Repair FAQ

Last updated November 22, 2023

Sound Devices is proud to offer an incredibly capable, high-quality Service department and Tech Support group staffed by knowledgeable, highly trained professionals. As we cater to professionals who depend on our equipment to make their living, we offer a premium service experience – by professionals, for professionals. Every unit that comes in for on-premises repair goes through an extensive quality process to ensure that repairs are done correctly, and repaired units are as reliable as possible.

Which products are eligible for repair?
All Sound Devices (and Video Devices) products. We’ve been manufacturing for over 25 years, and proudly carry repair parts and train our service technicians to work on everything we’ve ever made.

Which parts are available to purchase?
We carry stock of nearly every part for every product we’ve ever made. From connectors and knobs to batteries, submit a parts request at service.sounddevices.com/contact-support/ and we’ll be happy to supply you with what you need.

What does it cost me for you to look at my product and give me a repair estimate?
Nothing, this is free. We will not charge you anything until we get approval from you to repair.

Why is there a pre-approval process?
We have found through lots of experience that one of the most time-consuming parts of the entire process is getting the customer authorization after the estimate. To this end, we encourage (via a discount) authorizing us to proceed with the repair by pre-approving a minimum of $150 in parts to save you money and accelerate the entire repair process. This process is optional and up to the customer. Our pre-approval process is described here.

I have a product under warranty that needs repair – what does this cost?
If a product still has its original warranty, all parts and labor are, of course, covered.

How can I send my unit for repair?
The first step is to contact our Support Tea m. They’ll ask questions to gather the information needed to take care of you and your product. Some problems do not require a hardware fix and can be resolved without sending the unit in. Our Support Team will troubleshoot with you to ensure sending in is the right option. Do not send in repairs without first contacting our Support Team for an RA (Return Authorization). Any unit sent in without an RA can be returned to the sender without inspection or repair.
International Customers:
1 – Go to a Sound Devices reseller near you for them to inspect the unit. The reseller can either do the repair or contact us to coordinate the repair process. To find a reseller, go to our reseller page and filter by country.
2 – Contact us or email [email protected]. You will have to fill out the customs documentation, take care of shipping the unit and payment terms.

What is the average turnaround time?
Our average turnaround time is between 5-10 business days of receiving the unit. Intermittent issues may require more time for testing.

What is your repair process?
We have an extensive repair process that has been honed over many years to ensure that repairs are done efficiently, but most importantly, correctly. This is not a quick process — and the minute that the cover comes off a product, it is required to go through the entire process. Even for a “simple” repair, it generally takes an entire day or more to go through this process:
• Product comes in, notes are taken on the condition, and what was or wasn’t included in the shipment.
• Reported fault is duplicated by Tech Support personnel, and if there are any questions, the customer is called to discuss details. This often takes quite a bit of time, depending on the reported fault.
• Reported fault is duplicated by the Repair Technician.
• Unit is disassembled, troubleshot, and repaired. Any other faults that are found are also fixed.
• Any applicable circuitry or mechanical improvements/updates are changed/added.
• Unit is reassembled, cleaned, and taken to Automated Test.
• Unit runs through full, computerized Automated Test used in the original manufacturing of the product. Any failures head back to Repair.
• Unit heads back to Tech Support for manual “people-based” testing and inspection.
• Unit is repacked, making sure that it goes back out with what it came in with. Customer is notified and billed.

Why do you have such an elaborate process?
Our number one goal is the quality of the product. We’ve learned from previous experience and have optimized our process to ensure quality. Murphy’s Law states that when we open a product to fix one thing, sometimes other problems will be uncovered. We want to discover everything wrong with the product, and not leave that for the customer to find while in the field.

Warranty for repaired items?
When we repair a unit it gets a brand-new one-year warranty applied to the product – even for very old products. This is another reason that we take our time during repairs to do them right.

Don’t you have a cheaper option for service?
No, we do not. We won’t take shortcuts on our work, and we have a finite number of trained Technicians available. Sound Devices equipment is typically straightforward to disassemble to do simple things like replace batteries or connectors. The technically inclined may elect to do this work themselves. For any PC-board-level repairs, we highly recommend sending units to us, as we do not publish schematics, and we also carry all the specialized repair equipment, like hot-air pencils, microscopes, BGA rework equipment, and diagnostic equipment required for this work. For any units still under warranty, we require that we do all the work on the equipment, otherwise the warranty is voided.

Why are your rates higher for discontinued products?
Three reasons: 1) Keeping stock of all the parts and the test equipment requires a significant investment of capital; 2) Offering a 1-year warranty on older products is riskier; 3) We do prioritize and incentivize the repair of the newer products over older ones.

Where do you repair?
We have two factory service centers – one at our headquarters in Reedsburg, Wisconsin, and one in our Rickmansworth, UK facility.

Do you have Service loaners available?
Yes, for the duration of the repair at a fixed rate of $250. The CL-6, CL-8, PIX-LR, and SL-2 have a rate of $150. Loaner stock is available on a first come, first served basis – we cannot guarantee that we will have these products in stock at all times.

Should I back up my data before sending my unit in?
Yes! It is the responsibility of the customer to create a backup of any data or configuration information contained on drives or within a unit before sending the product for repair. In some cases it may be necessary to format a drive or change configuration settings on a unit as part of the troubleshooting or repair process. Sound Devices is not responsible for customer data sent in with units for repair. If data has been requested to be off-loaded as part of the repair, Sound Devices may attempt to retrieve it, however, this is not guaranteed. The customer should always assume that formatting media and making configuration changes will be part of the troubleshooting or repair process.
By sending your unit in for repair, you agree that Sound Devices is not responsible for the retention or retrieval of any data or configuration information from the unit or media and that Sound Devices is not liable for the storage of any retrieved data.

Estimate vs pre-approval?
For faster turnaround time, it is recommended to set a pre-approval for the Labor Cost + $100, as most repairs can take place within that amount. This can be helpful for repairs that you know you need done. If the cost of the repair is below your pre-approved amount, you only get charged the actual cost. If the cost goes above the amount you pre-approved, we will reach out to you for confirmation if you would like to proceed.
Another option is “Estimate Required” where we will send you an estimate for the cost of repair before proceeding. This option can be helpful in times where a unit may be damaged beyond economical repair (water or physical damage), though it can take longer as there is downtime while we wait for your response.

What if I do not approve an estimate?
Any denied estimate may be subject to a $150 diagnostic fee.

When am I charged?
You will be charged and we will email you an invoice when service is completed and your unit ships.