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ARC Support

FWIW, I'll relate my recent experience with Audio Research Corp. I've been a customer of AR for some years, on and off, including the purchase of reference gear over the years. I recently have had to place most of my system up for sale due to personal reasons, and this included a pair of Reference 300 MKII amps purchased new in Dec 2000. I accepted an offer from a gentleman in France at a fair agreed upon price. He asked that I ship them to AR to have them swapped out to 220 for use in Europe, and have them shipped on to him. The cost of the service was not an issue. Anyway, without going into the agonizingly frustrating details, heres what happened in a nutshell: AR told me basically they wouldn't do it because it would mean the possibility of losing a NEW sale for them and their European distributor. They were/are seemingly more concerned with selling a new product, in Europe, than supporting a long time customer who purchased this product at a local US dealer at 10% off list price of 30K. I explained the guy wasn't going to buy new anyway, it was beyond his price point. Didn't seem to matter. My point isn't to engender debate between AR supporters and detractors. This is merely my experience, take it for what it's worth. I personally am incredulous, find this to be in poor form, and certainly am not inclined to patronize AR in the future.
mes
nanderson
291 posts
 
ARC Service in my many years of experience has been truly exceptional ! They have gone the extra mile for me. Parts are supported to the last screw. In contrast: When I called Classe about a possible replacement faceplate on a power amp, I use in a second system, they responded that they no longer stock the faceplates. Age of the Classe? <4 years! An unrelated but still important issue: ARC still has living wages for their employees and just don't design a piece and send it to China, or some other low labor/environmental standard country, to have it built in sweat shops. My experience with Leonard has always been like a diamond in the rough. Fantastic! The company is not very big and must provide protection for itself or become just another to become owned by another mass market Japanese company like Madrigal and McIntosh.
jtinn
1,124 posts
 
Rosemke: Sorry to say you are one out of ten. I do not feel the mods, parts and service to be reasonable. When you deal with other companies, such as BAT or Aesthetix, the turnaround time on repairs or changes is lightning quick. With ARC, it may be months before a reapir is done and sent back. Those companies do not nickle and dime you... ARC does. ARC also appears to not care about anything but how to squeeze people for more money. Like clockwork, they release expensive "upgrades" just to milk the current customers until they get fed up and move to something else.

I am happy to hear that ARC finally has a happy customer - it is a miracle! I feel the company and the people who work there to be an absolute joke and an embarrassment to the rest of the industry.
brauser
525 posts
 
No disrespect for what sounds like a very real problem, but I personally have used ARC products for years with incredible results. I've talked to Leonard several times and was treated very well. Actually, in my view, perhaps we should be proud of a US company that has in many ways managed to lead this 'finicky industry' for over 30 years!
dweller's avatar
dweller
3,785 posts
 
I've delt with Mr. Leonard several times over the past decade and have always received EXCELLENT advice and service! He is a true gentelman. The company as a whole is rather tight assed and (except for their ravishing sounding equipment) backward. Isn't it great that there are so many alternatives here in the "Golden Age" of audio?
I've been in this sport over 30 years and am just awe struck
at the current level of (admittedly overpriced) achievement.
If you don't like 'em, go next door to the other guy -It's the only language they understand...
blues_man
133 posts
 
This isn't that uncommon. Some manufacturers are very protective of their dealers. This is a good thing if you're a dealer obviously. I'm sure that there are service centers that can do this. There's one in Brooklyn, and another in San Fran that I know about.
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