Advice on expensive fix for DB1
 

Hi All

Well after 4 frustrating months of waiting to get my B&W DB1 subwoofer looked at I was told today by the dealer I bought it from that it needed a new electronic board at a cost of $2,900 (Aus). I almost fell off my chair!! I will be talking with the B&W distributor tomorrow to get more clarity as the dealer didn't seem to know much but I suspect the cost to fix won't be changing!

The time delay in getting this looked at is a separate issue but I'd love to hear people's thoughts on where to from here.

The first option is to pay the exorbitant fix amount with a 2 year warranty and keep rolling with what I have, which I have really enjoyed, but I am concerned at the level of cost to fix for something that is just over 5yrs old.

The second option is ditch the fix and go with a new B&W subwoofer. I do have B&W speakers so it's keeping within the family however I'm a little disappointed in B&W and the service support I've received - to take 4 months to work out the problem, despite the Xmas period, is ridiculous and the dealer and service techs are at fault here.

The third option is to change paths and go with something completely different - the JL F113 seems to be popular and pairs well with B&W so could be an option, albeit top $.

I'd love to hear what people think as this is my first serious issue with my system in terms of a costly fix and I'm sure others have learnt from these experiences...

Thanks in advance!!

F113 works a charm with my Revels. Why would you want to buy another B&W? List to list price for the JLA and B&W are the same here, $4500 US. I regard the JLA to be the superior device, but that could be confirmation bias. In any case if faced with a similar choice, I'd probably buy a new sub, especially if the used value of your DB1 doesn't noticeably exceed the cost of repair..

What does the JLA go for in Oz?

Can you buy the board and install yourself?

Unfortunately beyond my skill set!

I was just thinking that if it is 'only' a board, perhaps it is plug and play... Probably wishful thinking considering the cost of the repair.

Curious how much of the cost is labor?

The 113v2 appears to be about $1,000 more than the DB1 - the new B&W series hasn't arrived here yet so not sure on their retail pricing.

My only reason for staying with B&W is because all my speakers as the same brand.

First world problems hey!

Good question I will add that to the list..

Guys - anybody have some advice on my scenario? Would really like to hear what people think...

I would take this as a message and assume that if that board in a subwoofer only lasted a few years, there are other low quality short-life surprises in that DB1 and cut my losses. Get a REL or JLA,..plenty of long life use cases with these 2 brands as they are both engineered for the longer term obviously. I also think the price you are being quoted is inflated either by B&W, the dealer/tech or both.

Thanks SC - I concur with your thoughts around the 'markup' on the fix. It is hard to see why it would cost as much as quoted but will be asking what is labour v parts.

I too am leaning toward the 'it's a sign to change' so we'll see what unfolds from here...