Damaged Dynaudios :(

[Space is the Place]

A while ago i had a pair of BM5A MKII up for sale on here, they were pretty much as new with about 50 or so hours on them.

For whatever reason they never sold, so they've sat in their box until just before Christmas when i got them out and started to use them for editing (instead of headphones i normally use).

Unfortunately after they'd been on for about 8 or so hours one of the monitors stopped working, no lights on the front. I found that it had blown the fuse, so i swapped it out for the fuse from the other monitor and it blew that fuse instantly too.

So it went back to the retailer (it arrived safely packaged with the original packing) who diagnosed it had a blow transformer, not uncommon it would seem).
They then sent it back to the appointed agent for Dynaudio repairs, about two weeks later the monitor arrived back with me from Dynaudio, i was shocked to find that they hadn't used any of the original packaging but just wrapped it in two layers of thin bubble wrap and hoped for the best! what went as a pristine monitor came back as this...

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[Minstrel SE]

That is one of my worst nightmare horror stories and the reason I hate sending things off for repair.

People wonder why I am ultra cautious to the point of OCD. I have a few stories of my own but that is a prime example of how its difficult to trust anyone.

I hope you get things sorted with a claim. It breaks my heart to see things unnecessarily damaged like this

 

[Whaleblue]

Oh well, perhaps you'll get paid out and will have effectively sold them after all.

 

[TimF]

That really sucks. Especially seeing as you used original packing etc. to get it to the retailer, and it comes back in packaging other than what you had sent. My thoughts are really, this actually came back from Dynaudio this way or a second vendor/repair center? Hopefully you will get it sorted-or they will for you. Sad to see nice gear ruined by someone taking the simple route.

 

[Space is the Place]

That is one of my worst nightmare horror stories and the reason I hate sending things off for repair.

People wonder why I am ultra cautious to the point of OCD. I have a few stories of my own but that is a prime example of how its diffficult to trust anyone.

I hope you get things sorted with a claim. It breaks my heart to see things unnecessarily damaged like this

Exactly Minstrel, the irony is that i lost a fair few sales because i wouldn't post them to sellers in case they got damaged!
Because one of them went faulty the only option was to send them it back via a courier. It was fine when the retailer sent it to the service centre to be repaired.

I'm guessing they'll have to send me another 'single' monitor, what i'm not keen on is the one i still have and the one sent away were consecutive serial numbers, call me finicky but i don't want to monitors with miles apart serial numbers.

 

[ArtK]

I had that happen with my wife's Cambridge Audio CD player last year. I contacted the distributor who had me ship the damaged (by the authorized repair facility) player to them and they shipped me a brand new one. Contact Dynaudio and they should send you a new pair (not single).

 

[LOZ]

I sympathise too. So many people don't give a s**t. Bring back the birch!

 

[Space is the Place]

I’ve heard back from the retailer and they say the Dynaudio importer/repairer are going to replace the speaker cabinet.

Looking at the job they did last of sending the speaker back I’m not holding out any hope of them doing it right tbh, to give an example of this they’re debating whether the tweeter needs to be replaced?!
It’s not a very impressive show by a company representing Dynaudio IMO. I know its not the same, as both the domestic and professional speakers are represented by different distributors, but i had been considering a pair of C1's before this happened but i don't think i'll bother now.

EDIT: Ive just received a very prompt, helpful and courteous email from Dynaudio UK 'domestic division' saying that the two parts of the company pro and domestic are separate entities.

Maybe this is the way the cheaper end of the pro market for monitors is handled, but i would have expected more from a Danish company that prides itself on doing everything itself. Its not a very good representation of the company at all.

Ive just had some more communication with the retailer abouts whats happening with the monitor apparently the representative of Dynaudio in the UK are still not sure if the tweeter needs to be replaced! I would think it pretty obvouis from the above image it does ... and they are waiting apparently for Dynaudio to make a new cabinet. The latest estimate is the cabinet will be here by the end of this month.

 

[Space is the Place]

Will have been waiting for close on three months at the end of this week for the monitor to be repaired and returned.

The tweeter hasn't been replaced but repaired apparently...

I'd like to know how it was repaired, dismantle the tweeter and replace the dome/coil, or did they just pull out the dome and hope for the best?

 

[Minstrel SE]

Seriously go beserk. You are being stiffed over by people who dont care. They are messing you around and clearly dont want to spend much getting it right.

You dont want a half hearted botch job because you will never feel good about them. Their negligence caused the damage so you want new parts and a speaker that looks as good as new

Demand a new pair. Tell them you will take them to court. Dont stand for this.

