[unl3a5h3d]

So I have had my ALO Rx for about 2 years now and put around 2500 hours on it. It is dying. It won't hold a charge more than 20 minutes or so, it does work fine if I use it while it is plugged up. I contacted ALO and they said since it was an old model they couldn't really help me. I am looking for an upgrade as far as sound quality without breaking the bank, which may happen anyways. I mean come on this is Head-Fi. 
 
This means I am in the market for a new portable amp. I plan to also use this amp for my K702s. I have a few options I have heard and loved. My price range would be $250-500 ish. Though it may could be stretched if I saw the longevity of the purchase. 
 
My top "wants": 
1. RSA SR71B - I heard a prototype of this at CanJam last year and thought it sounded fantastic then. It would also power my K702s very nicely. And as far as it being balanced I am completely okay with that lol. Unfortunately even buying used it is slightly outside my price range. 
 
2. ALO MkII - I am assuming it will sound similar to the Rx that I have loved for some time now. 
 
3. TTVJ Slim - Read great reviews though I have not been able to hear it. 
 
I may end up just coughing up the dough and getting the one I really want, the SR71B. I will probably wait until after CanJam this year, which is at the end of March to make any final decisions because I can hear many options there. Opinons/suggestions? Thanks!

 

[Pars]

Quote:

So I have had my ALO Rx for about 2 years now and put around 2500 hours on it. It is dying. It won't hold a charge more than 20 minutes or so, it does work fine if I use it while it is plugged up. I contacted ALO and they said since it was an old model they couldn't really help me. I am looking for an upgrade as far as sound quality without breaking the bank, which may happen anyways. I mean come on this is Head-Fi. 
 

That's great customer support...

 
the lithium batteries in this can't be replaced? 2 years old is not old in the world of electronics BTW.

 

[unl3a5h3d]

Quote:

That's great customer support...

 
the lithium batteries in this can't be replaced? 2 years old is not old in the world of electronics BTW.

Yeah I know it isn't that old, but it is ceasing to function properly. Honestly I have been too afraid to open it up to even see what kind of batteries it takes. It never crossed my mind lol. Anyone else had experience replacing the batteries in an Rx? 
 
 

 

[AndrewG]

Quote:

That's great customer support...

 
That's not something new-- I'd like to warn everybody that ALO pulls this kind of crap time and time again, it is a company you should never deal with. they WILL screw you as they have to me twice and many others. They won't even fix the smallest thing, even on your dime. Their policy is to force you to buy a new product at full price or you're out of luck. Worst customer service in the business. Ray Samuels audio wouldn't pull this crap in a million years- that's the difference between pride in your work and only working for the bottom line.

 

[unl3a5h3d]

Quote:

 
That's not something new-- I'd like to warn everybody that ALO pulls this kind of crap time and time again, it is a company you should never deal with. they WILL screw you as they have to me twice and many others. They won't even fix the smallest thing, even on your dime. Their policy is to force you to buy a new product at full price or you're out of luck. Worst customer service in the business. Ray Samuels audio wouldn't pull this crap in a million years- that's the difference between pride in your work and only working for the bottom line.

Glad to know I'm not the only one. I have briefly met Ray and he seemed like a great guy. With your kind words about him and his company it makes me want a SR71B that much more! I may be leaning towards it more now even though it is out of my price range.
 

 

[SECT]

Many more people have had positive experiences with the ALO brand. They are boutique in size if you were to compare them to Sony, and hence you have to have realistic expectations. They try their best and manage to release forward thinking products.
Baseless slander does nothing for the community.

 

[smial1966]

I think that previous thread posters have been unjustifiably harsh on ALO and Ken Ball, as I've always found him to be an upstanding guy. When ALO shipped the wrong colour CLAS to me Ken was most apologetic and rectified the problem immediately. Likewise when my out of warranty Rx MKII had a volume niggle, Ken kindly repaired it free of charge. 
 
Back on topic - the TTVJ Slim is an outstanding amp.
 
Cheers.

 

[Pars]

Baseless slander? I'm not privy to the content of the conversation the OP had with ALO, but I don't think it is exactly baseless. If they can't provide replacement battery packs, how about telling the OP what to look for if he wished to replace it themselves? At least help him (I assume) out instead of telling him that his 2 year old product is obsolete.
 
Forward thinking products? Much of the ALO product line had been previously done conceptually by DIY'ers. Put down the Kool-aid.
 
Glad that ALO helped out the other poster, though shipping the correct product out after sending the wrong one hardly qualifies as exceptional customer service.

 

[unl3a5h3d]

I have had a good experience with ALO until this experience. They weren't exactly disrespectful but basically said that I could just buy a new amp. And upgrade-itis has kicked in and I am looking to get something with on up on the scale of sound quality. I am also looking for something that I can use as a desktop amp for my K702's. A built in DAC that doesn't suck would be very awesome. 

 

[unl3a5h3d]

Any more recommendations/opinions?

 

[Staal]

If you consider SR71-B, you might want to have a look at the Rx Mk3.

 

[unl3a5h3d]

Quote:

If you consider SR71-B, you might want to have a look at the Rx Mk3.

 
Yeah I am open to either. When I contacted ALO I also asked if they had set the release date for it yet. No such luck. I loved the sound of the SR71-B. I would probably lean that way over the MKIII. I would love to have a listening session with both of them in front of me. It would make my decision much easier lol.