Sequential damage

[Jimbob54]

OK, sounding out sane advice on this.

A headphone amp still very much in warranty has a terminal breakdown that takes out a pair of (expensive) headphones. This wasn't user error.

Is it reasonable to ask the amp seller and /or manufacturer to not only replace the amp or refund (given the event, I'm minded not to want another) but also to cover the cost of repair /replacement to the headphones?

I'm in the UK. Seller and manufacturer are overseas.

I've contacted relevant parties but of course they are off for a few days and I will point no fingers publicly, but I'd appreciate any sane advice on how far to push this. Cheers.

 

[sergeauckland]

My understanding is that all warranties specifically exclude 'consequential damage'. You're perfectly entitled to get the faulty item repaired or replaced, or possibly refunded, but you have no specific rights to getting your headphones repaired or replaced.

S

 

[Dialectic]

Can you by any chance share the language of the warranty, if any was provided by the manufacturer?

 

[Blumlein 88]

I don't think you have any rights to replace the phones. But I'd ask anyway. They might come thru, or might give some partial compensation or some such. Certainly one has the option of informing the world, XYZ headphone amp has a fault mode which might kill your phones. It happened to me. So be careful if your phones are expensive. I'm sure they don't want that publicity. So they do have some skin in the game beyond just the legal warranty.

 

[Jimbob54]

Can you by any chance share the language of the warranty, if any was provided by the manufacturer?

Not even looked for it tbh as just contacted seller.

 

[Jimbob54]

I don't think you have any rights to replace the phones. But I'd ask anyway. They might come thru, or might give some partial compensation or some such. Certainly one has the option of informing the world, XYZ headphone amp has a fault mode which might kill your phones. It happened to me. So be careful if your phones are expensive. I'm sure they don't want that publicity. So they do have some skin in the game beyond just the legal warranty.

Was kind of my thinking too. Thanks to all who replied. Confirmed my thoughts. A nasty lesson and one which has knocked my confidence in these bits of kit we take for granted!

I can only imagine how someone feels when an amp takes out a pair of really good speakers. I could be out £00s, for some could be £000s

 

[MrPeabody]

The laws pertaining to warranties are probably different for the UK vs. the US. In the US you might have a chance with this if the manufacturer hadn't given a warranty for the product. You could argue in court that the faulty product damaged your other property, and if the jury found you believable, there's no reason why they wouldn't find in your favor, unless maybe the manufacturer could convince them that you had deliberately misused the product. Unfortunately, most any warranty will stipulate that the only rights you have are the rights spelled out in the warranty. Sometimes this is worded in a way that escapes the notice of the typical consumer, but it is generally in there. The judge will most likely instruct the jury that you have no legal right to recover damage to your other property, because the warranty excludes this right either explicitly or implicitly.

 

[Jimbob54]

Really sorry to hear this, Jim. Second instance I am reading about today, and I felt bad for the other person too.

Could you link me to that post please (the other)

 

[Zensō]

Sorry to hear about the blown amp and the collateral headphone damage. I’d ask for compensation for the damage to the headphones, but I’d also be ready for a “no” answer. I‘d be surprised if there’s any legal liability there, but it would certainly be a good customer service move to cover your losses. I’m very curious to hear how this turns out, and what companies were involved if you don’t mind sharing once it’s resolved.

 

[Jimbob54]

Jim, the HPs are out of warranty, is it? Else, you can get them covered separately.

Yeah, pretty sure outside warranty but I've emailed that company too. Thanks for the link. Informative!

 

[Jimbob54]

Sorry to hear about the blown amp and the collateral headphone damage. I’d ask for compensation for the damage to the headphones, but I’d also be ready for a “no” answer. I‘d be surprised if there’s any legal liability there, but it would certainly be a good customer service move to cover your losses. I’m very curious to hear how this turns out, and what companies were involved if you don’t mind sharing once it’s resolved.

Cheers. The worrying thing was, the amp didn't die. Terminal failure should be just that. But it stayed live.

 

[dmac6419]

sure. One instance is from Reddit, quoted in the L30 thread. John has given an explanation of possible reasons.

https://www.reddit.com/r/headphones/comments/knnurb
https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...-headphone-amplifier-review.15226/post-621647


Then, one more member shared his experience:
https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...-headphone-amplifier-review.15226/post-621853


Unfortunately, yours is the 3rd instance im reading today. Yours is the worst (regardless of which amp) since your HPs were affected too.

1 Adam 12, there's a warrant out for one John Yang,1 Adam 12 ,10-4

 

[Harmonie]

@Jimbob54
How about your house insurance if you have a kind of electrical damage option ?
I was lucky a few years ago with one of my amps.
All I needed is that electrical damage was mentioned in the pro-forma of the repair note.

 

[Jimbob54]

@Jimbob54
How about your house insurance if you have a kind of electrical damage option ?
I was lucky a few years ago with one of my amps.
All I needed is that electrical damage was mentioned in the pro-forma of the repair note.

Worth an ask , thanks!

 

[Foxenfurter]

My understanding of UK law, would be that if you could prove the amplifier was defectively made you maybe able to claim against the manufacturer for consequential loss, whether or not this is included in the warranty.
This can obviously be difficult to prove, and if you bought from outside the e.u. then your options are limited.

best course of action is probably house insurance followed by a nice mail to Topping asking why the amplifier that delights you so much would do this, given that it is quite new is there any chance that they could replace the amp.

best of luck.

 

[Inner Space]

Is it reasonable to ask the amp seller and /or manufacturer to not only replace the amp or refund (given the event, I'm minded not to want another) but also to cover the cost of repair /replacement to the headphones?

I'm in the UK. Seller and manufacturer are overseas.

The first part, yes, totally reasonable. But the second part is your problem. With no physical UK presence you have limited (or zero) leverage against the manufacturer or seller.

If there were a UK presence, there's a back-door remedy - the small claims court procedure. It costs a small fee, and the defendant, being a large operation, rarely responds in time, and 90% of the time you win by default. Worth considering for folks not in Jimbob's situation.

 

[Jimbob54]

My understanding of UK law, would be that if you could prove the amplifier was defectively made you maybe able to claim against the manufacturer for consequential loss, whether or not this is included in the warranty.
This can obviously be difficult to prove, and if you bought from outside the e.u. then your options are limited.

best course of action is probably house insurance followed by a nice mail to Topping asking why the amplifier that delights you so much would do this, given that it is quite new is there any chance that they could replace the amp.

best of luck.

Cheers. I never said it was a Topping amp though. Others posted that topping users had experienced similar issues to me.

 

[Beershaun]

So sorry for your loss! I hope the company provides good customer service and compensates you for the collateral damage their product did to your headphones. Hopefully they will want to investigate what caused the problem so they can put the right safeguards in place to prevent this from happening again.

 

[Fahzz]

Not to go all legal on you but here's the origin of this:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hadley_v_Baxendale

 

[solderdude]

All I know is that Schiit has publicly stated that if one of their amps destroys a headphone they would help the owner.
probably because of their first disaster amp they made.
Most other manufacturers are not likely to do this.
When the amp clearly shows DC on its output or some high power oscillation and you send both the headphone and amp in so they can evaluate it manufacturers may be lenient. For them helping a customer out would be peanuts (financially) and would be great advertising and help them improve their products.
Going through the sellers channel may be a dead end.

Sorry to hear this. When the manufacturer doesn't respond or leave you in the cold... hang them publicly (or threaten to do so ?)