[akg702]

I got my Phoenix today too ....

There are a two dents on the remote and a dot scratch on the metal selector. I emailed kingwa, and just wonder are these dents and scratches normal with a new phoenix QC.

Should I just over look those visual in perfection? ....

Thanks
Fin

 

[Currawong]

There shouldn't be dents anywhere. Does your box appear to have been opened by customs? Otherwise, I wonder if Kingwa is having QC issues with his newer workers. He knows which workers built which amps so he can trace it back to find out who is responsible, though that doesn't help the customer receiving the imperfect amp. He seems to be continually cursed with case issues on his gear.

 

[The Monkey]

Those dings would annoy me.

 

[haloxt]

The clicking noise is perfectly normal.

 

[Bob Jones]

The Phoenix sounds great and performs well beyond its price.Yes the volume clicks but imo is not bothersome.However,I find it annoying from song to song,"everytime",it sounds like pluging a jack into an amp.

punk guy 182,I'm useing cork cut to size under the feet.No ground issue plus isolation.
I've also installed 1.5" solid aluminum rod a few inches long for air flow.Very industrial I must say.

 

[sandchak]

I really think Kingwa should let Pacific Valve take care of the US market, in fact he has for the first time indicated officially in his website that they are official agents of Audio GD - ºÎÇ컪Ô*´´ÒôÏì, by giving them enough inventories to take care of such issues. I am quite sure, either this is happening during transit or some lousy guy in the factory is overlooking such issues, in the latter case, I guess the blame falls squarely on Kingwa, although if its happening in transit then its quite unforunate.

 

[les_garten]

Quote:

Originally Posted by scootermafia /img/forum/go_quote.gif Now I'm just scared as fudge for the Phoenix coming Monday. This is BS, how does he not hear these things at the factory.

Hi,
The clicks are normal. They are very "strong" when you first get the Phoenix but quiet down pretty quickly with use, IME. Then you may notice just a few tics on certain steps. It does not seem random to me, It seems to be always the same steps that click, but it gets so quiet you have to listen for it. They are louder as you go towards less attenuation. The relays clacking in the box will always be there.

Thanx for posting the PIX of the dings and scratches. Looks like we've found the secret manufacturer of Grado Headphones, it's A-GD! QC looks about the same with those two companies, definitely not something for A-GD to aspire to, QC wise.

A-GD continues to have QC issues. Not sure why the QC issues can't be resolved. At this point with how blatant these are, the conclusions one could come to are:

1) Kingwa doesn't care or understand, even though he says he does.
2) For some reason he can't fix them
3) He's running so close to the edge, the operation has become too big to control.

A-GD should hire people that all they do is QC, he obviously has issues that big. One of the Transfos in Bob's Phoenix was loose at all 4 corners. A potentially dangerous situation.

Getting a Good piece of gear shouldn't be a crapshoot.

.

 

[Pale Rider]

Quote:

Originally Posted by les_garten /img/forum/go_quote.gif Hi, The clicks are normal. They are very "strong" when you first get the Phoenix but quiet down pretty quickly with use, IME. Then you may notice just a few tics on certain steps. It does not seem random to me, It seems to be always the same steps that click, but it gets so quiet you have to listen for it. They are louder as you go towards less attenuation. The relays clacking in the box will always be there. Thanx for posting the PIX of the dings and scratches. Looks like we've found the secret manufacturer of Grado Headphones, it's A-GD! QC looks about the same with those two companies, definitely not something for A-GD to aspire to, QC wise. A-GD continues to have QC issues. Not sure why the QC issues can't be resolved. At this point with how blatant these are, the conclusions one could come to are: 1) Kingwa doesn't care or understand, even though he says he does. 2) For some reason he can't fix them 3) He's running so close to the edge, the operation has become too big to control. A-GD should hire people that all they do is QC, he obviously has issues that big. One of the Transfos in Bob's Phoenix was loose at all 4 corners. A potentially dangerous situation. Getting a Good piece of gear shouldn't be a crapshoot. .

Well said Les, or written. I am very intrigued by the a-gd equipment and technologies, as well as the SQ reviews here by folks I respect. But the QC issue is not inconsequential. Although I think the Pacific Valve development is a good one, and would provide some "comfort" against the crapshoot and the transcontinental inconvenience factor, by itself it won't solve these problems.

 

[Steve Eddy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by les_garten /img/forum/go_quote.gif Getting a Good piece of gear shouldn't be a crapshoot.

Absolutely.

Though by the same token, good help is hard to find (which is why I hope I never find myself in the position of having to take on employees). Even if you have someone doing nothing but QC, it's rather pointless unless they're also competent at it.

Ideally you want people who are passionate about what they do. Or at the very least, take pride in what they do even if they're not so passionate about what they're actually doing.

