NYC TV Guy

Manhattan · July 2026

A Dead Amplifier and Twelve Ceiling Speakers Traced to a Decades-Old Rack

A client's twenty-year-old, whole-home sound system had stopped working in his apartment. A technician spent roughly an hour and a half tracing twelve ceiling speakers across four rooms back to a dead amplifier in a decades-old equipment rack, then recommended modern equipment to replace it.
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  • 373 Google reviews
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2026-07-14

An old, whole-home speaker system goes quiet

The client's in-ceiling sound system, wired through roughly ten pieces of equipment in a rack, had stopped working. He sent photos of the gear and booked a visit for a technician to check it.

  • First contact2026-07-14
  • Site visit proposed2026-07-14
  • Photos sent2026-07-14
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The client called about an apartment with an older in-ceiling sound system — speakers built into the ceiling, wired through roughly ten devices in a rack — that had gone quiet. NYC TV Guy explained that upgrading a system like this usually means replacing only the amplifier or receiver, not the whole setup, and proposed a visit so a technician could check the equipment in person. Right after the call, the client sent photos of the gear for a first look, and a visit was booked.

  • The client called in about an old in-ceiling sound system that was not working, with roughly ten devices in the equipment rack.
  • NYC TV Guy explained that upgrading to a smart system usually means replacing only the amplifiers or receivers, not the whole system, and proposed a paid site-visit consultation to check the equipment.
  • The client sent three photos of the equipment right after the call, asking what NYC TV Guy thought.
2026-07-29

The visit: a dead amplifier, twelve speakers, and a rack nobody had touched in years

A technician spent roughly an hour and a half tracing twelve ceiling speakers across four rooms back to a decades-old rack, where a five-channel power amplifier had died. NYC TV Guy recommended replacing it with modern equipment.

  • Equipment documented2026-07-29
  • Speakers traced2026-07-29
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The technician worked through the apartment room by room, photographing twelve ceiling speaker grilles across a living and dining room, a kitchen hallway, a book-lined study, and a bathroom, then traced the wiring back to a tall equipment rack packed with 20-year-old audiophile gear: a five-channel power amplifier, a digital surround controller, a DVD audio transport, a multi-room preamplifier, and an audio server, plus a home lighting-control processor sharing the same rack. The preamplifier's own display still showed an active source for one room, confirming the old equipment was still wired in. He also found the wiring behind three wall-mounted TVs, tangled and apparently untouched for years. Based on what he found, NYC TV Guy recommended replacing the dead amplifier with modern equipment rather than rebuilding the whole system.

  • The technician arrived to check the equipment.
  • The technician photographed a tall equipment rack packed with 20-year-old audiophile-grade gear: a five-channel power amplifier, a digital surround controller, a DVD audio transport, a multi-room preamplifier, and an audio server, alongside a home lighting control processor sharing the same rack.
  • He also photographed twelve ceiling speaker grilles across at least four rooms (a living/dining room, a kitchen hallway, a study lined with bookshelves, and a bathroom).
  • He photographed the back of the rack and behind three wall-mounted TVs, showing dense, tangled cabling that appeared to have been undisturbed for years.
  • The multi-room preamplifier's own display showed it was still actively set to a source for one of the rooms, confirming the old source equipment was still wired in and at least partly powered.
A Lutron home lighting-control processor and its wiring, mounted in the same equipment rack as the audio gear.
A Lutron home lighting-control processor and its wiring, mounted in the same equipment rack as the audio gear.

What this job used

Services

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  • Premium Audio & TV

What people actually say

5.0 on Google · 373 Google reviews

Newest first

  • Google review
    Sebastian and Josie were absolute professionals and gentlemen. Josue arranged the appointment and kept on top of scheduling. It was seamless and the work was done the next day. Sebastian was a superstar. My TV had already been mounted but there were wires all over the place which were driving me crazy. He practically made the wire’s disappear. He then put my Roku behind the TV and connected the sound bar. He said I didn’t really need cable box bc Spectrum has streaming. I’m saving 40 dollars a month now. I have a hearing impediment and Sebastian set up my phone with Roku app so that I can now listen to sound with earbuds. The sound bar is awesome. No complaints from neighbors about noise now. I had 4 different remotes now I only need one. I’m no longer confused about operating the system. I was so lucky to have found TV Guys. I’d give them a six bit rating only goes up to 5🙂
    Suzanne KalmanTV + Soundbar
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  • Google review
    Professional, fast, and high quality service! Great communication from the start and the finished result looks so great! Thank you 🙌 …
    Joyce Russell
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  • Google review
    The tv mounting was fantastic from start to finish. They got the job done the next day. My co-op has burdensome insurance and liability requirements which Josue handled like a champ. And Stephen, the installer was sublime. My concrete wall was a bear. He did a meticulous s job and left my apartment cleaner than when he came. I highly recommend!
    S PTV Mounting
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  • Google review
    Very professional. Super fast and efficient. 10 of 10 would totally work with him again. This dude has every tool on the planet.
    Josue Polanco
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  • Google review
    From salesperson Josue and the technician Stephen, my experience was excellent. The tech took the time to get all of the details right and my TV looks wonderful mounted. I highly recommend them.
    Sebrina GreeneTV Mounting
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  • Google review
    The entire process was seamless. Josue was super responsive and helpful. Sebastian and Damion were friendly, knowledgeable, courteous; and they did an excellent job mounting our 77” TV. Highly recommend.
    Michael FosinaTV Mounting
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  • Google review
    Absolute amazing experience. Cristian was Super quick in his response time to my inquiry and also fantastic setup time. Stephen and Sebastian were so flexible in helping me accommodate to make my tv in the best spot! I’d recommend them to anyone in New York City for quick service and fantastic quality.
    Victoria BeaudoinTV Mounting
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  • Google review
    NYC TV GUY and team did a great job mounting my two TVs. A big shoutout to Stephen for being super efficient while performing the installation Cristian and the support team are very easy to work with as well. Highly recommend.
    JulianMultiple TVs
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  • Google review
    I had an excellent experience from beginning to end! Cristian, the sales representative, was professional, friendly, and made the entire process simple and stress-free. He clearly explained everything and made sure I received exactly what I needed. Alejandro, the technician, did an amazing job mounting two TVs in my home. He arrived on time, worked carefully and efficiently, and made sure both TVs were perfectly positioned, level, and securely installed. He was respectful of my home and left everything clean and organized. The customer service and quality of work were outstanding. I highly recommend this company, and especially Cristian and Alejandro, to anyone looking for professional TV-mounting services. Five-star service all around! Thankyou
    German DogaymanMultiple TVs
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  • Google review
    Wow!! Excellent service. Alejandro & Sebastian are a great team - they’re quick, clean, reasonable, honest and overly helpful. I will definitely be using these guys again! Josue was wonderful with helping schedule as well! Highly recommend!
    CAMPBELL CASTNER
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  • Google review
    Josue, Giovanni, and Dabney provided a smooth and great service. Would recommend!
    Sophie Park
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  • Google review
    Spoke to Josue on the phone to book the service and time - fast and friendly. Stephen, the technician, did a great job and was really nice. Left the wall in great condition (cleaned it up nicely), all after I originally sent him to the wrong address 🫠 …
    Thomas Hardy
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