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has anyone ordered from av123 lately?

8K views 64 replies 25 participants last post by  cneely8 
#1 ·
has anyone ordered from av123 lately and received their goods?
 
#2 ·
I'd love to hear from anyone that has within the last 6 weeks or so. And if they did, how well did things work out for them. I had bought a B-Stock MFW-15 about 2 weeks before the you know what hit the fan with you know who. So I got mine within about a week or so, and was tremendously relieved that it worked NP's, so far at least. In fact to me the thing looks brand new. I'm considering taking my chances and ordering more of these but just waiting for the right color to show up in B-Stock.


Checking their site every day, it appears as though they are still selling a steady amount of B-Stock at least. And seems as though the place is running like nothing ever happened. Still receive email's once a week or so on sales etc. Even here at avsforums it's unusually quiet.


If you think about it, with what recently happened, that may actually be a GOOD thing if you are planning on buying an MFW-15 from them. Maybe with you know who being around, it caused more harm than good. And now that HE is no longer around, maybe QC will be better.


1 more thing interesting to note, is a few weeks ago or so they started stating that all the MFW-15 components are now made in the USA except for the cabinet.


Can't wait to hear from some people who have ordered from them in the last 6 weeks or so.
 
#4 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by sinshackj /forum/post/18484967


I'm researching the QC on the MFW-15 to possibly buy one soon, do the B-Stock come with a warranty?

They do. Copied this from their site in the B-Stock section...


"All items below carry the full manufacturer parts and labor warranties (except where noted), though at these prices we do not offer the 30-day in-home trial period (all sales final.)"


Here's their warranty, also copied from their site...


"Warranty:


All products manufactured by AV123 carry a limited manufacturer's parts and labor warranty of three (3) years. These products are guaranteed to be free from manufacturer's defects for for a period from the date of purchase. For additional warranty information, please visit our Warranty and Returns Information Center."


Thing with the warranty, though is, will they still be around 3 years from now?
 
#5 ·
Ahhh the 3 year warranty. A little known fact about the 3 year warranty is its only 3 years if you register your purchase through their website otherwise its only a 1 year warranty. And with the "fire sales" they have been having I wouldnt expect to see them in 3 years.
 
#6 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by sinshackj /forum/post/18484967


I'm researching the QC on the MFW-15 to possibly buy one soon, do the B-Stock come with a warranty?

If you have been researching the QC, then you know that you are taking a pretty big risk on buying one. Might be fine, might be crap, and if it's crap you start down the road of waiting for replacement parts, doing your own surgery on the amp at home as you follow internet directions, etc.


A better move would be to delay gratification, save up a little more money, and get one of the $500 or so offerings from Elemental Designs.


You have to wait as they build them as they are ordered, but at least you don't have all the wierdness with QC issues, CEO going to jail for financial shenanigan's, warranty disappearing when the company finally goes under, self-repair at home instead of the company sending you a new, perfect, unit at their cost, etc.
 
#7 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by cneely8 /forum/post/18486841


If you have been researching the QC, then you know that you are taking a pretty big risk on buying one. Might be fine, might be crap, and if it's crap you start down the road of waiting for replacement parts, doing your own surgery on the amp at home as you follow internet directions, etc.


A better move would be to delay gratification, save up a little more money, and get one of the $500 or so offerings from Elemental Designs.


You have to wait as they build them as they are ordered, but at least you don't have all the wierdness with QC issues, CEO going to jail for financial shenanigan's, warranty disappearing when the company finally goes under, self-repair at home instead of the company sending you a new, perfect, unit at their cost, etc.

I dont think THIS GUY would agree with you about eD as he had to do self repair at home and paid shipping for a driver and his sub didnt work right from day one. If your going to sing eD's praises one should also know the negatives.
 
#8 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by Im2sexy /forum/post/18486933


I dont think THIS GUY would agree with you about eD as he had to do self repair at home and paid shipping for a driver and his sub didnt work right from day one. If your going to sing eD's praises one should also know the negatives.

That was one ugly, enlightening thread. Thanks for that link.


Ok, to the OP : so do your due diligence and see if others have the same experience on ED.


But the comments on av 123 stand- there are hundreds of posts that read like that one ED thread. Buyer beware no matter who you are buying from, but it's pretty clear the risks are off the chart when using av 123 given all the stuff going on over there.


I wouldn't want to buy a product with a checkered QC legacy from a similarly checkered company that may not be around in a few months.
 
