VinylValet
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- Apr 1, 2024
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Shanling: Terrible Reliability, Don't Stock Spare Parts and Won't Honor Warranty
In addition they don't support their Chinese dealers like Shenzhen Audio with spare parts or even technical support.This is based on my direct experience with a Shanling SACD1.3 purchased from Shenzhen Audio. It stopped reading discs (after about one minute, No disc error with any CD or SACD) after a month of moderate use.
I've been going back and forth with Shanling and Shenzhen Audio for over a month. What a cluster#%*@! Looks like I'm now the proud owner of a $1300 door stop. Perhaps, with the remaining parts that work, I can be the only entity in the world with spare parts! Contact me first when (not if) your SACD1.3 fails.
The problem is the smaller circuit board attached to the bottom of the transport mechanism. Really low quality wave soldering resulted in several pins of the large 1389 IC to lose contact after a month of use.
BTW, unless it's simple solder touch up of a bad circuit board, Shanling charges to do their warranty repairs (??!!) and also charges a steep return shipping fee.
Shenzhen Audio will honor the warranty only if you return the entire player. I guess since Shanling can't and won't supply spare boards, Shenzhen will attempt to fix the board. What if they can't? Then either company will charge return shipping. The total is close to the retail cost of the SACD1.3. Regardless of whether you send a bad circuit board and pay Shanling for "warranty" repair or the entire unit back to Shenzhen Audio, the whole process will take three to four months.
Live and learn. Never buying another Shanling product and will think long and hard before buying any audio gear directly from China. They don't have to stock spare parts like US companies. Customer service is something that the Chinese business model has yet to discover. Manufacturers don't talk to or support their dealers.