Ashdown consumer advice

[john_the_bass]

I have an 8 ohm ABM Mini 15 cab, which is marked on the back "300W"

Earlier this year the speaker stopped working while connected to my ABM300 head which probably runs 180w - 200w when it's got a single 8 ohm cab connected. I was a bit surprised because the head and cab have only had maybe 100 hours use since I bought it new from PMT in Birmingham in late 06 I think.
I got in touch with Guy at Ashdown about it to say, "Hello, what can you do to help me with this?" and got a response essentially saying "nothing - it's out of warranty now". Ok, I thought, bit pissed off but what can you do?

Anyway, last week I got sent a spec sheet from Sica in Italy which showed that the power of the speaker was actually more likely 250W, not 300W - that to me says the speaker's not really up to the job and shouldn't really have been in there in the first place. I emailed Guy at Ashdown again and mentioned this - poilitely - and haven't had a response. I assume I won't be getting one either.

Now - what should I do?
Just forget it and get on with my life (I've replaced the speaker now with a Hartke driver)?
Contact Ashdown again and try and get a result?
Write to trading standards - I am kind of thinking about this because the way I see it, the cab was never fit for purpose in the first place what with it being only fitted a 250W speaker instead of a 300W. The sale of goods act also says a product should last a reasonable time, which seems to be defined as 6 years.
What do you think?

[largo]

Let me get this straight, you're cab has worked fine for 3 years and when the speaker goes you then expect Ashdown to replace it when it's out of warranty? Trying to be impartial, but I think your best option is to move on.....

[Jean-Luc Pickguard]

Its the shop you have to get arsey with, not the manufacturer if you want to take it further. Personally I wouldn't bother though.

[Mr. Foxen]

That rating is the thermal power handling, it may well have failed mechanically, kind of a useful lesson in why those ratings are unhelpful. Plus your amp might be 180w RMS, but can output twice that in certain circumstances. Really, let it go, sticking another speaker in probably makes it better anyway. I don't rate the Sicas, just stuck an Eminence delta in my 1x12 combo and it sounds loads better.

[neilb]

Guy, Martin,Chris and Mark at Ashdown all have a great reputation for customer service (ok, I am biased as I know them) and would do anything to help customers with genuine problems/gripes etc.

This one is taking the piss a little though mate, TBH.

[chris_b]

[quote name='john_the_bass' post='690965' date='Dec 21 2009, 08:27 PM']....Now - what should I do?....[/quote]
You've fixed it, now sell it, put owning an Ashdown down to experience, buy something better and never darken their door again!!

[Pete Academy]

I think I would, agree with the other posters. Out of warranty, I'm afraid.

[john_the_bass]

[quote name='neilb' post='690981' date='Dec 21 2009, 08:46 PM']Guy, Martin,Chris and Mark at Ashdown all have a great reputation for customer service (ok, I am biased as I know them) and would do anything to help customers with genuine problems/gripes etc.

This one is taking the piss a little though mate, TBH.[/quote]

Whilst I agree fundamentally with what you're saying, I think your bias shows through the last line of your response, but you are after all entitled to your opinion.

I'll take your thoughts on board and I'll chuck it in the skip. I think the coil's gone and it'll cost more to recone it than it cost to replace it with something half decent. I have no problems with the amp or the sound of the cab and yes I agree - it's out of warranty and it does look like it's a pisstake to ask. If it had been used week in week out and died as a result and being heavily used, then fair enough. I think I'd probably done a dozen gigs with it and the same number of practices over a 3 year period so I was quite surprised to see it fail. Oh well, what can you do?

Edited December 21, 2009 by john_the_bass

[Mr. Foxen]

[quote name='john_the_bass' post='691002' date='Dec 21 2009, 09:08 PM']Whilst I agree fundamentally with what you're saying, I think your bias shows through the last line of your response, but you are after all entitled to your opinion.

I'll take your thoughts on board and I'll chuck it in the skip. I think the coil's gone and it'll cost more to recone it than it cost to replace it with something half decent. I have no problems with the amp or the sound of the cab and yes I agree - it's out of warranty and it does look like it's a pisstake to ask. If it had been used week in week out and died as a result and being heavily used, then fair enough. I think I'd probably done a dozen gigs with it and the same number of practices over a 3 year period so I was quite surprised to see it fail. Oh well, what can you do?[/quote]

Does it have a rub when you move the cone? I had a 12" one fail and take the amp with it (and another amp I tested it with) because the wires from the terminals to the coil were touching.

[Cat Burrito]

I can understand your frustrations but I think I'd probably cut my loses too, if I were in this situation. It would have been great service had they got involved but if the warranty is up & they don't want to know, I suspect that is the end of that. Regarding Trading Standards, I've worked with them and they are generally thinly stretched & over worked. I doubt they'd do much off the back of one single complaint. However if a lot of people have complained about the same sort of thing they may take more interest. I'd chalk it up as experience though.

[john_the_bass]

Probably right BB. Not the end of the world anyway, just thought I'd ask what others thought.

