Possible Blown Fuse on Bose Acoustimass Subwoofer, Suggestions on Where/Whether to Get It Fixed? (Melbourne)

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  p1 ama on 04/01/2018 - 00:11

  -4

  Admittedly, I'm not a very handy guy and don't really have the time to get my sound system fixed myself.

  You should know a few basic electronics and handyman skills. Not hard to learn how to read a circuit diagram and find the fuse, look for one of the same type and replace it. You save a lot of money by learning how to do things yourself.

  Found a few online but all seem to not be very trustworthy, and getting it fixed by Bose would probably lead me up to a hefty bill.

  That's the price for not knowing how to do things yourself.

  If anyone has experiences with getting hifi fixed and whether I should just get myself a new one, would be happy to hear any suggestions.

  I don't think there's an easy way out, what's your time worth to you? If you really can't be bothered replacing a fuse (which will take a few minutes), then get a new one. Only you can answer this question.

  • 

    eviledward on 04/01/2018 - 00:32

    +1

    Fair remarks, will give it a shot since it's not working anyways. Might be good learning a thing or too.

    • 

      p1 ama on 04/01/2018 - 01:53

      If you decide to have a go and it's a common problem, it's likely people will have found the solution and posted it on forums and the like.

      If it really is just a blown fuse, just look for one on the circuit board. If the fuse is blown, the wire in the middle of the fuse will be burned off (sort of like a blown incandescent globe). Just buy one of the same gague (number on the fuse) and you'll be good. Jaycar will have them, but eBay is probably cheaper.

      HiFi equipment can be a bit iffy with these things. I've had a few amplifiers just die after a blackout that were revived with a new fuse or hard reset.

  • 

    mskeggs on 04/01/2018 - 11:10

    I’m a huge fan of diy repair, but increasingly devices are all surface mount components not designed for user repair. It sadly isn’t as easy as it used to be.

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  Presence on 04/01/2018 - 06:53

  Have you actually called Bose? It can't be that expensive

  • 

    eviledward on 04/01/2018 - 09:39

    Didn't call Bose but their authorized repair people.

    Got quoted $369 to repair it after telling them it won't turn on.

    • 

      Presence on 04/01/2018 - 18:44

      Hmm that is theft for replacing a fuse! Are there any obvious screws on it? Open it up and post some photos. A fuse will be obvious.

      • 

        eviledward on 07/01/2018 - 13:27

        Yup there are a few, I'll attempt to do it and get back with a photo.

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  vinni9284 on 04/01/2018 - 08:55

  It is usually rare that Subwoofers blow fuses (it is not impossible) however I have had a quick glance on the Manual.
  There is no fuse panel that is visible from what I can see.
  Usually on Active Subwoofers (which I believe that yours is), there is a separate fuse panel that you can access & quickly remove fuse and replace.
  This is the down side of proprietary & specialist systems; sealed and only most likely serviceable for RTB Bose.

  IMHO I would say that the Subwoofer Amplifier Module has blown ( Very common with powered Subwoofers) and needs to be replaced.

  Is it worth replacing if that is the case? No. Don't waste your money and buy another.
  Even to get someone to look at it, they charge you at least $100 diagnostic fee.

  Edit: I would recommend to call Bose and speak to a Technician. Usually they use an external contracted external company similarly like Powermove (For Klipsch, Pioneer … etc). He might be aware of the issue and give you an off-the-bat quote for repair. It's worth a shot.

  Here is one repair outlet. Depending on where you are located in Melb
  http://classaaudio.com.au/index.php?

  Usually, you can also enquire for repair at Specialist Hifi places such as Klapp, Clef Hifi, Stereophonic, Audiotrends … etc.

  Cheers

  • 

    eviledward on 04/01/2018 - 09:42

    Hi Vinni,

    Thanks for your reply, rang up their authorized repair people and got quoted $369.

    Yeah I was thinking it could be that the whole subwoofer just conked out completely.

    At $369 I would rather just use that towards a new soundbar.

    It's a relatively old system, made good use of it.

    Do you have any recommendations though for those type of active subwoofer systems that may be easier to repair myself in the future?

    Thank you

    Edit: On hindsight, the fact that the guy could quote me a figure over the phone for that type of problem seems worrying to me. My guess is that this has happened to countless of their customers.

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  mskeggs on 04/01/2018 - 10:46

  Call a tv repair person.
  If you can take it to them, they will repair it for under $50.

  • 

    eviledward on 04/01/2018 - 10:55

    Thanks, will give that a shot.

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  ozf1 on 16/07/2018 - 18:40

  Hi OP, end up fixing your Subby?

  Same/similar position with my Klipsch KS12, how did you go. In Melbourne also.

  Last time I had a speaker repaired, I took it to a DJ equipment hire place (I used to dabble for family and friends…. ), got a tweeter replaced on a Jamo front speaker for about $150.00.

  • 

    eviledward on 31/07/2018 - 21:59

    Hey mate,

    Didn't end up fixing it and bought a new system all together for about $180, not the same quality as the Bose but it's the Yamaha soundbar that was on deal recently so why not? Haha.

    What about you? Did you get it fixed? I might try bringing it into a DJ store actually. Any recommendations on which one?