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AUDIOPHILE REPAIR & RESTORATION
CENTER |
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| WHAT WE
DO |
| With over twenty-five
years in audio development, CAE is well recognized for our design
expertise in high end audio technology (tube and
solid state) as well as the older "classic" topologies. Just as
important, we are well versed in the factors in component selection
and circuit operating parameters that contribute to achieving the
"sound signature" you want. Armed with that knowledge, skill, and
expertise, we can Repair your amplifier (locate and replace
all defective components), Restore it to its original
performance (replace all critical components with new identical
parts) or Upgrade it to enhance its audible performance
(replace all critical components with higher quality alternatives)
in accordance with your directive. Because we understand and appreciate the emotional
attachment that is a part of the audiophile psyche, we take the
same care with your amplifier as if it were our own. Our workmanship
is clean, neat and professional. Our facilities are well equipped with only the best
tools and instrumentation that is maintained and calibrated. We also
use a
high resolution audio system to audition our work
ensuring both technical and audible quality. Replacement components
are carefully selected to retain the desired sonic fingerprint and
insure a high design margin. For example, the specifications (voltage,
power, or current ratings) of replacement components are generally
raised to at least 125% of operating conditions to assure
reliability. At your request we can thoroughly clean both the inside
and outside of you unit including the faceplate, surfaces, and
connectors. We often go
beyond just repair taking the extra steps to insure that we are
extracting the best audible performance possible through careful
testing and outgoing auditioning.
We Repair, Fully Restore, and Upgrade the products from the following
select manufacturers:
- Audio Research
- Conrad Johnson
- Dynaco
- Fisher (classic)
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Harman-Kardon (tube)
- Luxman (tube)
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- Marantz (tube)
- Paragon
- Quicksilver
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Sonic Frontiers
- Theta
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Please feel free to e-mail us at any time. I will usually get back to
you within a few hours.
Although our phone contact is listed below I encourage you to use
e-mail send e-mail or FAX - it permits flexibility in our schedule
that assures a more timely reply. If needed, we will call you to
discuss so please always leave a contact number and time.
We understand the
distinctive quality of these products as well as the technical
aspects of repairing this level of equipment. Just as important, we
are well versed in the factors that contribute to achieving the
"sound signature" you want. Therefore, should you choose to restore
it exactly to its original sonic signature or enhance it towards your
personal preference, you can be assured that we will meet your
expectations.
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| e-Mail: cae-email |
1686 Hyacinth Lane San Jose,
CA 95124 |
| Phone: 408-269-4273 (PST) |
FAX: 603-584-6573 |
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| HOW WE DO IT |
The first step is to discuss with
you the
nature of your problem and understand how it relates to the balance of your
system. On many occasions we may have you perform a few simple
tests that will help us insure that we are focusing on the correct
component and in some instances may even lead to the resolution of the
problem without the need for service.
Your amplifier will then be shipped to our lab where we will perform
an evaluation based upon the record of the initial interview. There
is a $100 charge for this evaluation that will be applied to the
service should you elect to proceed. This charge is necessary since
the only way to establish the extent of the problem is to perform
most of the repair - at this point we can determine if the remainder
of the unit is functioning properly.Once you have authorized the work, we proceed. Regardless of the
repair, each unit is subjected to the following checks and
procedures:
Standard QC
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Verify proper fuses installed
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Clean pots & switches
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Check power supplies & output power into rated load
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Adjust/evaluate bias setting
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Operate into simulated load for extended "burn-in"
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Evaluate Frequency
response
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Output Power ~ Load (output power @ clip into rated load)
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Evaluate Distortion (THD & IMD)
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Audible Performance
Listening Test
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Optionally - Clean Chassis, Connectors, and Faceplate (If Possible)
The burn in test is a 36 hour fully operational test that
successfully identifies any "infant mortality" failures. If it's
going to fail for some reason, we'd much rather have that happen
while it's still in our shop. We have a very low return rate, which
we believe can be attributed to our "post op" procedures.
We will use only original parts or equivalents if the original
components are no longer available. In any case we will preserve the
"sound" of the original unless otherwise requested by you. In this
case we can consult with you to insure that the upgraded components
will provide the sonic character you desire.
We use only silver plated copper wire with Teflon insulation. In
addition to its outstanding tolerance of heat (compared to often used
PVC insulation) it dramatically improves reliability. Most
important, it has no sonic signature of it's own. The long term
reliability and audible performance of your amplifier is our first
priority!!
