Please help: Subwoofer repair in Kolkata

[raghavtib]

Hi,

I’m starting this thread to ask for advice on how to make repairs to my subwoofer’s enclosure. I own a B&W ASW10CM 10” subwoofer, which after a few years in storage had a minor issue in its power supply or amplification (I’m not sure which, but the issue was that the “thump” was entirely missing).

I approached a local dealer who sold me a Marantz AVR and he sent it to the B&W distributor for repairs. Apparently the distributor outsources minor repairs to someone else, who received the unit in good condition and made the repair (their OK tested sticker is on the back). The whole thing cost me ± Rs 9,000 and I was glad to have repaired it for such a reasonable amount.

But when I opened the shipping carton, my heart just sank. My subwoofer, which was in mint condition when I gave it to the dealer, is now smashed in every corner in what seems to be a clear case of mishandling. The dealer says that it is the distributor’s negligence, and the distributor says that it is the courier’s negligence, and the courier says that it is the dealer’s fault for not insuring the product.

In short, I’m screwed. I’m putting pressure on the dealer to get me a replacement enclosure, but he is already trying to wash his hands off the situation.

So instead of staying in despair, I want to try and at least salvage the situation. The subwoofer is 10+ years old but I don’t want to buy a new one. I’ve recently upgraded my amp and purchased a 2nd subwoofer, so I really don’t want to spend more money. Of course, I will have to bear some repairing charges for this.

The damage all corners (except 1) seems cosmetic, and I think that if I add rubber “baby proofing” corners, it might be fine. But one particular corner really worries me because the veneer is cracked and some of the plywood has chipped off with it.

I’m adding pictures, and I’d appreciate any advice that you guys can give me. Is this salvageable? Or should I just give up, sell it for parts and go back to a 2.1 system? Running a 2.1 system will be rather disappointing after all the effort I’ve put into upgrading to a 2.2 system.

Can anyone recommend a carpenter or technician who can help me paste and reinforce the corners?

 

[ketansethi1987]

If the corner is not leaking air take it to a painter instead of a carpenter. He will repair it and can spray paint also.

 

[raghavtib]

If the corner is not leaking air take it to a painter instead of a carpenter. He will repair it and can spray paint also.

What do I tell him?

My biggest challenge here is that I don’t know how far to take the repairs.

For example, should I simply paste the cracked veneer back into place, apply some tape and install corner protectors?

Or should I attempt to file and clean the smashed bits, and then fill them in using glue/wood filler? Would this require disassembling the subwoofer?

 

[jsmithe]

What do I tell him?

My biggest challenge here is that I don’t know how far to take the repairs.

For example, should I simply paste the cracked veneer back into place, apply some tape and install corner protectors?

Or should I attempt to file and clean the smashed bits, and then fill them in using glue/wood filler? Would this require disassembling the subwoofer?

Try asking here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/242963289391919/

 

[ketansethi1987]

What do I tell him?

My biggest challenge here is that I don’t know how far to take the repairs.

For example, should I simply paste the cracked veneer back into place, apply some tape and install corner protectors?

Or should I attempt to file and clean the smashed bits, and then fill them in using glue/wood filler? Would this require disassembling the subwoofer?

Do not disassemble. It does not seem crack is causing any air leakage. Just repair from top and install the protectors. Using wood glue is fine.