Altec Lansing 641

Does anybody know if there was any success in getting some kind of an explanation why this model seems to have an inherent defect in the circuit board? I have read old messages about this and I did not find anymore update. I guess the problem came later in my own speakers compared to the rest. I tried to call their technical support but all they ask from you is your phone number and name with a promise to call you within the day. But they never did! And I called twice!

I give up but I won't go without a fight. FROM NOW ON, I WILL NEVER, EVER, BUY ANY PRODUCT FROM ALTEC LANSING . This company is a snob. They think they are a big company and all of us small penniless consumers have nothing to do with their success. If they really cared, they would have better customer service! I will go for Bose instead. My friend has this expensive set of speakers and subwoofer and she had it forever and it's still making beautiful sound. Worth every penny.

Surprise, surprise! They responded to me in less than a week. Here's what they have to say:

Dear Ethel;

If your speakers are past our one year warranty, the only option we would be able to offer you is to take your speakers to a repair shop to see if they can identify the internal part that smells burnt and to see if they would be able to repair it. It would not be an Altec Lansing part, but at least it would be able to work.
We unfortunately do not repair our speakers, only replace them if they are still within warranty and since the 641 model has been discontinued since January of last year we do not have anymore that you would be able to purchase.

Sorry for any inconvenience.

Altec Lansing Customer support.

I guess what really frustrates me is the fact that I never really enjoyed my speaker as much as I should have. Had I known it had a shelf life of 2 years, I would have used it more often! Anyway, thanks for that cool-headed analysis of a very hot topic for me. I was actually fuming when I wrote those threads. Now I am resigned to the fact that I just have to dish out another couple hundred bucks and cross my fingers it would last as long as I hope. I still would not look out for Altec Lansing speakers until I get over the trauma I went through.

Most companies run with a limited 1 year warranty these days actually. It's like the new standard that they shifted down to. If you pick up a longer warranty it doesn't go through them it goes through the place that you buy it at. They handle the situation from that point on and issue replacements on their judgement call (usually trying to screw you over with a bad/cheap company)

It sounds like there isn't much to lose if you do experiment on your own with a repair. My system is still running but I have it running through a ups system and always have headphones plugged in before I turn the power on. =/ it seems to dampen the load.

The VS4121 system seems to be free of the trouble that the 641 encountered. Also if I remember right, the 621's didn't have the issue either. It seems that at lower power they did fine it's just when they tried to create a beast they failed in the amp department. >_<

A lot has been written about this problem of yours. All of those threads ended up with "sorry, you just have to buy a new set of speakers". That's what I did and I tried Klipsch Promedia 2.1. The sound is not as good as the Altec Lansing 641 but there's no point of comparison because they are two different kinds of speakers; one is a 2-channel and the other one is a 4-channel. There's nothing better than more channels. I wrote back to Altec Lansing Customer Service who kindly responded to me sooner than the others experienced to tell them about people like you and me who have to part sadly with our beloved subs rather prematurely. And I asked if they ever thought of recalling their defective product because it has to be a design/part fault because I took care of my own speakers very carefully and it still died on me. No reply yet...I guess never...RECALL is an expensive word.

I sent my burnt subwoofer to my brother and the technician who opened it said that the Power ICs were burnt. It has a total of 8 small Power ICs (FH FDS 6612A and FH 039 FDS 6609A, 4 of each). Does anybody know where to get these?

Integrated circuit. I was told it was too small. When I called Altec Lansing, the guy said they manufacture their own ICs and that they can only offer me a discount if I buy a replacement. Well, isn't it obvious, I want to fix it??? Anyway, he said I should go to a computer store to find a replacement for it. Oh by the way, they use asbestos inside the subwoofer!

The problem with my 641 sub was the chip I identified earlier....other problems may occur in other units. I am no expert by any means, but was lucky enough to fix my sub and have a fully functional 641 set of speakers.