[quote name='Mr. Foxen' post='691005' date='Dec 21 2009, 09:11 PM']Does it have a rub when you move the cone? I had a 12" one fail and take the amp with it (and another amp I tested it with) because the wires from the terminals to the coil were touching.[/quote]

It does indeed Mr Foxen, fortunately the amp survived.

[bumnote]

I have one of those too, possibly the same vintage, and bought also from pmt in birmingham, but mine is still going.
Actually Ive had it since 2004 so thats 5 years not 3

I have used mine with either an abm 300 or an eden wt400 both with and without another cab.

I think that you would have to prove, or get an expert opinion from the manufacturer to prove that that speaker was not suitable in that enclosure to take 300w. The manufacturer is hardly going to run the risk of upsetting his customer, particularly as no doubt they have possibly collaborated on this and other cabs.

the fact that yours worked for 2 1/2 years, and mine and no doubt many others are still going are going to help you prove its not fit for purpose.


I dont think that any speaker manufacturer gives a 3 plus years guarantee, and even if they gave you the 'without prejudice' foc replacement they set themselves up for everyone else and his dog claiming repairs out of waranty.

As has been said in some of the other posts, the speaker its only a cheap one you are probably better off with a new speaker

Edited December 21, 2009 by bumnote

[Adrenochrome]

Dunno if the ABM are the same, but my MAG can peak at 500 watts (however briefly). This could equate to >300 watts into an 8 ohm load. That could be the problem.

[xgsjx]

The Sale of Goods act does cover this & it is the trader that you would look to, not Ashdown. It is up to you to prove that the driver was defective & not overused & if you can do so (if you can be bothered that is), then you should have no problems getting either a repair, replacement or partial refund other than the fact that some trader's believe that the act doesn't apply to them (Game comes to mind), but a couple of letters & maybe a threat of legal action & they usually comply.

[bassmansky]

bit unusual they did not reply again as i have had nothing but very good service from ashdown.think i have heard about these cabs before being unreliable.looking at it from ashdowns point of view,how many customers do they get who try and pull a fast one?Not that you are but they must get them.

[alexisonfire]

[quote name='neilb' post='690981' date='Dec 21 2009, 08:46 PM']Guy, Martin,Chris and Mark at Ashdown all have a great reputation for customer service (ok, I am biased as I know them) and would do anything to help customers with genuine problems/gripes etc.

This one is taking the piss a little though mate, TBH.[/quote]


So your £800 LED tv stops working after 2.5 years and it's out of the 1 year warranty, would you just dispose of it and get a new one?

I don't think this is taking the piss at all unless the item has not been used in compliance with the manufacturers recommendations.

Your covered by the "Sale of Goods" act for 6 years from when you bought it. The responsibility does lye with PMT so theres no point speaking to Ashdown!

[quote name='chris_b' post='690984' date='Dec 21 2009, 08:49 PM']You've fixed it, now sell it, put owning an Ashdown down to experience, buy something better and never darken their door again!![/quote]

+1

Edited December 27, 2009 by alexisonfire

[DirkThrust]

[quote name='alexisonfire' post='694170' date='Dec 27 2009, 11:33 AM']So your £800 LED tv stops working after 2.5 years and it's out of the 1 year warranty, would you just dispose of it and get a new one?

I don't think this is taking the piss at all unless the item has not been used in compliance with the manufacturers recommendations.

Your covered by the "Sale of Goods" act for 6 years from when you bought it. The responsibility does lye with PMT so theres no point speaking to Ashdown!



+1[/quote]

Using the example of an £800 TV that stops working after 2.5 years is an extreme case that doesn't really prove anything.

You may well be covered by the sales of goods act for 6 years but after the first 6 months it is up to the consumer to prove that the item in question did not conform to contract, which would be virtually impossible.

I've owned things that have failed outside of the warranty period and have managed to get them replaced or repaired but not 2 years outside it. That really is expecting a bit too much. I would fully expect PMT to politely tell John where to go.

Sometimes you have to accept that it's just one of those things and move on. It's not always someone else's fault or responsibility.

[bumnote]

[quote name='alexisonfire' post='694170' date='Dec 27 2009, 11:33 AM']So your £800 LED tv stops working after 2.5 years and it's out of the 1 year warranty, would you just dispose of it and get a new one?

I don't think this is taking the piss at all unless the item has not been used in compliance with the manufacturers recommendations.

Your covered by the "Sale of Goods" act for 6 years from when you bought it. The responsibility does lye with PMT so theres no point speaking to Ashdown!



+1[/quote]

If you had a £800 TV you would take it into the local repairer and have it fixed, as you would if it was an Amp head, or a car, or any other item that was outside the guarantee period.

I dont think thats what Johns saying though, he is saying that the speaker spec he got from Sica indicates its not a 300 watt speaker and the cabinet was sold to him as a 300 watt speaker. Therefore the specification or design is wrong causing premature failure.

[Protium]

Any manufacturer is always going to get speakers that fail after 1 hour and some that work forever. You were just unlucky I guess.
You can't really blame the amp, you can only push 180W (RMS) into an 8ohm load if you have the input and output on full whack.