Ebay Sellers Misrepresentation

audioluvr
audioluvr Posts: 5,607
in 2 Channel Audio
Well got the Christmas present I got for myself today. Ordered a Belles 21a pre on eBay. Prior to purchasing I asked the seller if it had been upgraded or was it stock and he responded that it did not have the Auricap upgrade. So I get the unit and go to install the tubes and someone has replaced all the caps with 5 Dayton caps (not even the good ones either) and some others that don't even have any name on them that replaced the factory silver mica caps.

I'm pi$$ed!

l2g3m2qc0lnf.jpg
Gustard X26 Pro DAC
Belles 21A Pre modded with Mundorf Supreme caps
B&K M200 Sonata monoblocks refreshed and upgraded
Polk SDA 1C's modded / 1000Va Dreadnaught
Wireworld Silver Eclipse IC's and speaker cables
Harman Kardon T65C w/Grado Gold. (Don't laugh. It sounds great!)

There is about a 5% genetic difference between apes and men …but that difference is the difference between throwing your own poo when you are annoyed …and Einstein, Shakespeare and Miss January. by Dr. Sardonicus
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Comments

  • Clipdat
    Clipdat Posts: 12,953
    Return it for full refund.
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  • pitdogg2
    pitdogg2 Posts: 25,595
    Ok did he ever state it was stock?? Are there "good" Dayton caps? I thought they all were Bennic made anyway. Had you planned on switching caps? If so maybe ask for a discount. Is there something special about the Auricaps in that unit?

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  • TEAforONE
    TEAforONE Posts: 1,026
    This seems pretty straightforward. You asked the seller a question,he lied. That to me,is an item that you purchased that is not as described. I'm pretty sure eBay will agree.
    See my profile for list of gear.
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  • audioluvr
    audioluvr Posts: 5,607
    It gets even better. The circuit board looks burnt around the resistors between the tubes and the tranny coolers and it won't turn on. How depressing is that!
    Gustard X26 Pro DAC
    Belles 21A Pre modded with Mundorf Supreme caps
    B&K M200 Sonata monoblocks refreshed and upgraded
    Polk SDA 1C's modded / 1000Va Dreadnaught
    Wireworld Silver Eclipse IC's and speaker cables
    Harman Kardon T65C w/Grado Gold. (Don't laugh. It sounds great!)

    There is about a 5% genetic difference between apes and men …but that difference is the difference between throwing your own poo when you are annoyed …and Einstein, Shakespeare and Miss January. by Dr. Sardonicus
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  • george daniel
    george daniel Posts: 12,096
    Get a refund
    JC approves....he told me so. (F-1 nut)
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  • Hermitism
    Hermitism Posts: 4,272
    My personal opinion is to tell them it doesn't work. Do not tell them you opened up the unit. eBay might frown upon that and blame you for the unit not working, kinda like how opening up a unit might void a warranty. Just my opinion.
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  • F1nut
    F1nut Posts: 50,668
    Hermitism wrote: »
    My personal opinion is to tell them it doesn't work. Do not tell them you opened up the unit. eBay might frown upon that and blame you for the unit not working, kinda like how opening up a unit might void a warranty. Just my opinion.

    ^ THIS ^
    Political Correctness'.........defined

    "A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."

    President of Club Polk

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  • pglbook
    pglbook Posts: 2,226
    That stinks and I am sorry you have to deal with that. But easy solution....open a case on eBay and return it for a full refund.
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  • audioluvr
    audioluvr Posts: 5,607
    Opened a case for a refund. Now waiting for the seller to respond. Might take a couple months to get a refund.
    Gustard X26 Pro DAC
    Belles 21A Pre modded with Mundorf Supreme caps
    B&K M200 Sonata monoblocks refreshed and upgraded
    Polk SDA 1C's modded / 1000Va Dreadnaught
    Wireworld Silver Eclipse IC's and speaker cables
    Harman Kardon T65C w/Grado Gold. (Don't laugh. It sounds great!)

    There is about a 5% genetic difference between apes and men …but that difference is the difference between throwing your own poo when you are annoyed …and Einstein, Shakespeare and Miss January. by Dr. Sardonicus
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • jdjohn
    jdjohn Posts: 3,163
    Step one is to contact the seller and tell him it doesn't work...that's all. Ask him how he wants to proceed.
    "This may not matter to you, but it does to me for various reasons, many of them illogical or irrational, but the vinyl hobby is not really logical or rational..." - member on Vinyl Engine
    "Sometimes I do what I want to do. The rest of the time, I do what I have to." - Cicero, in Gladiator
    Regarding collectibles: "It's not who gets it. It's who gets stuck with it." - Jimmy Fallon
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  • F1nut
    F1nut Posts: 50,668
    audioluvr wrote: »
    Opened a case for a refund. Now waiting for the seller to respond. Might take a couple months to get a refund.

    It'll move pretty fast. You have to return the item and eBay should email you a return label. As soon as the seller gets it back you get your refund.
    Political Correctness'.........defined

    "A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."

