has anyone had problems with wadia service?

dr_john,

i can't speak to the way things were in 1996, but shoddy customer service was not my experience a couple of years ago. so for me, the recent experience (although i have had admittedly limited experience with wadia) was a new one.

Good thing we have many choices available. Vote with your dollars!

So now that Fine Sounds acquired Mcintosh, Sonus Farber, Wadia, and Audio Research...looks like I am sending off my favorite Wadia 860x with GNS Statement level upgrade in for a tune up. Wadia's address is not McIntosh's old address 2 Chambers St. in Binghamton, But calvin at ARC said to send the stuff there.

He quoted a 3 week backlog...not bad for summer actually. for both my Amp- getting a new transformer and the 860x getting a remote cleaned and an update.

BTW- not bad that a nearly 20 year old piece can get updates. The Update path for any 860 were.... upgrade to 860x 24/96 capability, upgrade (really a downgrade IMHO to 861) and then 861x. and later a USB port change from the glass optical. and finally a GNS statement level upgrade, by Steve Huntley which....even after what is a Millenium of time in the world of bits (20 years) has kept my unit current in sound with many state of the art digital players. Losing perhaps to Stahl Tek and MSB. Not a bad way to spend money at all...20 years of bliss.

Here is an update.

I sent the unit in because it had an issue playing hi-res files (A USB module was fitted which used to work great- failed after 2 years ) the CD transport worked flawlessly.

I sent it in to Audio Research Corporation, and they fixed the hi-res board.
Service said that the laser would have to be replaced on the CD player.

I told them that it was fine when I sent it. Nonetheless they replaced the laser and charged me for it- $125.

When I got the unit back it wad dead on arrival- unable to find any track on ANY CD. So I sent back to Audio Research and was without it for several weeks.

When they got the unit they told me the laser they replaced was fine, but there was a loose wire and that was the problem. You don't have to be a rocket scientist to realize that there was ABSOLUTELY NOTHNG WRONG with the ORIGINAL LASER. They replaced the original laser for no reason but didn't solve the true issue which was an intermittent loose wire.

They then fixed the loose wire, and sent the unit back to me. I asked about being refunded for the laser since it was replaced unnecessarily- they completely ignored that request.

When I got unit back it did play (and took a long time to find the TOC) but it didn't play every CD, it had a hard time finding tracks on certain CDs, some of my CDs will not play at all. Since then I went to the 2014 consumer electronic show - CES Vegas , I am a system room tuner for the audio shows–I was given a CD with some well recorded music on it–that same CD was played on countless other CD players at the show without issues. It doesn't have a single scratches or defects.

When I got home I played that CD on my Wadia 860x and it played fine, but it still had trouble playing some of my other CDs. So I ended up sending the CD player back to Audio Research for the third time.

Audio research said there was nothing wrong with the Wadia 860x CD player and charged me $240, and returned the CD player to me.

NOW ...get this... NOW it won't direct access tracks 9,10,11,12,13,14 from that CD from CES 2014! The CD that used to play flawlessly .

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_M5aqaPYJBQ

So at this point, I think Audio Research has service issues. Which is a total shame, because the main reason people pay top dollar is for the long term serviceability of their products... it was a part of pride by the original owners.

I am pretty dismayed at this point that I paid $125 for a laser that doesn't work and another $240 when they said it has no fault. No one wants to feel cheated...but that is the feeling I have at this moment. I don't see how I could not feel this way.

Hello. I have a Wadia 861se which was a little quirky when it came to track selection[way back when],but it did not do what yours does... [I watched your u-tube video].

When I had GNSC upgrade my 861se, Steve cleaned the transport rails and that fixed the slight problem with the track selection issues,however small they were. Steve mentioned that just a little gumming up on the rails could effect performance. Maybe it could just use a good rail cleaning...

Hope this helps some.