ARC: Out of receivership

[Charles]

Originally Posted by Antonmb

Unfortunately the car analogy doesn't work. A new vehicle with up to 3,000 miles is still considered a demo car as long as it hasn't been sold or registered. Demo cars may be given to sales staff to drive home, or may be given to customers to test drive around the block or home for the night. I've taken more than one demo car home (25 miles from the dealer) because I wanted to see how it handled on my rural road. In one case I bought the vehicle at a small discount. As long as the vehicle has not been registered and has less than a couple thousand miles, it can still be sold as a new vehicle with full warranty, although the dealer will likely negotiate a discount unless it's a hot model in high demand.

Every major audio equipment purchase I've made in the last several years has been on the basis of a home demo. In all of those cases the dealer has delivered and set them up to ensure they were handled and installed properly. In most, but not all, cases it was with the understanding that I'd pay a restocking fee if I didn't keep the gear. That restocking fee was intended to offset the discount the dealer would have to offer when he sold it to someone else as a demo model or floor model - not used. My dealer knows me and knows that, if I request a demo, I've done my research, I'm serious about the gear, and there's a good chance I'll end up keeping it, but there's still a risk it won't work in my system. In any case, I'd have no problem buying a demo from my dealer at a modest discount (certainly not 40%) because I know that any home demo was supervised by them and will be like new. I would not, nor should I, think of that as used. Many high-end dealers will operate that way, and it's perfectly legit, just like the auto industry.

Tony, I have great respect for you. I think that the car demo does work but is not exact. No analogy does. You made my point about why I would never buy a demo, whether it be car or hifi gear. But I think if I had to choose I'd buy a low mileage car demo over gear that had been in a home for a month.

You and I simply have a basic disagreement about the above. There are all kinds of things that can happen to gear while in a home, anybody's home, that may or may not be reported to the dealer. It is a fact that the more expensive the gear the more likely it is to malfunction. If I buy a piece of expensive gear and it has problems after the sale, I want to know that it is not the result of mishandling or abuse. Of course the dealer should take care of it, if he wants your future business, but if I bought the gear under the circumstances you described above, there would always be that concern in my mind. If the gear is a lemon, I want to know it and not the result of abuse. For example, if I'm a dealer selling Mac, my C12000/MCD12000 combo won't leave my store under any circumstances. I'll sell it to someone else, not you. You must get in line to purchase one and if you want one, I'll order you one after you pay for it. That's the way my dealer works and frankly all the dealers I have worked with over the years. All the Wilson speakers (Maxx3, Alexx, XVX) I have purchased were paid for long before they arrived in my home. Ditto for my Mac gear. I recently purchased a bevy of Wilson Pedestals to place under my 3500's. They have been paid for. They are coming tomorrow to install them. Recently my dealer sold an Alexx V and a C-12000/MCD12000. It would be unthinkable for the buyer to request an in home one month demo before paying for gear like this. Mac demands that the gear is paid for before they will fill the order. So does Wilson. My hope when I make a purchase is that the gear arrives in perfect condition direct from the factory with no obvious damage, when it arrives at my home unopened direct from the factory.

Best

Charles

p.s. And that the gear will perform perfectly until it trade it in.

[cleeds]

Trying to get this thread back on track: does anyone have any information on service turnaround times at ARC? It had been around six months for non-warranty service, but I'm hoping that things are headed in the right direction after the company's sale. Cleaning up the backlog would be a definitive sign that ARC is on the road to normalcy again.

[cleeds]

Hey folks, could you please take your discussion about demo products to another thread? This thread is: " ARC: Out of receivership."

[Antonmb]

Originally Posted by cleeds

Hey folks, could you please take your discussion about demo products to another thread? This thread is: " ARC: Out of receivership."

Yes, my apologies. Off-topic posts deleted.

[audiogear]

Front page of ARC website. If they can deliver the REF 320Ms this year, that would be a great sign under new ownership!

[Formerly YB-2]

Great looking gear, though I'm not a fan of their tube choices these days (6N30, KT90/120/150, etc.). Very little tube choice with new ARC gear. I wish them the best of luck.

[cleeds]

Originally Posted by audiogear

... If they can deliver the REF 320Ms this year, that would be a great sign under new ownership! ...

Agreed - new product would be a good indicator. How about a new Ref DAC?

[audiogear]

The last ARC DAC 9 was released sometime in 2016, a new release would be definitely exciting! Fingers crossed for great things to come from the new ARC.

[djcxxx]

I believe that 320M information has been there since 5/22, it’s not new.

[jpgr4blu]

When I had my Ref 160 monos upgraded to 160Ms shortly after ARC came out of receivership, it took about 2 weeks for the upgrade from the date of my delivery.