Thanks, Wolfen... Fwiw, we do have some BRAND-NEW 9-volt battery-powered [AC power supply also included] HeadRoom Micro DACs still available currently listed under "B-stock". We currently have about 10 of those 9v portable-application Micro DACs left; then they'll be officially goners.
Cheers,
Jorge
HR Sales/Product Manager
Yeah, I know....I convinced my friend to buy "#11" yesterday.
Garmentus Vulgaris & Headphoneus Supremus Premier Sponsor HeadRoom
Quote:
Originally Posted by MoNelly
I'd love to see you guys offer your own iPod line out dock cables. Seems like you're leaving money on the table without such a product in the lineup.
Ho, ho, ho, how wrong you are! We actually made some for a little while, and while we could sell as many as we could make, we couldn't really sell them at a high enough cost to really make it worthwhile .... ESPECIALLY since Apple has begun to take legal actions against folks using Apple designed (the connector) parts without being part of their official "Made for iPod" program.
My heartfelt suggestion: discontinue sending redundant wall-warts when people purchase the Astrodyne; or at least make it optional.
I made this suggestion in another thread, but I think it's actually really important and instant to put into effect. I recently purchased the Ultra Micro Amp along with the Astrodyne PS. I didn't pick up on the fact that the standard wall-wart PS would still be included in the package. Even if you make it purely optional (say, with a toggle button on the shopping cart), I think it would be cheaper for you, possibly cheaper for the customer, and above all certainly better for the environment if you would not automatically send a redundant (in the duplicative sense) power supply. From a marketing perspective, I know it's tough to try to promote a business like yours (a damn fine business!) as being eco-friendly, because class-a devices are as inefficient as they come, but a small gesture like this could at least serve to show you're making an effort, and at best could help your marketing efforts.
</soapbox speech>
And even though it's already been mentioned many times, I can't tell you how much I would lust after a balanced desktop with max module option. Before you say it, I know, I know, there's just not enough room in there. And even more than that, I can appreciate from a business perspective how important it is to be able to price discriminate so as not to cannibalize sales of your other lines. But what about this idea: I know you recently created a mini version of the max module board to cram into the Ultra Micro Amp (I know because I just purchased it). Could you fit two of those boards in the Desktop chassis if there was no DAC option? I would so lust for a balanced amp with max module option that I would totally accept a very crippled version of the Desktop line, in terms of overall features, in order to get it. So you could "cripple" a balanced max desktop by making it an amp-only option, with no outputs of any kind except the front headphones. Heck, I'd even be okay with it if you eliminated the concentric TRS jacks inside the XLR plugs and truly made this thing a one-trick pony. Heck, you could even require the DPS and say the Astrodyne won't cut it for this Max-balanced option.
If you did that I think it would have the following advantages: 1) wouldn't cannibalize your Home and Max amp sales because it couldn't really be integrated with a home entertainment system; 2) would spur more same-sale upgrades, like the DPS and balanced cables (because people would have no choice but to use balanced headphones with it); and 3) give a much wider array of people access, albeit in constrained form, to a true max balanced experience.
But I know you've probably already thought of all those things. I'm just saying, I'd be a purchaser!
Garmentus Vulgaris & Headphoneus Supremus Premier Sponsor HeadRoom
Quote:
Originally Posted by schaqfu
<soapbox speech>I made this suggestion in another thread, but I think it's actually really important and instant to put into effect. </soapbox speech>
Well, if you want to come here and help us with web and bookkeeping system programming, I might be able to make some changes quick. Saddly, things are rarely as simple as they seem. Let me see if I can get to the bottom line quick:
1) We like the $699 price point (well, we'd rather see it lower, but will live with $699). If we just included the Astrodyne supply it would have to raise the price to $749 minimum. As silly as it seems, there is such a thing as price sensitivity and we're quite skittish about raising the price further.