 

[Guest432]

Write them an email explaining you've been patient and have followed their suggestions but you are not happy with the repair and would like them replaced. Tell them if they refuse you will take them to the small claims court and post your poor customer service experience on hifi and professional user forums for all to read.

 

[Interzone]

Go direct to the top at Dynaudio if you can. This will get stuff happening.

 

[Space is the Place]

Thanks for advice everyone, i was annoyed at the start, but i just don't care now tbh, I'll just chalk it up to experience.
I can't help but feel that there is a big difference between the way the pro side is dealt with (separate importer) compared to the domestic side of Dynaudio, the person who deals with the domestic side was very helpful and very disappointed with the way things turned out and passed the info to Dynaudio themselves.

I think this is one of the pitfalls of buying monitors that are active, especially at the cheaper end of the market the backup just isn't there. Probably just best to either deal with a company direct like ATC, PMC etc.

I've pretty much wrote the monitors off, i am thinking about another set of actives but... "what happens when your monitors go wrong" is in the back of my mind now and i'm looking at buying a pair of passives that hopefully will last a little longer that number of hours these where used for, cant help but feel its better to buy used stuff off the classifieds on here, than risk buying new!

 

[Chops54]

Message to self; If I should need a pair of monitors don't ever buy Dynaudio.

 

[Linds]

"Restored to pre-loss condition" is the phrase that insurers use. Unless they are 100% as good as before, I would point blank refuse to accept them. You've already gone for months without them + hassle factor. You are now in a zero compromise situation. Hell, if companies with the scale and reputation of Dynaudio can't sort this out properly then that is a disgrace.

 

[canmanbryan]

Message to self; If I should need a pair of monitors don't ever buy Dynaudio.

+ 1

 

[vln]

Sorry to hear about your troubles, Space.

When I owned Dynaudios, I found them (the domestic HiFi branch that is) extremely helpful and quick when it came to email replies.

While I understand that the pro division is a different branch, I am sure they will not be happy to learn that their products are being distributed/represented by useless f*ckwits.

As others have suggested, get as many people as possible involved, i.e. send emails to the pro and domestic division to tell them about your situation (if you haven't already) and perhaps point out the existence of this thread.

Dynaudio are a great company IME and they deserve better than being represented by the people you have dealt with.


ATB,
Samuel.

 

[Markus S]

+1. Quite unlike my Dynaudio experience. Someone seems to try and cover their ass.

 

[Space is the Place]

The Monitor came back today with its new cabinet which arrived undamaged.

The tweeter hadn't been replaced just repaired by putting what looks like sticky tape on the dome and it being pulled out, there is still a small crease in the dome where the original damage was done (see picture in first post).

So to conclude, three months turn around on this, firstly sent back by Dynaudio to me with non original, completely inadequate packaging and damaged. Then back to Dynaudio where the tweeter was deemed "repairable" despite them being at fault it was dinged in the first place, now back to me after three months with a new cabinet and small crease in the tweeter where they have "repaired' it, I'll leave it for Dynaudio to explain about how much they care about tweeters...

The best material for a tweeter is experience: Dynaudio has relied on silk soft-dome tweeters for recreating high frequencies since the company was founded, continuously improving and perfecting the soft-dome principle over the years. Dynaudio tweeter designs require a time consuming, labor-intensive manufacturing process where the fine fabric diaphragm is shaped into a dome and is then treated with a specially formulated coating. As a further refinement, the tweeter’s aluminium voice-coil is suspended in a magnetic oil, which increases power handling while also improving the dome’s excursion. The result is the celebrated Dynaudio tweeter, which, thanks to its incomparable performance, is commonly regarded as one of the very best drivers in the world. No other tweeter construction achieves such a high level of balanced and natural frequency response.

Maybe they should rewrite some of their website...

Our tweeters are repaired using the finest sticky tape, the labour intensive pulling out of the dome to something like its original shape takes seconds, even if a small crease remains in the tweeter diaphragm, we aren't that bothered and hope you don't notice...

Oh and the Vinyl wrap of the new cabinet is completely different, as is the front baffle, the chamfer is more rounded, less sharp on the new monitor than the original monitor too, so what i now have is two monitors that don't match, classy!

 

[TimF]

That just plain sucks. Makes one wonder how many issues other people have with them. It just is not right and sad that someone cannot-or will not jump in and assist, either dealer or someone from Dynaudio themselves.

It is easy to give a beat down to a company when things go wrong, but in this case well deserved. I hope somehow there is a good story at the end. Tim