Yorkville monitors reliability problem

[tombuur]

Several members of this board like the Yorkville YSM1p monitors. Actually I haven't come across any negative opinions on these monitors here. Pricewise they also compare favorably to what I want to spend on monitors (though most monitors cost about twice over here in Europe).

So without having heard these YSM1p speakers I ordered a set.

Received the first set 5 days ago. One of the monitors didn't work. When switched on there was that unmistakable smell of electronics burning. So I returned them.

Today I got another set. At some stage it occured to me that one of them played louder than the other. After some tweaking I discovered the reason: the woofer was silent. It simply doesn't work. Whether the amp or the woofer itself is dead I cannot tell.

I am sure I have not received the first set after an attempted repair. Everything was packaged as original, and they hardly had any time to do the repair. So this is the second faulty set.

From what I can judge having only heard one speaker actually work, they (it) sound fine. I still would prefer these over Alesis, Behringer and Tannoy (respective models in this price range). But I now have a serious problem trusting the reliability of Yorkville. Waranty is only one year over here, in US they give you two.

What to do? Another replacement or claim money back? Please, tell me your opinion. I will be asleep while most of you are active, but will check your responses in the morning before I call the dealer again.

[Track Rat]

I've had nothing but good luck with mine and also service from my local dealer/rep. I've blown the high freq drivers out of them on two seperate occassions, both times definately my fault. The first time I explained that I was at fault and he replaced the driver free of charge anyway. I'm a customer for life now.

[tombuur]

You shouldn't be able to blow the speakers. Manual says there is a limiter at work, even when you haven't switched one on.

I did wonder if I had blown the first speaker myself. Receiving the second set, I noticed they come with the power button turned on from the factory, and I am unsure if I turned it off before doing connections with the first set. However, there was no exsplossive sounds from the speakers or anything like that before something burned (probably the power supply).

With this second set, I have taken all precautions, and I haven't played them at more than half volume at any time.

[Track Rat]

I should have mentioned mine are passive.

[Ace2000]

I have a set of active Yorkville monitors. I am very pleased with them. I don't really monitor at loud volume, so I dont know if they're easy rto blow up, but I have cranked them up and have sustained no damage.

I think these monitors are great for the rock music I listen to and create.

I would hang in there and see what happens, I think they're a good product and the money I spent on my pair have been well worth it. Absolutley no complaints with them so far.

[tombuur]

Well ... maybe I am just under the influence of a bad planet. During the last two weeks I have also returned an out of the boz ultra low noise power supply which made 10-15 dB more noise than the standard one. Today I returned a brand new CD-burner that sounded like a truck driving.

... and this summer HP twice sent me non-functioning printers as waranty replacement. Not to mention the water pipe blowing up in my front garden, and two weeks later in my back garden etc. etc.

What bothers me is not that things blow up or don't work. It is all the time you spend packaging things up, going to the post office and so on.

[Ace2000]

I hear what you're saying. It's a hassle boxing up,returning defective equipment. Last year I bought a digital Fostex 16 track,
and out fo the box it came with the first two channlles blown.
This was a 5 gig harddrive. Fostex said return it, they'll replace it.
They sent me a new one with a 10 Gig (2wice as powerful as the defective unit,) hard Drive and a shirt. So, it was worth boxing it up and returning it. They sent me a better one then I originally bought. It was worth the hassle for me.

I use the unit for remote recording. I'm not into takeing the Home out of my Home recording set up. The fostex provides me with 24 tracks of 16 bit uncompressed digital audio as long as I can plug the AC cord in somewhere.

I don't mind recording drum tracks out on the lawn.

You gotta figure when they produce millions of these things mass produced, a few will be defective, thats just the nature of the beast. But some companies haven't built a name on shitty PR when there products are defective. most will replace it, so thats cool. Fortunatley, I haven't really been stuck with many faulty products.

So, get down to that post office and send them in!

[SS454]

I have a pair of Yorkville YSM2s I love em, but i was embarassed to tell anyone. All my mixes sound great on most any stereo I play my CD on. And that's what counts.

[tombuur]

I am getting a third set. The distributor here in Denmarks claims to have sold 50 sets, all without problems. Seemingly I got the two faulty sets?

I also contacted Yorkville, they will somehow see that my waranty is extended to two years (as in US and Canada). In Europe it is only one year and that seemed to little for me after the initial experience.

[jake-owa]

Goin' for strike three?

[tombuur]

Yes, I got the third set ... and this time they work both of them.

I have no experience with monitors, but to my ears they sound okay. If you can believe Yorkville's own frequency response, they should be linear down to around 40 Hz. And I think they have a nice bass.

Quite tall monitors, though. So they take up some space on the desk. On the other hand that may be a good thing, because the "hole" is below the woofer. This means the speakers are higher above the desk, right at level with my ears (at least the tweeter).

Now I only need to get some written confirmation from Yorkville that they will back an extended waranty period of two years as promised (one year being the norm in Europe).

[Kevzmusic]

Hi Tom,

Yeah, sending back gear is definitely a hassle that none of us want - for sure....sounds like YOU is going thru a "bad patch" product wise

I use the Yorks (YSM-1P's) and really like 'em....I compared them with ALL the other monitors, before buying, and reckon they are definitely the best of the bunch in the under $800 USD category.

I use 'em for both mixing and just plain old liestening to CD/Mp3's and they sound GREAT!!!

No problems to date - and IF I do have any, the Yorkville factory is only a 15 min drive from my house

BUT, I do understand YOUR concern - don'tcha just HATE when equipment arrives broken, or just doesn't DO what it's supposed to....

I once order a set of these high end "Sirrocco" Pro speaker systems from the UK, cost me $1600 Cdn...and the thing arrived like it was a reject....one tweeter blown, the subwoofer cone was completely falling out, scratched to bits...and the seperate 100 WATT RMS amp didn't function properly....oh, and the headphone OUT had no damn volume.....

It sure is a bummer

Just have to keep yer sense of humour

KEV

[tombuur]

Well, looking at the possitive side of this, I bought the YSM1p's through my guitar dealer. Marvelous place, lots of guitars. I go there anyway to play a couple of guitars about once a week and have a chat. So I just had an excuse for coming back when returning the Yorkvilles and two days later get a second set, then a third etc.

He doesn't sell studio equipment, and except a little live P.A. stuff, he is a guitar dealer. But he gets me whatever I want at a very good price. Obviously he can only gain by making a deal with me, getting and selling stuff normally sold by other shops. So once I have made up my mind, I tell him what to order.

My wife's in Canada at the moment BTW, but considering the weight I wouldn't have asked her to bring a set of Yorkvilles when she returns to Europe tomorrow.