And a lot of repairs, if not most, dictate replacing a whole PC board, which can be very expensive.
Answer to #1âŚit depends where you live. Here in the state of Maryland, a repair shop can exceed the estimate, but only by a maximum of 10%.
yeah, volcanic ash is tough on electronics.
And from professional experience, I can state that most repair shops mark up replacement parts severely. Not uncommon for a part you can buy online for $10 to cost 2-3 times that on a repair bill, or even just purchasing it from them. Not saying PSA is like that, as I have never dealt with their repair chop. But in my many years in retail and wholesale sale, in repair shops, and customer service, I have dealt with well over a hundred repair shops⌠electronics, automotive, and appliance.
Repairs when done by companies like PSAudio are in support of their long haul customers and their approach reflects that. An old and long out of production device will be more money. If it can even be rehabilitated. One of my back up amps came to me knowingly, with a blown output. This amp cost $22000 dollars when new. The shipping costs to California were going to be $800 round trip for a 150 pound amp. Plus all new boards. The manufacturer said that they didnât repair, they replaced everything. A local Krell technician spent two weeks on this amp as a personal challenge and it cost me a bargain with parts for $1500. He replaced 12 output transistors and many related parts. Cost is relative and fair in the eye of the beholder.
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Weâre talking about systems that cost thousands and in the unlikely event when a component fails, one has to be psychologically (& financially) ready to repair it or even replace it if required. Besides, one has to be prepared to deal with lemons be it a car, a hifi component, or otherwise 
NB: marriage comes without warranty. Commit at your own risk.
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YeahâŚbut fantastic for an island paradise.
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I wish I could visit my cousin in Kailua. He moved there in 1967, and Iâve only seen him once since then, four years ago. The surgeon who replaced both my hips told me âno long distant trips.â But, even if that werenât the case, I couldnât afford it. I spent it all on my stereo!
The Big Island has VOG, which is a volcanic haze. I live on the north shore of Maui, thus we are never effected by the VOG. Itâs really only parts of the Big Island for which itâs an issue. The eruptions over there donât really produce ash, just lava flows that consume whole neighborhoods 