All repairs are completely tested and guaranteed for six months. All
completed items that have been shipped to us are carefully packed
and returned via UPS and insured. |
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| THE NATURE OF VINTAGE AUDIOPHILE
EQUIPMENT |
What goes wrong with tube
equipment? Most tube amplifiers suffer from problems that are
related to heat and the components most affected are the capacitors,
phonelic printed circuit substrates, and switches and pots. Carbon
based resistors may occasionally drift in value resulting in the
circuit parameters to shift from the original optimum.
Another common problem is the fact that power company line voltages
have increased slightly over the past 30 years moving from 110 to
120VAC. This 9% increase may not seem significant however since many
power supplies were designed with only a 10% margin in the rating of
their capacitors, this extra stress is all that is needed to
quickly advance the age of the capacitor therefore explaining why it
is very common to find leaky or shorted capacitors.
We replace defective power supply capacitors with high quality fresh
units rated to withstand not only the anticipated heat but also with
a 20% safety margin when operated atv120VAC. This insures the
highest reliability of the repaired unit. This same margin of safety
id also extended to the power rating of the resistors. Any new
switches, connectors, or printed circuit cards employ only mil spec
materials.
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| PRICES, CYCLE TIME & WARRANTY |
Your actual price will be
established based upon the cost of our materials plus our labor in
hours. Our current labor rate is $85 / hour.
All of our work (repair, restoration, or upgrade) is warranted for a
period of 6 months on materials and workmanship and 90 days on tubes
(transferred suppliers warrantee).
Repair cycle time varies however typical repair cycles are 10 to 25
working days. We inventory most components however some obsolete
parts may be difficult to source or may need to be fabricated.
Upgrades may be slightly longer. Given the extensive level of work
required for a full restoration, cycle time may extend to 30 - 45
days.Printed Wiring Boards are manufactured from the highest
quality military spec G-10 laminate with 2 oz. oxygen free copper and are warranted to be
free from voids and shorts. All Assembled & Tested units are screened to insure
specification certification (certificate of compliance available @ $10.00 / ea.).
Components are warranted for 12 months (tubes, 90 days). Returns must be requested and
shipped within 15 days of receipt and have the Return Authorization Number on the shipping
label. Only new, unused merchandise may be returned. Customer may be responsible for
shipping and 15% restocking. |
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| PACKING AND SHIPPING
INSTRUCTIONS (Please Read) |
We know you want to protect your equipment. The best choice is to
use the original boxes and fillers.
If the original box(es) are unavailable, you need to insure that it
arrives safely and without harm. Place your unit in a large plastic
bag then wrap the unit with LARGER BUBBLE
wrap only (1" bubbles - NO "PEANUTS") until you have a cushioning
layer 2 to 4" THICKNESS around the unit to each surface of the box.
Place in a box selected to provide a reasonably snug fit and fill
the remainder of the box with crushed newspaper (open to full
page then crumble into filler). Under no circumstances should you
use Styrofoam Peanuts - they offer absolutely no protection for
electronic equipment nearly insuring equipment damage and subsequent
insurance claims hassles. Additionally we incur disposal costs that
will be passed back to you. If you feel additional protection is
needed, consider placing the box inside a second
box with another 2" of cushion material.It is safest to keep the tubes inserted into their original sockets.
To insure that they do not fall out, place a SOFT layer of foam
rubber between the top of the tubes and the adjacent surface.
Otherwise, pack each tube separately in bubble wrap and secure in
their own internal box.
Always ship with the covers in place if at all possible secured with
all of the screws in place. Line cords should be wrapped and bound.
We strongly suggest that you insure your shipment ($1000 minimum
suggested) - insurance is very inexpensive (UPS = .35cents/$100, or
$3.50 for $1000 of insurance) Following our packing procedure is
critical for assuring insurance validity. We therefore we reserve
the right to charge you for re-boxing if you did not box it in
accordance with our guidelines.
SHIPPING OPTIONS
After shipping and receiving hundreds of electronic equipment
packages we have developed carrier preferences - they are in order
of preference: USPS, USPS Priority, Fed-X ground, and finally UPS.
You may pack your unit as described above or use a "Mailboxes" outlet
to do this for you, but they charge quite a bit for their work and
place surcharges on everything. Inform the carrier to permit the
product to be delivered without signature
Please Ship to the Following Address:
CAE 1686 Hyacinth Lane
San Jose, CA 95124 |
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