2) It is quite problematic to make it an option because then we have to stock two different kinds of Ultra Amps one with the regular supply and one with the Astrodyne. We've been working hard to control our inventory levels and having two different versions of the same product means you have double the minimum required inventory to keep both in stock.
3) We're a small company with limited resources. Even we get tricked into doing things sometimes that look easy, but aren't as easy as it would first seem. We find ourselves in a situation where we've done a lot of things right, which also puts us in the position of having a fairly clear view of the next things we can do. But because we are resource limited even things that look obvious next steps can be out of reach as simply jumping on them too early eats up resources that needs to go into putting currently worked on items properly into place. What I'm saying is that sometimes things look like they obviously need to be worked on, but we have to wait to do them just to properly throttle the cost of workers to do the work.
So, thanks for the comment, I'm looking forward to tweeking that particular problems ... and about a million others, too. (You don;t wanna know how much it sucks being the boss sometimes.)
Speaking of other problems:
Quote:
Originally Posted by schaqfu
And even though it's already been mentioned many times, I can't tell you how much I would lust after a balanced desktop with max module option. Before you say it, I know, I know, there's just not enough room in there. .... But what about this idea: I know you recently created a mini version of the max module board to cram into the Ultra Micro Amp (I know because I just purchased it). Could you fit two of those boards in the Desktop chassis if there was no DAC option?
It's not room, it's heat, and power supply electrolytic capacitor degredation from heat. (There are no 'Max modules' in the Ultra Micro, everything is just on the main board.) The power supply is outside the unit on the Ultra Micro; also the Ultra Micro has a higher enclosure surface area to volume ratio so it can dissipate heat a little faster than a desktop. Over time we'll make some adjustments to the line that will more likely solve the problem for people; it'll take having stand-alone DACs available though, and we're working on that.
1) We like the $699 price point (well, we'd rather see it lower, but will live with $699). If we just included the Astrodyne supply it would have to raise the price to $749 minimum. As silly as it seems, there is such a thing as price sensitivity and we're quite skittish about raising the price further.
2) It is quite problematic to make it an option because then we have to stock two different kinds of Ultra Amps one with the regular supply and one with the Astrodyne. We've been working hard to control our inventory levels and having two different versions of the same product means you have double the minimum required inventory to keep both in stock.
<clarification>
Tyll, thanks for the quick response. I think I wasn't clear. I've got no quibble with the price point or with selling the Astrodyne separately... I just bought both last week (and I paid a full $99 for the Astrodyne, not just an extra $50, though I'd be willing to consider only $50 )
No, I think you should leave everything exactly as it is now. I was just suggesting that you have the fine person who pops the unit into the FedEx box literally reach in and snatch out the wall-wart if someone has purchased the Astrodyne separately, but as part of the same order. I completely understand if that would be cost prohibitive because it would mess with your logistics operations. I was hoping that it could pay for itself by you not having to purchase as many wall-warts - lower parts cost and lower shipping cost. Think of the supply of those cute things you could accumulate there! You're in Montana, I know you have room!
I'm sure there are other times people might purchase a product but not want the wall-wart, such as if they're adding a component to a system and they already have the DPS in use that they're going to connect it to. But this idea was for the benefit of your bottom line (and the environment); not an attempt to get prices lowered or products modified.
Garmentus Vulgaris & Headphoneus Supremus Premier Sponsor HeadRoom
Quote:
Originally Posted by schaqfu
No, I think you should leave everything exactly as it is now. I was just suggesting that you have the fine person who pops the unit into the FedEx box literally reach in and snatch out the wall-wart if someone has purchased the Astrodyne separately, but as part of the same order.
Then I'd have someone complaining that they bought the Astrodyne for work, but wanted the stock supply for home. Believe me, you can't please everyone.
Quote:
Originally Posted by schaqfu
Wait, you already do... the Micro DAC and the Ultra Micro DAC.
) 
)
Linear Mode
