felt neutral about it. Still can't feel good about it.

I actually thought about playing high level sine waves with the mfws until they crapped out and posting the video on the va123 forum for the fanboys to cry about. Probably would have got me banned and cost $500, but it would have been worth it. Oh well.

If someone wants to sacrifce some av123 gear to the fire gods maybe they could hold a raffle to offset the cost. You know, 50% to a worthy cause; 50% to the guy torching his gear.

Just a thought...

 

[Chu Gai]

Hey guys, give Droht some reputation points so he can get rid of that red square already