Bill Legall-MillerSound speaker driver repair


I just wanted to share a wonderful experience I had with Bill Legall from Millersound with everyone.

I had purchased a pair of pretty rare, no longer made, (the company is gone) full range, single driver speakers from a guy and knew going in that he had damaged one of the drivers by hooking up an amp that was emitting a little bit of DC in one channel. Needless to say, it completely froze the driver solid.

I was told that these weren’t repairable and were really designed to be replaced and not repaired. Enter Bill and Millersound. I told him what happened and he said he could surely fix it, but it might not a “perfectionist” job because of the custom nature of the driver. I told him that knowing his reputation, they would probably be as close to perfect as possible.

Well, I just got the driver back and I was wrong. This thing IS PERFECT! I mean you can’t tell it from the other original driver and it sounds SUPERB!!

I, (along with several others) have recommended Bill many times here on this forum, but I have never needed his services, until now. Man, am I glad I took my own advice. If anyone needs a speaker repaired I give Bill and Millersound my highest recommendation.

He has my business forever…
128x128mofimadness

Showing 4 responses by brettmcee

With all the amazing feedback on here about Millersound, I decided to send off, for the first time ever, some speakers to be repaired--Infinity Kappa Polydomes. 
Communications were odd right from the get-go. A few different people answers Mr. Legalls email and you never know who you are going to get. They generally don't seem to like to answer questions. 

I sent my polydomes in and got confirmation they were received. I did get notification when they were shipped out.
Upon opening and then unwrapping my first polydome, the plastic mount plate was obviously cracked at the edge. I was shocked and saddened. 
I sent some mildly emotional emails over the weekend and received some very odd and even childish replies. Mr. Legall admitted in one email that he noticed something wrong with the mount plate while he was working on it--a depression or chip--but did not contact me in seeing this damage. It is very possible the mount plates were damaged in my shipping to MillerSound and putting a claim in with UPS would have been helpful at that point. They had previously warned me not to purchase domes from eBay and have them sent directly to them just in case something like this happened. The domes I sent were mine, were in fine shape and only needed that yellowed dome material replaced. There where no other problems with the drivers. 
This is the last email i received from Mr. Legall:

On Saturday, March 10, 2018, 4:34 PM, William Legall <#####@aol.com> wrote:
It had the tiniest, almost invisible chip on the rear edge.
ABSOLUTELY NO CRACKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I AM DONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

PERIOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

If I could post a photo here you would see that the mount plate edge and a bit up into the face has a near 2 inch long crack, no more than 1/4 inch wide and has completely broken off of the edge of the mount plate. I sent them pictures.
One of the Mr. Legalls business associates, who also answers Mr. Legalls emails, told me to put a claim in with UPS and said no more. This is totally not helpful as the damage most likely occurred when i sent it to them, was not noted by them and was most likely exacerbated during repackaging and shipment to me. Their packaging has no damage, but with a hairline crack (or whatever Mr. Legall saw) could have become a full-on broken piece while bouncing around a bit during return shipping. 
I don't know what to do now. I have more domes I'd like repaired and I just can't believe this is how a group of professional audio repair specialists run their business and/or client communication. I have tried calling but have not gotten through.
It seems like Mr. Legall is 'protected' by a few people at MillerSound, not sure why, but I have received some very peculiar emails.
The community's advice is sought. 
Thanks,Brett
www.brettmc.com
email I received today from William Legall (unsigned)

From:William Legall <#####@aol.com>To:Brett McConnell <####@yahoo.com>Sent:Wednesday, April 25, 2018 12:41 PM

Subject:"Claim" went out

$180 “claim” was mailed to you today.
Someone brought to out attention the audiokarma comments from you. As you don’t like our work, we won’t have to worry about further shipping “claims” in the future.


———————-
this was my reply

Hello The Many People Who Answer At And Reply From This Email Address (this email feels like its from Mr. Legall if I am not mistaken):
I made no comments about not liking your work. I did much research including buying other drivers and testing them before I sent you my Polydomes. I think your work is excellent.However your business practices seem very confused. Here are some suggestions that may help:
1) Keep business and personal emails separate--as in separate addresses.
2) Give everyone at your business their own email address.
3) Sign your emails or employ auto signing so customers have some idea who they are speaking with via email.
4) If you are closed on Sundays and Mondays, don’t read business emails on those days (instead of telling customers not to write you on Sundays and Mondays...I have never heard of that or experienced it from other companies, businesses....emails are not phone calls)
5) Pick up the phone and call customers if there is an issue.
6) Have a standard form customers fill out when submitting an item for repair or refurbishment.
7)Before starting any work on an item, check items that come in for any potential issues and check with the customer if there is any question that an item may have a defect or problem that the customer may not know about. This valuable business practice would have averted this unfortunate situation.
8) If a problem occurs you are the professionals, act professionally and get in touch with the customer. People sending you their valuable speakers understand some things are out of yours and their control and both sides can be reasonable when settling an issue I assure you.

Sending condescending emails about "claims" and emails all in caps exclaiming things like "NO CRACKS!!!!" is hardly what grownups do and is certainly not professional.I would not intentionally crack a rare Infinity Polydome driver that I sent to YOU--A SPECIALST--for repair, just so I could get $180 discount. I love my speakers! And what a pain it has been to deal with UPS. 

We could have just come to some sort of agreement instead of emails from you saying "NO CRACKS!!!! I AM DONE." Not professional, not adult.

Please know those Polydomes were the very first piece of audio gear I have ever sent out for repair--EVER. 

I will surely post this message on Audiokarma as well. People should know who and what that they are getting involved with when they send their precious speakers to you and your company and how you handle shipping damage when it occurs.

Thanks for your excellent Polydome refurbishments. I currently have two sets that function well, just one driver with unfortunate, mostly-cosmetic damage. I will enjoy them for many years to come.

Best to you and yours.
Thanks,
Brett

http://www.brettmc.com/
I guess it’d be nice if someone could help me mediate this situation?

i am not trying to bully I just honestly am not sure how to deal with a business or adults that send emails like the ones I have received.

i have never experienced anything quite like this in my adult life and I am uncertain as to why I get snide remarks from Mr. L? I do not hold him responsible for the damage. But what has happened SINCE the damage has been rather upsetting.

its been very odd the emails I have received back from them (I have even been told not to email them on Sundays and Mondays which I would not do if I knew that was something they prefered but I have never ever had anyone ever tell me not to email them and I’ve certainly never been told/asked not to email on certain days?)

And I do not understand why this damage is such a big deal anyways if the item was shipped via UPS with insurance? UPS is who I fault and they should pay. And I hope that Millersound did not have to pay.

It would have have been helpful though, if the damage initially occurred when I shipped the item, to have been alerted to that damage so we could have bugged UPS then as I too shipped with Insurance. 

If like Mr. L says there was some minor damage a chip or nick there before he started working on it then a few off bumps in shipping it back to me could cause a nick to become a crack. The mount plates are plastic after all. 

Well i I always get great advice from these forums. This is why I went to Millersound in the first place. 

Im not a bad guy. I’m sure they are not bad people. The odd communications I have had have upset me and that is why I am here asking and letting you know what’s up.

i would have called them myself but I gathered from early communications that they seem like people who don’t want to be bothered...so I tried to keep my communications text-based. Maybe that was a bad decision on my part.

oh well. Did my best for my first piece of gear ever sent out for repair and it came back damaged.

ill have a really great pair of Infinity 9Kappas for sale soon.

best,
brett