#9 ·
Personally, I wouldn't touch AV123's merchandise until I was sure that their current issues (both legal and QC) have been resolved. I would also want to have reassurance that they will be able to sustain their business operations for the long-term.
 
#10 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by jhan1000 /forum/post/18487586


Personally, I wouldn't touch AV123's merchandise until I was sure that their current issues (both legal and QC) have been resolved. I would also want to have reassurance that they will be able to sustain their business operations for the long-term.

I wouldn't either. What baffles me is all this B stock that has suddenly appeared supposedly to make room for new inventory. I can count on one hand the number of B stock items listed on their website in the last year before the s**t hit the fan over there.
 
#12 ·
I have purchased two MFW's and a full Rocket system from AV451. I love the rockets, and the subs, but it was a nightmare getting the MFWs. Plus I replaced the amp on one sub SIX times! They were always real good to deal with on the phone, but their constant delays, QC problems, and consistent disappointments are enough for me not to buy from then again. All the problems with MLS is just the icing on the cake.

I think if you take your time and save more money, you can buy much better products with the peace of mind that the company may be around in the future.

I don't hate my speakers, they are fantastic. Still if i had to do it all over, I probably would have gone somewhere else. It took a very long time to get my system together and I got tired of the delay after delay, the promises that were broken and all crappy amps. I know they aren't in that situation now, but to me, they lost all credibility.

Good luck with what you decide to do.
 
#15 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by Im2sexy /forum/post/18486933


I dont think THIS GUY would agree with you about eD as he had to do self repair at home and paid shipping for a driver and his sub didnt work right from day one. If your going to sing eD's praises one should also know the negatives.

But also the fact is left out that the guy over exerted his driver hence having to pay shipping. If he would'nt have done that himself and it would've been manufacture defect shipping would've been covered. At least that is what eD posted.
 
#16 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by DoubleATheater /forum/post/18543453


But also the fact is left out that the guy over exerted his driver hence having to pay shipping. If he would'nt have done that himself and it would've been manufacture defect shipping would've been covered. At least that is what eD posted.

I think you ne to re-read the negatives he posted. I did and here is a quote from Ethan



"2. Finally got my sub Wednesday 1/13. Played it for 90 minutes on Friday 1/15, the next day I moved it to the location where I intended it to stay but it not only tripped a 15A cb, it also blew a fuse. No longer works. Alex only briefly entertained the thought of the amp being the problem, so I suggested maybe it was a short elsewhere -but it definitely wasn't a short according to him."



Hmmm blows a fuse after 90 minutes of use and he mentions a SHORT somewhere besides the amp. Now later on in the negatives there is Alex's reason for not returning Ethans $125 deposit



"Instead they ignore me for three weeks as I asked about getting my $125 deposit back until I finally get a chat session with Alex where he tells me he's only giving me a partial refund because I over-exerted the driver. His evidence included ripped tinsel leads which led to no electrical connection. Hmmmmm, hadn't I been saying all along the symptoms sounded like there was a short somewhere? And get this: Alex even told me the amp I returned worked fine"



Hmmm doesnt sound like he over exerted the driver to me sounds like the driver was faulty from the get go. Remember it blew a fuse after about 90 minutes of use and he had moved it to its final location. And Alex says the amp wasnt the problem.
 
#17 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by Im2sexy /forum/post/18543640


I think you ne to re-read the negatives he posted. I did and here is a quote from Ethan



"2. Finally got my sub Wednesday 1/13. Played it for 90 minutes on Friday 1/15, the next day I moved it to the location where I intended it to stay but it not only tripped a 15A cb, it also blew a fuse. No longer works. Alex only briefly entertained the thought of the amp being the problem, so I suggested maybe it was a short elsewhere -but it definitely wasn’t a short according to him."



Hmmm blows a fuse after 90 minutes of use and he mentions a SHORT somewhere besides the amp. Now later on in the negatives there is Alex's reason for not returning Ethans $125 deposit



"Instead they ignore me for three weeks as I asked about getting my $125 deposit back until I finally get a chat session with Alex where he tells me he’s only giving me a partial refund because I “over-exerted” the driver. His evidence included ripped tinsel leads which led to no “electrical connection”. Hmmmmm, hadn’t I been saying all along the symptoms sounded like there was a short somewhere? And get this: Alex even told me the amp I returned worked fine"



Hmmm doesnt sound like he over exerted the driver to me sounds like the driver was faulty from the get go. Remember it blew a fuse after about 90 minutes of use and he had moved it to its final location. And Alex says the amp wasnt the problem.

