I was on a trip from Seattle to Lubbock TX in my trusty 04 LS430 UL with 189,000. The car did fantastic EXCEPT for the stereo. Once we got to Lubbock TX and got ready to leave after being their only 3 days, the stereo "QUIT", I mean all I heard was a static sound when I turned the car on and that was it. So we drove for 3 days and 1,750 miles without any radio except for our cell phones which we would place in the nav unit to hear Sirius at least.

SO I sent off my Mark Levinson amp to be repaired. $340 later and being told it was "The power supply for the pre amp is no good on your unit .It repair test over 2 hours , all ok now."

It seemed like a good place, fast and a 1 year warranty. https://www.ebay.com/itm/REPAIR-AND-...8AAOSwuDFcavRb
What a pain to take out and put back in but it works and all is well again.

Oh and one more thing, the radar cruise gave a few error's along the way. Figured one was related to pointing into the sun at one point and the other due to the amount of bugs that caked the from of my car going through Idaho. Yikes

 

I had to go through this same process a few months ago. That amp is a total PITA to remove! I think United Radio in NY charged me $425, so you got a good deal on your repair!

 

Hagar hows the repair on the amp holding up?

 

Quite well and I am so glad it cost what it did and I didn't need to get a new one.
Why?

 

My United Radio repaired unit is still holding up as well, almost 2 years into having it done.

 

I am getting some static when cranking/starting the car so Im wondering if I should just send it out to have it serviced.

 

That's a typical symptom of the failing power supply circuit. You'd better to send it before semiconductors/speakers are damaged. A soldering skilled guy would repair it all by himself.