VT-50

cmalak said:
No diagnosis yet?
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Just today actually; probably because I've been peppering them for it.

Was nervous; preparing for the worst...hoping for the best. I got the former. :(

$1100. Almost as much, as I paid for the damn thing to begin with! :shocking:
 
Sorry to hear. What did they say was the issue and what has to be fixed?
 
cmalak said:
Sorry to hear. What did they say was the issue and what has to be fixed?
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Technicians Notes: Tube failure in right channel – burnt heater resistors and damaged circuit traces in several areas. Needs retube.

Repairs needed: Repair circuit board, replace resistors and tubes.
 
The sad thing is that depending upon how they performed the CCA repair, you will probably have to disclose that to the new buyer which will reduce the retail value to most consumers. I hope they didn't just jumper the burned trace. I have never seen a repaired CCA from ARC so I don't know how they affect the repair. You are obviously into the VT-50 for more than it's worth on the used market when it is in original condition. Hopefully you really like the amp and if nothing else, will hang onto it as a backup amp. It is a really good sounding amp.
 
Is there any way, for me to ask for this repair...without the fresh set of tubes? I mean...I understand they need tubes to test it, after repair; but couldn't they use some kind of "testers", and send it back without them?

I mean...I might just want to unload this thing; sans tubes. Let the new owner, roll his own.
 
After all; I already have 2 other, matched pairs of 6922s. And I can get a quad of 6550s, for like $120.

Might ease the pain some :blush:
 
CDLehner said:
After all; I already have 2 other, matched pairs of 6922s. And I can get a quad of 6550s, for like $120.

Might ease the pain some :blush:
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You might have some 'matched' tubes, but they won't have been installed in your VT-50 and the the amp biased using those tubes and then the tubes are numbered by ARC so you know exactly what socket they go into so the amp will be biased perfectly when you fire it up. That is a huge selling point to say the amp was just serviced at ARC and ARC installed a new set of tubes and biased the amp. Without that, you are selling an amp with a repaired CCA and no tubes. To me, it would kill the value.
 
It sounds like Chris just wants out of this situation with minimal cost. If he pays the full freight at ARC with their tubes he's out $1,100 vs. ?? without the tubes and so the value he preserves on resale going this route is counteracted by higher repair cost. By going without tubes, he reduces repair cost but takes a bigger hit on resale. Don't know which scenario nets out a better overall value for him.
 
I hear ya. There is not going to be a financially rewarding outcome with any scenario. The VT-50 held a value of around $1500 for years on the used market. That was for an amp in great condition with original boxes, packing material, and manual. A VT-50 with a repaired circuit trace and no tubes is going to take a huge hit in the market place.
 
Yeah, you guys basically beat me to both my points...and my dilemma.

If I were to decide to just "dump" it; advertising as repaired, factory refreshed, and sealed...is a selling point. It would cost me more, but net me more; and hard to tell by how much, ahead of time.

OTOH; I never even got to hear this sucker! :mad:

If I wanted to open it up, and give it a spin...and then decide; I think using my own tubes, at least saves me some coin.

Let me ask this: if I have ARC re-tube and bias it; how likely is it that biasing will hold, for the journey back to me? Because the last thing in the world I want to do...is have to re-bias this thing again!

Oh, if I could turn back time. :S
 
That's best to ask ARC. With tube amps once you retube it, it's recommended you check bias initially on first use and then check it at 10 hour mark to see if it holds bias. After that maybe at the 30-50 hour mark and one more time at let's say 100 hour mark. If it holds bias, then you're good heckling it once every 6 months to a year really. But that's the generic type recommendation regarding biasing tube amps when first new or retuned.
 
CDLehner said:
Yeah, you guys basically beat me to both my points...and my dilemma.

If I were to decide to just "dump" it; advertising as repaired, factory refreshed, and sealed...is a selling point. It would cost me more, but net me more; and hard to tell by how much, ahead of time.

OTOH; I never even got to hear this sucker! :mad:


If I wanted to open it up, and give it a spin...and then decide; I think using my own tubes, at least saves me some coin.

Let me ask this: if I have ARC re-tube and bias it; how likely is it that biasing will hold, for the journey back to me? Because the last thing in the world I want to do...is have to re-bias this thing again!

