Beveridge repair by Reromanus SUCKS !

Here is my story about the Reromanus repair of my Beveridge Model 5 electrostatic panels.

I hope you excuse me for writing in English, I'm not able to write in German, sorry for that.

I am writing this to let other people know what happened to me when doing business with Reromanus because the whole repair turned out to be nothing but a big mess and I would not want anyone else to experience the same thing.

I had a problem with one of my Beveridge panels (built 1987), the other panel was still working after more than 20 years, and I was searching for someone who could repair them.
In October 2008 I sent the panels to a company located in Germany, Reromanus, after receiving positive info about the possibility of repairing them from Reiner ,the chief of the company. He is the one who does the repairs.
On their website they say that they have 30 years experience and will repair all kind of electrostatic panels, so that also helped me in my decision in choosing Reromanus for the repair. The estimated price was good, about 600 Euro for both panels. I mailed some free patents showing how the panels were connected, I also mailed some pictures. I told them several times that audio-signal is applied on the mylar, unlike other electrostats like Quad ESL. The Beveridge model 5 is a two-way speaker with a crossover frequency of 200 Hz. The electrostatic panel works from 200Hz -20kHz and the woofer in the cabinet handles 30-200 Hz.
In December 2008 I received a mail from Reiner telling me that the price would be 900 Euro because the work was more time consuming than he had expected. I accepted the new price.
In January 2009 Reiner wanted me to pay 500 Euro, a part of the total repair cost and I did that.
In March 2009, after about 5 months, I finally received the repaired panels. To make along story short I will just say that Reromanus had rebuilt the Beveridge panels, yes, but they built them as “constant charge” panels with a high resistance diaphragm (like Quad ESL).
Of course they did not work.
I could not beleive it!
All Beveridge speaker use fully conductive aluminized mylar ! If someone claim 30 years of experience, then they should know this!
Ok, I had to send the panels back to Reromaus, as Reiner called it “ a warranty repair”
I returned the panels and also one box with the electronics for one speaker.
In October 2009, after about 7 months, I received the panels again. I quote Reiner:
“I am very content with the results. The frequency response and sound level is by far better than e.g. huge Martin Logan Prodigy panels, I have here for repair. You will be satisfied as well, I am sure.”
I thought, Ok, this time they will work for sure.
How wrong I was !!!

I installed one panel in the speaker and got a very low output, highly distorted sound, not what I expected at all. Also there was a constant popping noise. I had to reduce the input voltage (220V) with a variac to about 180 Volts to get rid of the popping. I wonder what voltage Reromanus used in their workshop ?
The other panel had the same popping but sounded just a little better.

But the output from the panel is too low to match the output from the built-in woofer.
Both panels have a constant, low “charging”-kind of noise when connected to the mains. It does not disappear.
I mailed Reromanus about the problems the same evening but he did not answer me until 7 weeks later. In the end of December 2009 I received a mail from Reiner, he had been sick.
I described the problems in several mails to Reromanus but he disappeared from the earth again for three weeks.
I was getting very tired, angry, frustrated and disappointed. In January 2010 I got in contact with the Swedish consumer agency “Konsument Europa” and got some help in writing a couple of mails to Reromanus , was he willing to try to repair again? If not, I would want a refund of the money I had paid. They did get a period of 14 days to think about it. Reromanus did not answer any of my mail, today it is July and they still have not answered yet.
Why did they not answer my mail?
Reiner explanes in a mail Juli 12 2010 ( 6 months later..)
“I did not get that mail(s). Sorry, I switched to the actual mail address at that period. “
Excellent time to change e-mail address indeed, especially if you want to avoid customer e-mails.
Konsument Europa ‘s German colleagues have tried to contact Reromanus for some time, and finally managed to get hold of them and surprise, suprise , he is now willing to give it a try to repair the panels a third time!

Well,having had all these problems, I am not interested any more, I want my money back!!
To sum up this story, this repair has been going on for about 22 months and it is not finished yet.
During this time Reiner says that he have had a website-shutdown, a bad wrist, a depression, bad competition trying to hurt his business, changed his e-mail address,,,
I have not received any refund from Reromanus.
And today, 12-Feb 2011,(this is almost too much)I found that Reromanus has pictures of my panels on his website.
The pictures is actually showing my panels that he was not able to repair!!

“We also repair Beveridge panels!
Repair, refurbish and upgrade
we master these matters ........”

http://loudspeaker-repair-service.reromanus.net/Beveridge.htm


All above is based on my own experiences and everone should of course make up their own opionion.
Questions and comments are welcome


Regards Bev