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My #@%$ Cat Destroyed My ARC REF 5SE. Soliciting Suggestions.

(Public service announcement-keep your pets away from your audio equipment)

I love my cat. But not as much as I once did :-)
The short story is cat pee corroded the main board to my ARC REF 5SE. 

Homeowners insurance doesn't cover repair or replacement because owning a pet means you assume liability/responsibility. Ironically, or strangely enough, If my neighbor's cat or dog did this, I could collect.

My options-
Repair it. Fixing it will cost 7K. The main board alone is 6K.
Buy a pre-owned replacement at close to similar price. And if I go pre-owned, what's the market on a REF 5SE with a destroyed main board.
Go in a different direction.

What would you do?

TIA,
David
128x128wharfy
micatel
7 posts
 
Sorry for your trouble, but....  This may be the best thread I’ve ever read on Audiogon :))))))

If you had Farmers Insurance, they may have covered it and put your cat on TV.  
Hope you get it sorted soon.  Good luck friend.   
timlub
2,039 posts
 
Circuit boards can be repaired,  parts on the board can be replaced,  If it were mine,  I'd give it a try.  I realize everyone can't do this .  A few years ago I decided to dive in and truly learn about power amps, I've been purchasing old amps, rebuilding and repairing them.  I purchased a used Oscilloscope and haven't looked back. I think its worth the try. 
You need to find which circuit was shorted out by urine,  do a serious cleaning job there and start with verifying which parts are bad and if a circuit trace is damaged.  Good Luck,  Tim
bassdude
496 posts
 
Judging by the number of "cat lovers" here... I'd make "lemonade from lemons."

First open the cat's "go fund me account" - "SAVE THE KITTY."

Post the cat's YouTube video of the cat in a cage with a subtitle that the cat has one week to live, before its executed, unless other "cat lovers" "bail" it out of "death row," referring the viewers to the cat's "go fund me account" - "SAVE THE KITTY."  

You'll have the funds for a really nice replacement of your Ref 5SE in a few days!

Hell... I'll sell you mine for $10,000 (just like new)! 

"SAVE THE KITTY!"
dht4me's avatar
dht4me
82 posts
 
Maybe replace the ARC with a CAT. I bet the unit is worth at least $500.
rodman99999
6,156 posts
 
"Homeowners insurance doesn't cover repair or replacement because owning a pet means you assume liability/responsibility."      Makes sense!     After all,  whose fault is it, that you have a, "#@%$ cat" (your own description) in your house?          
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