But that's becoming an all too rare commodity anymore.

k

 

[les_garten]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Currawong /img/forum/go_quote.gif There shouldn't be dents anywhere. Does your box appear to have been opened by customs? Otherwise, I wonder if Kingwa is having QC issues with his newer workers. He knows which workers built which amps so he can trace it back to find out who is responsible, though that doesn't help the customer receiving the imperfect amp. He seems to be continually cursed with case issues on his gear.

Enough with DHL and Customs doing this. I guess they loosened at the screws on Bob's transfo too! Strange how customs is picking on A-GD...

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Monkey /img/forum/go_quote.gif Those dings would annoy me.

EXACTLY, they should annoy anyone except for A-GD apologists or conspiracy theorists.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bob Jones /img/forum/go_quote.gif The Phoenix sounds great and performs well beyond its price.Yes the volume clicks but imo is not bothersome.However,I find it annoying from song to song,"everytime",it sounds like pluging a jack into an amp. punk guy 182,I'm useing cork cut to size under the feet.No ground issue plus isolation. I've also installed 1.5" solid aluminum rod a few inches long for air flow.Very industrial I must say.

Bob, I don't get the Aluminum rod comment? Can you elaborate? Are you elevating with it?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pale Rider /img/forum/go_quote.gif Well said Les, or written. I am very intrigued by the a-gd equipment and technologies, as well as the SQ reviews here by folks I respect. But the QC issue is not inconsequential. Although I think the Pacific Valve development is a good one, and would provide some "comfort" against the crapshoot and the transcontinental inconvenience factor, by itself it won't solve these problems.

The problem with Pacific Valve is most likely their "fix" is will be to swap out. That's ok for problems that are few and far between. Not great for frequent problems. That's an expensive way of fixing stuff. It would seem that if you were a manufacturing company that your defect rate should be well under 1%. Basically so far 100% of Phoenix boxes have been flawed in some fashion. I'm counting Typos as a qualifying factor. Then there's the ding'd box today, and Bob's loose Transfo.

So close and yet so far...

.

 

[scootermafia]

Man, that's ghetto that there's scratches on it.

Yeah PJ, I was going to offer to retype his whole site too, mentally I've been wanting to help fix the massively bad English. Especially stuff where he calls a neutral product "neuter". It wouldn't take one of us long to do it really, although there are a bunch of pages.

He should set up some overseas office here in the States to repair stuff and deal their products. They have enough US customers, just about.

 

[les_garten]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Koyaan I. Sqatsi /img/forum/go_quote.gif Absolutely. Though by the same token, good help is hard to find (which is why I hope I never find myself in the position of having to take on employees). Even if you have someone doing nothing but QC, it's rather pointless unless they're also competent at it. Ideally you want people who are passionate about what they do. Or at the very least, take pride in what they do even if they're not so passionate about what they're actually doing. But that's becoming an all too rare commodity anymore. k

What you just said!!! Anybody who has owned or managed a business like this understands. The key is hiring OC Zealots on your workforce. Then you just have to deal with the quirky personalities of non-people people managing people! Very rare to find the smart Uber Tech guy who deals beautifully with the workforce and can motivate them with admiration. Those guys are priceless.

.

 

[Steve Eddy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by les_garten /img/forum/go_quote.gif Anybody who has owned or managed a business like this understands.

Mmmm... not quite.

To understand you first have to CARE. And believe me, there are plenty of people out there who own or manage businesses like this who simply DON'T CARE. Fortunately the market often, but not always, ends up putting such businesses out of business, though unfortunately this comes only after having caused a lot of grief for a lot of people.

Quote:

The key is hiring OC Zealots on your workforce. Then you just have to deal with the quirky personalities of non-people people managing people! Very rare to find the smart Uber Tech guy who deals beautifully with the workforce and can motivate them with admiration. Those guys are priceless.

That they are indeed.

k

 

[Bob Jones]

Les
What I did,ordered 8-1.5" dia. round stock 6060 aluminum pieces cut in 4-3" & 4-2" lengths.The 2" I mounted on the bottom corners,then stacked the power box on top,attacked to the feet.Of course the mounting was a bear without the right equipment.Cut cork to fit feet.Heck,I was going to mount 2 50mm heat sinks just for looks.But then I'd have to put a candle under it to make it run hot enough.Uh,I digress.

 

[les_garten]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bob Jones /img/forum/go_quote.gif Les What I did,ordered 8-1.5" dia. round stock 6060 aluminum pieces cut in 4-3" & 4-2" lengths.The 2" I mounted on the bottom corners,then stacked the power box on top,attacked to the feet.Of course the mounting was a bear without the right equipment.Cut cork to fit feet.Heck,I was going to mount 2 50mm heat sinks just for looks.But then I'd have to put a candle under it to make it run hot enough.Uh,I digress.

Hi Bob,
Sorta following you. I was going to do something similar with PVC painted black. You got a PIC?

.