Honestly, I bet he did overdrive that sub. And after quickly perusing that post there is almost no doubt in my mind he killed that sub. Testing the max "xmax", running it on a GFCI, driving low frequency signals though it at high outputs etc. etc. I do think there was at least some user abuse involved here. Tinsel leads ripped? I don't doubt it the way he was "testing" it. Most people in reality abuse their subs and overdrive them.


Me? People wonder why I run multiple LARGE drivers for a realtively small room. Real simple. Keep the gains down, the distortion LOW, the sound clean and detailed and to extend product LIFE. Friends cannot believe how much bass I get out of my setup, and the drivers barely move(and they should barely move except for the occasional peak sound effect). I probably only run about 2-16 watts continuous out of each driver, even though the max RMS output of each plate amp is almost 400 watts.
 
#18 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by Im2sexy /forum/post/18543640


I think you ne to re-read the negatives he posted. I did and here is a quote from Ethan



"2. Finally got my sub Wednesday 1/13. Played it for 90 minutes on Friday 1/15, the next day I moved it to the location where I intended it to stay but it not only tripped a 15A cb, it also blew a fuse. No longer works. Alex only briefly entertained the thought of the amp being the problem, so I suggested maybe it was a short elsewhere -but it definitely wasn’t a short according to him."



Hmmm blows a fuse after 90 minutes of use and he mentions a SHORT somewhere besides the amp. Now later on in the negatives there is Alex's reason for not returning Ethans $125 deposit



"Instead they ignore me for three weeks as I asked about getting my $125 deposit back until I finally get a chat session with Alex where he tells me he’s only giving me a partial refund because I “over-exerted” the driver. His evidence included ripped tinsel leads which led to no “electrical connection”. Hmmmmm, hadn’t I been saying all along the symptoms sounded like there was a short somewhere? And get this: Alex even told me the amp I returned worked fine"



Hmmm doesnt sound like he over exerted the driver to me sounds like the driver was faulty from the get go. Remember it blew a fuse after about 90 minutes of use and he had moved it to its final location. And Alex says the amp wasnt the problem.

Oh I read the thread negatives and all. Maybe you need to re-read my response. I was responding to your quote about the replacing the driver, I was not talking about the amp. I was talking about him overexerting the driver with high spl output, not about the amp issue which could almost be a thread in it's own. Both eD and the OP are at fault for getting to heated on the boards when it should've been handled privately. eD should've never offered to send an amp model that they were working on fixing an in rush situation with even if it sped up the delivery of the product. But that doesn't mean that the OP in that thread isn't at fault for pushing that sub to it's limits with low frequency tones. Like ntrain6943 said that is why people have multiple subs in their rooms to acheive that spl, not one.


Also, they returned all but I think $45 of the deposit, they charged him shipping for overexerting the driver, not all $125.
 
#19 ·
I just recently purchase a sub from AV123 and could not be happier with what I got and the customer service. I saw a Grade B MFW-15 Satin Finish the description stated swirl marks in the finish so I decided to pull the trigger however I wanted to delay the charge to my credit card until monday so it would be in the next billing cycle. I called up AV123, and asked if it was possible they said "yes no problem". Unfortunately that weekend my wife had her purse stolen so I had to call on Monday morning to tell them the credit card was compromised and it might not go thru. The Customer Service person said we will hold on to the Grade B for you until you work things out so you don't lose the item. I was surprised they would do that. Anyways two days later everything worked out, and the credit card was not compromised it was found with purse, wife keeps it in a secrete compartment. So called up av123 and they charged it on 4/21 and the sub arrived on 4/26 Monday. The sub came double boxed, no shipping problems, and I could not be more pleased. I did hear the hum but I found it was due to the HD Antenna I have next to it, so I bought a cheater plug, I think that is what they call it, and the sub is dead silent except of course when in use. Ohh and the swirl marks must be seen with a microscope because I can't see them.


Cliff Notes: AV123 Good Customer service worked things out with me. Purchased on 4/21 arrived on 4/26, slight hum due to HD Antenna fixed with cheater plug now sitting in my Home Theater area in full use playing video games, and watching movies couldn't be happier.
 