Oh, if I could turn back time. :S
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Trust me, as long as you plug the tubes as they are numbered by ARC back into the corresponding socket, your amp will remain biased as ARC set it at the factory for a good while. You have to understand that the biasing procedure for the VT-50 goes way beyond just the output tubes. It starts with biasing the 6922 tubes without the output tubes in the socket as you have to take some measurements at the tube sockets. You just plugging some tubes into the amp and biasing the output tubes is not the correct procedure. And since you caused the failure by not keeping the leads on the bias resistor, I would be leery of you sticking your dickers in there again and trying to accomplish a full bias correctly without causing further damage.
 
Here's what I would do. Tell arc to ship it back as is. Put it on eBay as is with a clear description of the damage mentioning that the diagnosis came straight from ARC and documentation will be provided. Then hope to get $500. There's a lot of DYI electronics guys out there and someone might bite. AudioCircle would be another good place to post it.

If you get it repaired, you'll make nothing IMO and might lose money. Plus the hassle. With my approach you might net a few hundred.
 
jaxwired said:
Here's what I would do. Tell arc to ship it back as is. Put it on eBay as is with a clear description of the damage mentioning that the diagnosis came straight from ARC and documentation will be provided. Then hope to get $500. There's a lot of DYI electronics guys out there and someone might bite. AudioCircle would be another good place to post it.

If you get it repaired, you'll make nothing IMO and might lose money. Plus the hassle. With my approach you might net a few hundred.
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Tommy Boy; not sure about your audiophile math there ;)

If you take what I paid for the amp; and then I try to sell it...as is...and "hope to get $500". I lose plenty brother.

Maybe you meant, there's more to lose...the other way; and that's the question. But this is a choice between bad and worse.

In your scenario...you'd cut bait, and minimize more expenditure; and in your defense, I know you're a big less-money-for-less-hassle kinda guy...lol.

I think the other approach is...go ahead and spend to fix it; and hope I love it. Then at least I have a piece of gear I can keep; albeit one in which I "over-paid".

To lose money, and never have heard it; just chalk it up as one bad experience. Might be the better economical play; but man...it breaks my heart. :cryforjoy:
 
CDLehner said:
Tommy Boy; not sure about your audiophile math there ;)

If you take what I paid for the amp; and then I try to sell it...as is...and "hope to get $500". I lose plenty brother.

Maybe you meant, there's more to lose...the other way; and that's the question. But this is a choice between bad and worse.

In your scenario...you'd cut bait, and minimize more expenditure; and in your defense, I know you're a big less-money-for-less-hassle kinda guy...lol.

I think the other approach is...go ahead and spend to fix it; and hope I love it. Then at least I have a piece of gear I can keep; albeit one in which I "over-paid".

To lose money, and never have heard it; just chalk it up as one bad experience. Might be the better economical play; but man...it breaks my heart. :cryforjoy:
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Chris-Knowing that you will most probably never get your money back, you are the only one that can make the decision on what's best to do at this point. I told you previously that one option was to have it repaired and retubed by ARC and know that when you receive it back, it will be performing at its optimum. It is a good amp. A friend of mine owned one and I have heard it on numerous occasions. If nothing else, like I said before, it will make a great backup amp when you are between amps in the future. It won't be worth much at all if you try and sell it broken and with no tubes. Selling it with the repair and no tubes won't bring you much more than broken IMO.

What I wouldn't do is have ARC repair it and just plug in tubes you obtained from somewhere and just bias the output tubes while you cross your fingers and hope you don't repeat your mistake again. Even if you don't make the same mistake, you still won't have the amp biased correctly if all you do is set the bias on the output tubes. The full bias procedure is much more involved and requires more skill than biasing just the output tubes.
 
I just figured if you pay to have it fixed your out $1100. What's a used VT50 worth? I've seen examples between $1200 and $1600. But yours would be a "repaired" amp which you'd have to mention as this thread would give it away anyway. So I'd suspect you'd be looking at the low end which would be $1200 if your lucky. So that puts $100 in your pocket. Again, if your lucky as it doesn't count audiogon and PayPal fees. My way you might get $500. You end up $400 better off. Either way you lose a lot of your purchase price, I get that. But then again, maybe the whole "new tubes and just back from ARC" would make it sell for more. Could be...

If you do want to keep it, I could see going ahead with the repair.
 
The bottom line here is that there are no truly good options. There are just least of the worst options.
 
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