Issues with Cambridge audio Minx Xi

[deepak.nair]

Hi everyone, i have been using a Minx Xi for about 4 years now. Got it from Hi-Fi Mart. It worked properly for 3 years . The rest of the time its been giving me nothing but trouble. Right from day 1 , it had software related issues. When accessing certain function in the menu , it would freeze and after sometime it would go for a reboot. I sent it for service the first week itself.They said nothing is wrong and sent it back (back then it was fx-entertainment) , but the problem remained the same. i emailed CA and after many software updates the menu freeze problem got rectified. It ran for 2 years without any issue. Then started a new problem. During playback , the sound would start distorting / breaking up sometimes even the pitch of the song changes. I thought it could be some cable issues. Checked speaker cables , Changed the power cables. Switched the player to my office...tried everything with no remedy. So i sent the player to Delhi ( Audiophile India) the current service provider. They evaluated the machine for 4 days and sent it back to me saying , it was running fine . I was surprised to find that the problem with player remained the same even worsened . I have recorded many audio clips. I contacted Audiophile India again, only this time they said, CA has discontinued the product and the only remedy would be to replace the board ( 25k INR) which is subject to availability and said they will call me back ,which has not happened as of today. The reason for this post is to know anybody in this forum had similar experience with Minx Xi or Cambridge audio in general. Is CA an unreliable brand ? . Any experience with Audiophile India ? I just cant accept the reality that a machine worth 50K getting bricked in 3 years of usage. I would like to post the audio clips by don't know how to .

 

[efernand1]

Hi

Sad to hear your experience......

Have you written to Cambridge Audio (UK)? You can email them with all attachments and trail emails....its a huge Hail Mary that they would take any action or provide some replacement to keep confidence in their brand.....no harm trying......keep Audiophile India in the loop of emails.....

Not come across such nature of complaints for CA products....have you checked over google if there is any known issue reported by users? If yes then you have some case to get a possible replacement from CA UK..provided that is what they did for global users....case to case basis

 

[deepak.nair]

I emailed them the first time.They asked me to send to Audiophile. After that no, i did not contact CA. But what i felt odd about Audiophile India is when they said everything is ok, its function well. For me, i could not listen a single song without the sound breakage. I was thinking of sending the machine over to someone , who could confirm what i hear. Yes, i need to email CA again. Again one symptom i forgot to mention earlier is, sometime a song will keep on playing for ever with no sound through the speaker, but the time on the display would be running for ever until i press stop.

 

[efernand1]

Nothing lost yet! Email them with all details and clearly mention the issue again with attachments and pics and whatever supporting you have for the same.

This is what i could find!

https://forum.streamwhatyouhear.com...-to-cambridge-audio-minx-xi-from-ver-1-4/1274

https://community.spotify.com/t5/Ne...Minx-xi-stopping-after-few-songs/td-p/4473765

https://forums.whirlpool.net.au/archive/2482509

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Cambridge-Audio-Digital-Music-System/product-reviews/B00FDSLS64

 

[deepak.nair]

Thanks a lot.. will email them again..

 

[deepak.nair]

I spoke to Audiophile India. They said the main board will need to be replaced. Finally i got the reply- The part is no longer available. I forwarded that message to Cambridge Audio and this is the reply that i got.

Nicholas (Cambridge Audio)

Jan 30, 16:41 GMT

Hi Deepak,

I am sorry to hear that but if the parts are no longer available, there is no further action that can be taken to resurrect the unit.

Please accept my apologies for the inconvenience.
Kind Regards,
Nicholas
Technical Support Agent
Cambridge Audio

 

[deepak.nair]

Whats more frustrating is that i bought the Network player from Hifimart.com

 

[mpw]

Hi

I guess it's hard earned money here.

It would be painful but one must accept the days of electronics lasting for ever are long gone.

There are worse horror stories on other even costlier electronics going kaput within a year.

Manufacturers like CA may not stock parts of earlier models.

I guess there will come a time to reconcile with this situation.

Hope your problem gets solved.

Maybe if you know a good local technician... It may be worth a try.

