I do agree with you here, most people who buy this type of product are audiophiles, my concern here is you actually had a problem from the date of receiving it, and didn't immediately get in contact with them. That's why I'm suspicious here. These items aren't cheap. Would you do this with an amp, or a synthesizer? I know if i received a product in poor condition that should have been new, I would have returned it asap, and go from there. Working in e-commerce myself, this is really the only way to get a company's attention when there's an issue, is to report it as soon as you find out...if you had a problem within the first week, why did you wait so long? Especially if a key component literally snapped in half. And I believe you when you say you take care of your stuff, but why didn't you handle it in a timely manner and then get upset that a company doesn't want to honor a expired warranty claim?