Nakamichi deck service


Need your advice on where to better service my 682ZX deck.There is nothing wrong with it, but I am afraid that with Nakamichi being out of business it is soon going to be difficult to get original parts.I am thinking about two places:ESLabs(highest reputation,specialize in Nak only and want only $200.00 authorization up front)and Sound Smith(I would not have to deal with the shipping,possibly cheaper,but they service many brands and want $650.00 authorization).So, what is your opinion? Did anyone compare them? I heard that Sound Smith do Tandbergs quite well, but that does not necessarily mean Naks as well.I value this deck a lot.Thank you in advance.
inna
Inna, I have used ES Labs service in the past and found Jeffrey a great person to deal with and I am quite confident that you would be happy with the service and any support after service. That said, service may not be cheap but IMO you are getting top service. If you ask, Jeffrey will do as little or as much service as you would like to spend.

A cheaper alternative is Stephen Sank. I have mentioned him before and some people are not as pleased with all his service (non-Nak) but I know of many very happy Nak owners pleased with his service. http://stephensank.com bk11@thuntek.net
excellent results. He is in New Mexico. His prices are quite reasonable although he can take a bit longer to complete the repairs. Johnny
I reiterrate Johnny's experience. Steven is a good guy who knows Naks well and does good work. I'm very satisfied with what he did for me.
Just to clarify things, Stephen Sank is NOT an authorized Nakamichi repair / service facility. If you doubt this or want to find a REAL authorized Nak repair facility, contact Nakamichi directly and see who they recommend in your area. The fact that he makes such a claim and then posts it up for all to see on his website might give you some ideas as to the credibility of who you might end up dealing with.

As taken from Sank's website: "McIntosh, Nakamichi, Krell & Denon Authorised Servicer."


If you notice the spelling on Sank's website, and i don't know if this was done on purpose or for legal reasons, it says that he is "authoriSed" ( improper spelling )"servicer". Have you ever heard of someone being an "authorised servicer" or is it normally an "authorized repair facility" ? A simple phone call to Krell might offer further insight as i can find no mention of him or his business on the Krell website.

I only bring this up as a good friend spent thousands of dollars with Mr Sank and has a couple of disasters to show for it. Endless amounts of broken promises, delivery dates being pushed back for MONTHS, unauthorized work performed, components being returned in WORSE condition than when shipped in, etc... are but a small portion of the tale. All of this taking place after said customer paid for services UP FRONT. Sean
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Thank you.Looks like noone knows Sound Smith.A related question.Do you have any ideas of the cost? Say,I want to have belts and rubber parts replaced,new playback head and full cleaning and alignment.Perhaps have capacitors replaced too.
I've trusted Nak deck repair to Doug Siegel at Audio Specialties in Portland, OR for years. Very competent and creative over the years. 503 257 3206
The only thing that i know about The Sound Smith is that their prices were ridiculous for some parts that i was looking for. Have no idea about the quality of labor. Sean
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Sound Smith is the Tandberg expert. He did a great restoring my Tandberg 3001a, but at a steep price. Steve Sank is your man for Nakamichi period. bk11@thuntek.net is Steve's email. He is also a nice guy drop him a line!
If you want the job done right, send it to ES Labs in New Britain, CT. Jeff Galin and his crew have serviced my 1000ZXL and Dragon, all of which still perform flawlessly. He's the only one I'll let service my ZX-9, when the time comes. He'll tell you just what it needs and do only what you request. I've seen their facility and they are stocked with most parts on hand. They're not the fastest, but the best. They also came recomended to me from Nakamichi. (860)529-3700