Nothing to lose IMO.

PS : that black pineapple thingy in your display pic looks very friendly

Regard

 

[mpw]

Cat and Duplicat...

Post

Regards

 

[deepak.nair]

Electronics can fail.yes.But search the web and you will see more such CA specific horror stories. I think , yes Cambridge audio is an unreliable brand

 

[efernand1]

It is the unfortunate hard reality of nowadays......most stuff are made in china.....although its a Swedish or American or British company....

Be it AVRs or TVs or Hifi products, given warranty is only provided for 1 year in India (some rare cases can be 2/3/5/7 yrs), depending on the model and type of product, the wisest thing anyone of us can do is to invest in the product which is value for money and keep a mindset that if it lasts for atleast 2-3 years....its worth.....anything lasting beyond 3 yrs is a bonus........

Other countries provide good warranty and replacement...unlike India where we have to tear and time consume ourselves for basic service and warranty......this is why some of us make cheaper purchases without warrnaty if we badly want that model and brand and getting it cheaper...

With the amount of competition around, still there are dealers who offer the basic warranty with deep overall discounts......some of us still would be attracted to this for peace of mind.....

Bottomline.......keep your mind prepared for max life 2/3 years....depends on which product, brand and model.....parts differ.....

If one looks at the rates (wholesale) on how these products are imported etc......you may understand the wholesaler and dealer margins in the market....thats why deep discounts are possible....most dealers just want the business and money...no one (dealer) is really passionate about customer service or really being an audiophile to make life easier.

 

[deepak.nair]

Is there an extended warranty option for online purchases, especially from HifiMart ?. I have seen a Naim Amp on Hifimart with 5 years warranty.Companies like Naim provide it. But their prices are exorbitant.

 

[mpw]

Warranty and quality costs money

Maintaining inventory costs money

Cheap and best don't normally go together

Except coconut water... maybe

)

 

[haisaikat]

Have several CA products in my chain and all are used. Not a single problem ever. Guess all CA are not bad

 

[deepak.nair]

A link to the audioclip from my network player.Any idea, what could be the issue ? Notice the distortion and pitch variations..

 

[bornfi]

I am sure you are streaming something to to this as target and if so, can you try playing something through this using external source such as be player with wired connection?

 

[bornfi]

Also, as second check, if this is on WiFi, can you check with Ethernet connection?

 

[deepak.nair]

Actually i was playing from a USB thumb drive. Not wifi or ethernet.

 

[deepak.nair]

Update. The CS agent , Nicholas at Cambridge audio managed to procure the main PCB from a service engineer probably salvaged from another machine.He sent me the board from UK to my address for 6000 Rs , including customs duty and shipping . I managed to replace the board myself yesterday after 3 hours of fumbling with myriad of connectors and finally when i played the machine, the distortion was gone for good. Remember the service engineer at Audiophile India ,the service provider for CA had quoted 25000 for the same(The machine costed 48K).Not because the part would have costed 25k but in an attempt, just to dissuade me. He never acknowledged the problem in the first place after playing with the machine for 1 week . Anyway thanks to Nicholas of CA and forum members who motivated me to keep trying.

 

[efernand1]

Update. The CS agent , Nicholas at Cambridge audio managed to procure the main PCB from a service engineer probably salvaged from another machine.He sent me the board from UK to my address for 6000 Rs , including customs duty and shipping . I managed to replace the board myself yesterday after 3 hours of fumbling with myriad of connectors and finally when i played the machine, the distortion was gone for good. Remember the service engineer at Audiophile India ,the service provider for CA had quoted 25000 for the same(The machine costed 48K).Not because the part would have costed 25k but in an attempt, just to dissuade me. He never acknowledged the problem in the first place after playing with the machine for 1 week . Anyway thanks to Nicholas of CA and forum members who motivated me to keep trying.

Happy that the issue is solved....key thing to remember...although local service centers may / will dissuade you not repair or resolve, if its a foreign brand, you can always push ahead....keep all records over email....so you have evidence....

Enjoy! Thanks for sharing your experience....