Thing is - we are on batch 1.
"Batch 0" was all the test units that were put through wire straining tests, drop tests, isolation and leakage tests, variance tests, etc... Once they figured out what they needed to fix and such, they did so, and began this line, which I will refer to as "Batch 1".
"Batch 1" is the set of units being made to order off the finished, fixed template that they got from testing "Batch 0." It is the set that is sent out to reviewers and head-fi'ers, meaning that it is as complete as any MPU. The only difference between these PRU's of "Batch 1" and the MPU's, is that these are being made in advance and given out to the press and Head-Fi; and while we are trying them and offering our input, they will be building their inventory to send out to retailers and sell.
The VTF's are not a testing product, not an unfinished product, and not a product we need to be worried about breaking or having defects. You can tell by the way Val runs his business, he would never send out (much less CHARGE for) units that come from the pre-fixing stage of production.
What kind of company would charge for/send out problem units? What kind of company would produce more "off the line" when they've found out what is wrong with THAT LINE?
No company ever releases products with known problems. It's the unknown that comes out. That's my entire statement. Your Batch 1 was batch 0. You are just segregating them out since they weren't tested on. They are still the same batch. Like Val said, half are used for testing. Half will be sold this time around (cause he had no clue what happens with them). They are the same batch. What you called batch 0 and what you called batch 1 above are the same batch.
I said nothing about unfinished, nor testing. They are, however, untested (in the real world). They shouldn't have defects... Key word here is shouldn't. But without real world testing, we won't know for sure. For example, the first batch of MEE A161s had a problem with the strain relief that caused the plastic cable to disconnect from the strain relief while the copper was still connected. Phonak had a very bad first batch of products when it originally released the 1xx line causing a loss of audio in either earpiece (forgot if it was one or both). Both of these were past the PPU phase. The A161s I think were a batch 0 (first batch ever made). The problem was fixed before hand though. Aiaiai TMA-1 Studios have (and still do as far as I'm concerned) with the glue coming undone after weeks of use on the foam pads. None of this is expected. It is tested for, but not in the real world. It's the real world that exposes the products the most. Note that I myself haven't run into all of these problems. The Phonak and Aiaiai one I have not run into as I don't own first batches (I do have an Aiaiai that could be defective, but I'll live with it). I've had others that have had problems though.
Testing is only going to do so much. You can only account for so much. Like software engineering, you can test all you want, some MFer will still come out and F with your program in the real world. Same goes with physical products. It's true test is in the real world, not in a controlled area. Controlled area can help determine real world, but it isn't.
Are they going to have problems. IDK. I doubt it, like I do every pair of headphones I have. Lemons are bound to be around (gotten my fair share as well). Is it possible some unexpected problem will show up since these having been fully tested in the general public? Well, that's still up for grabs, we don't know. Tests that Val does have confirmed that they should last so long as there is no manufacturing bug that needs fixing.
That's all I'm going to say about this product at this time. They are not the final production run of the first batch which will be given to pre-orderers (not people who bought PPUs) or anything after that. Transition from PPU to final can have slight variances if anything is found. Otherwise, it will be the same. Note I never say there will be, but as with any pre-release product (or even first batch for that matter), it has a higher chance to have problems.
