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Pioneer Spec 1 and Spec 4 not worth repairing?

HairySatchel

HairySatchel

Active Member
I just picked up a this pair for a fair amount. The Spec 4 will not come out of protection mode and the Spec 1 does not fire up at all. The checked the obvious things like fuses and burnt components and I saw nothing obvious wrong. Called a service tech in Raleigh and he told that they are not worth repairing because they are "just consumer grade components that don't sound that great and are good for nostalgic purposes only". He also stated it was full of obsolete parts they were impossible to find. He quoted me $250 each to get them running but his attitude was so bad I think I should find another tech who can appreciate my poor Pioneer Spec system. Has anyone else ever come across a snooty technician like this?

Pioneer Spec 1 & 4

Pioneer Spec 1 & 4

 
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Yep, run away from that tech, wow. Those pieces are very much worth repairing as I'm sure you already know. Also, there is nothing in either of them save for some diodes that can't be replaced with a modern equivalent, and those diodes rarely go bad. There is plenty of techs on this forum that can help walk you through some basic troubleshooting if you want to repair them yourself, and can also recommend a tech near you.
 
I've been called snooty for not wanting to work on B&O turntables. Does that count? Run to another technician. Many of the techs here on AK have most of the "Obsolete" parts for the Spec stuff in stock and know where to buy them 1000 at a time if need arises : )
 
Am I barking up the wrong tree that he really may have wanted you to just gift them to him ?? as that's the main reasoning for belittling them like that in front of you.

Then he would've repaired them within a day and had them up on ePrey for a killing.
 
I like to think I am fairly picky about sound, (like a lot of us) and the Spec 1/4 combo is fantastic. I ran them with Altec 14's and was really happy - ADS 710 were great, Polk SDA's . Take a look at what broken units sell for on eBay ... lots of love for the Spec gear. I have heard they can be tough to troubleshoot and some of the parts are hard/impossible to find. Never the less there are lots of posts on AK where folks have dug in and saved non-functioning units. I have both the Spec 4 and Spec 2 amps matched with the Spec 1 pre and I couldn't be happier. I almost sold the whole system a few years ago but I pulled back. The way vintage gear keeps going up I can't help but think you might be sitting on a gold mine. I know as far as vintage sound goes; they can run with the best. Seek out another technician - anyone who quotes before they do a proper analysis is not worth dealing with IMHO.
 
I do not like the tech's attitude either, but he is correct in some regards, parts like switches/pots are near impossible to get, if they are damaged beyond repair, but then again if they are fine with a cleaning, the units can be made to work. For many parts we have modern day substitutes for them. So it really depends on what is wrong.
You should state where you are located.
 
I just finished a pair for a guy this week. One of the best, high power, two channel system around The basis for a great system. The Spec 2 amp is fantastic as well.
They are completely rebuild-able and will bring instant value.
 
Interesting title and post question. You say they are not worth repairing but ask if we have run into a snooty tech.

Well the tech is right if he doesn't want to work on the gear as far as sound quality, consumer grade and nostalgia. But that nostalgia brings big bucks for the Pio/Mar/Sui brands with the nostalgia tax. Many like the combo. Maybe as stated he was angling for a pair.

The amount of work needed to bring these units back to like new is something many techs might not want to do. This leads to high price estimates and bad mouthing the gear.

What kind of gear did this tech work on, normally? If you want it gone over, made working or made like new, there are folks all over that can and will do that work.
 
That guy needs to fix his “out of touch and stupid” BEFORE he fixes another piece (of ANY kind of equipment!!).
 
I was thinking about this and wondering, "If he doesn't fix this Spec and other like equipment. What does he fix?". LED TV's? A ten year old can do that with minimal training.
I friend of mine runs a Audio repair business and in the past I would get equipment left from costumers who abandoned the sets. They didn't want to pay the repair bill. New equipment was better and cheaper.
Even for Bobby, the proper repair would bite into his time that was better spent on the easy, less time consuming, high margin fix.
 
Bobby has overhead, so it changes the whole playing field as far as time spent vs income.
Fixing this old stuff is not necessarily economical unless you do it yourself. It is actually amazing the value some of the stuff retains. But if it ever needs service and you are not able to do it then
zebulon1 said:
They didn't want to pay the repair bill.
Click to expand...
 
Whether or not he can turn a profit fixing them and whether or not the equipment deserves to be fixed are two separate questions that as a professional (in the sense that he's paid for a service) he probably had difficult answering separately.

Also, whether or not it's worth a tech's time and whether or not it's worth a hobbyist's time are questions that often have different answers.
 
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