    President of Club Polk

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  • marvda1
    marvda1 Posts: 4,903
    unplug it and plug it back in. see if you hear a click when plugged back in.
    it will then take a while before it comes on as the tubes are being warmed up.
    Amplifiers: Norma IPA 140, MasterSound Compact 845, Ayre v6xe, Consonance Cyber 800
    Preamp: deHavilland Ultraverve 3
    Dac: Sonnet Morpheus 2, Musical Paradise mp-d2 mkIII
    Transport: Jay's Audio CDT2 mk2, Lumin U1 mini
    Speakers: Rosso Fiorentino Volterra II
    Speaker Cables: Crystal Clear Magnum Opus 2, Organic Audio Organic Reference 2
    Interconnects: Crystal Clear Magnum Opus 2, Argento Organic Reference 2, Argento Organic 2
    Power Cables: Argento Organic Reference, Synergistic Research Foundation 10 and 12 ga.
    Digital cables: Crystal Clear Magnum Opus 2 bnc, Tellurium Q aes, Silnote Audio Poseidon Signature 2 bnc
    Puritan PSM156
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  • audioluvr
    audioluvr Posts: 5,607
    Ah crap! Thanks Marv! I guess there is a delay before it will turn on. Tube idiot here... It's on now. Tubes in it are Westinghouse 12ax7a England. Sounds pretty good so far. Definitely a difference in sound over the Parasound C2 Pre/Pro. Looking over other posts in the internet it appears normal for the boards to be brown between the tubes and the transistors. They must get hot! Also it appears all the 21a's with the factory Auricap upgrades don't have any silver mica bypass caps so I'm thinking they are eliminated in the upgrade.

    Gustard X26 Pro DAC
    Belles 21A Pre modded with Mundorf Supreme caps
    B&K M200 Sonata monoblocks refreshed and upgraded
    Polk SDA 1C's modded / 1000Va Dreadnaught
    Wireworld Silver Eclipse IC's and speaker cables
    Harman Kardon T65C w/Grado Gold. (Don't laugh. It sounds great!)

    There is about a 5% genetic difference between apes and men …but that difference is the difference between throwing your own poo when you are annoyed …and Einstein, Shakespeare and Miss January. by Dr. Sardonicus
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • marvda1
    marvda1 Posts: 4,903
    I think this is a picture of my old 21a. notice you only have up upgrade the back four caps and the stock caps are like the white one showing.
    looks like someone has up graded the caps as the stock are not bypassed.lr5v72chwru7.jpg
    Amplifiers: Norma IPA 140, MasterSound Compact 845, Ayre v6xe, Consonance Cyber 800
    Preamp: deHavilland Ultraverve 3
    Dac: Sonnet Morpheus 2, Musical Paradise mp-d2 mkIII
    Transport: Jay's Audio CDT2 mk2, Lumin U1 mini
    Speakers: Rosso Fiorentino Volterra II
    Speaker Cables: Crystal Clear Magnum Opus 2, Organic Audio Organic Reference 2
    Interconnects: Crystal Clear Magnum Opus 2, Argento Organic Reference 2, Argento Organic 2
    Power Cables: Argento Organic Reference, Synergistic Research Foundation 10 and 12 ga.
    Digital cables: Crystal Clear Magnum Opus 2 bnc, Tellurium Q aes, Silnote Audio Poseidon Signature 2 bnc
    Puritan PSM156
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • audioluvr
    audioluvr Posts: 5,607
    edited December 2019
    I wasn't planning on sinking a bunch more money into this thing originally. If it works though I may keep it and replace the Daytons with some Mundorf Supremes since they have the values I need. Apparently Auricap doesn't make a 15uF anymore nor a 2.2uF
    Gustard X26 Pro DAC
    Belles 21A Pre modded with Mundorf Supreme caps
    B&K M200 Sonata monoblocks refreshed and upgraded
    Polk SDA 1C's modded / 1000Va Dreadnaught
    Wireworld Silver Eclipse IC's and speaker cables
    Harman Kardon T65C w/Grado Gold. (Don't laugh. It sounds great!)

    There is about a 5% genetic difference between apes and men …but that difference is the difference between throwing your own poo when you are annoyed …and Einstein, Shakespeare and Miss January. by Dr. Sardonicus
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • dragon1952
    dragon1952 Posts: 4,907
    Looks like it would be pretty darn easy to swap those puppies out.
    2 channel - Willsenton R8 tube integrated, Holo Audio Spring 3 KTE DAC, audio optimized NUC7i5, Windows 10 Pro/JRiver MC29/Fidelizer Plus 8.7 w/LPS and external SSD drive, PS Audio PerfectWave P3 regenerator, KEF R3 speakers, Rythmik F12SE subwoofer, Audioquest Diamond USB cable, Gabriel Gold IC's, Morrow Audio SP5 speaker cables. Computer - Windows 10/JRiver, Schiit Magni 3+/Modi 3+, Fostex PMO.4n monitors, Sennheiser HD600 headphones
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  • audioluvr
    audioluvr Posts: 5,607
    That's kinda what I was seeing. I would have to remove all the RCA locks in the back and the knobs in front, pull the face off then remove the 8 screws connecting the circuit board from the bottom. Maybe a couple hours work with cleaning and reflowing solder joints.
    Gustard X26 Pro DAC
    Belles 21A Pre modded with Mundorf Supreme caps
    B&K M200 Sonata monoblocks refreshed and upgraded
    Polk SDA 1C's modded / 1000Va Dreadnaught
    Wireworld Silver Eclipse IC's and speaker cables
    Harman Kardon T65C w/Grado Gold. (Don't laugh. It sounds great!)

    There is about a 5% genetic difference between apes and men …but that difference is the difference between throwing your own poo when you are annoyed …and Einstein, Shakespeare and Miss January. by Dr. Sardonicus
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • kharp1
    kharp1 Posts: 3,453
    I'm thinking that there cold be several ways you could go here. I'd try to work out some better deal with the guy, if possible, or, just play it as is for now and plan for a cap upgrade down the road. There appears to be enough room to make some improvement. Mundorf, Jantzen, Audyne, Jupiter all make some good sounding caps. The Jupiter are physically bigger, some are square or rectangular, but, you can come up with the values you need and play around with the space. This would be a good project that could provide good improvement for the buck.
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