#20 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by Gamer0126 /forum/post/18552970


I just recently purchase a sub from AV123 and could not be happier with what I got and the customer service. I saw a Grade B MFW-15 Satin Finish the description stated swirl marks in the finish so I decided to pull the trigger however I wanted to delay the charge to my credit card until monday so it would be in the next billing cycle. I called up AV123, and asked if it was possible they said "yes no problem". Unfortunately that weekend my wife had her purse stolen so I had to call on Monday morning to tell them the credit card was compromised and it might not go thru. The Customer Service person said we will hold on to the Grade B for you until you work things out so you don't lose the item. I was surprised they would do that. Anyways two days later everything worked out, and the credit card was not compromised it was found with purse, wife keeps it in a secrete compartment. So called up av123 and they charged it on 4/21 and the sub arrived on 4/26 Monday. The sub came double boxed, no shipping problems, and I could not be more pleased. I did hear the hum but I found it was due to the HD Antenna I have next to it, so I bought a cheater plug, I think that is what they call it, and the sub is dead silent except of course when in use. Ohh and the swirl marks must be seen with a microscope because I can't see them.


Cliff Notes: AV123 Good Customer service worked things out with me. Purchased on 4/21 arrived on 4/26, slight hum due to HD Antenna fixed with cheater plug now sitting in my Home Theater area in full use playing video games, and watching movies couldn't be happier.

Agreed, I have had nothing but good customer service as well from the company. It's what happens behind the scenes when you try and make a deal on something that things go wrong. Tip, never do a deal with MLS, you'll deal with constant excuses, delays, excuses, delays and then more excuses and then he'll delay his next excuses for "two weeks", he's like the movie the money pit. Why he just doesn't come out and say hey, can't do the deal but no, he'll string you along for half a year plus and then won't have the balls to tell you himself, he'll have someone else do it.


There is a reason why karma has bitchslapped MLS, he screwed people and now it's time for him to pay up. Literally. I looked at what he posted for the raffles, all sweet and asking people to give generously so these kids could be taken care of, amazing and I myself fell prey to his crap.


No more... I have nothing but respect for Kyle though, it must suck working at a place where you know the owner is a crook (my words not his, he may not think of him that way). I hope he finds a job at a much better place, good luck to him.
 
#21 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by KlipschHead281 /forum/post/18553201


Agreed, I have had nothing but good customer service as well from the company. It's what happens behind the scenes when you try and make a deal on something that things go wrong. Tip, never do a deal with MLS, you'll deal with constant excuses, delays, excuses, delays and then more excuses and then he'll delay his next excuses for "two weeks", he's like the movie the money pit. Why he just doesn't come out and say hey, can't do the deal but no, he'll string you along for half a year plus and then won't have the balls to tell you himself, he'll have someone else do it.


There is a reason why karma has bitchslapped MLS, he screwed people and now it's time for him to pay up. Literally. I looked at what he posted for the raffles, all sweet and asking people to give generously so these kids could be taken care of, amazing and I myself fell prey to his crap.


No more... I have nothing but respect for Kyle though, it must suck working at a place where you know the owner is a crook (my words not his, he may not think of him that way). I hope he finds a job at a much better place, good luck to him.

I completely agree KlipschHead. I have had exceptional service from Kyle and a couple other guys at AV123. I've delt with MLS and he was very cool and nice, but he strung me along, promised me things and all that just like many others. As long as he is affiliated with the company I would never buy from them again. I feel bad for Kyle and the rest of the crew there.

I've looked at some of the new products they are working on and they look pretty sweet. The new Volta looks cool, but as long as MLS is a part of the company I would never buy anything from them. Who knows if any of these products will ever come out anyway. I read all their posts (from TADG or whatever) with a grain of salt. I don't believe anything until I see it or hear its actually shipped. They have very little credibility left in my eyes. It's a bummer.
 
#23 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by jhan1000 /forum/post/18487586


Personally, I wouldn't touch AV123's merchandise until I was sure that their current issues (both legal and QC) have been resolved. I would also want to have reassurance that they will be able to sustain their business operations for the long-term.

I wouldn't touch them again no matter what, I'm not going to give my hard earned dollars to a company owned/run by an admitted criminal/scam artist.


At any time in the last 3 or 4 years MLS could have sold off his extravagant watch collection/antiques/expensive cars/whatever and paid off much or all of the money he stole. Did he? No. It's disgusting.
 
#25 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by NicolasKL /forum/post/18557641


At any time in the last 3 or 4 years MLS could have sold off his extravagant watch collection/antiques/expensive cars/whatever and paid off much or all of the money he stole. Did he? No. It's disgusting.

He's had some recent Craigslist postings and made some attempts to sell things on other forums though.
 
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