Well my new Ref1 seems to be working good. I haven't tried turning the air or fan on and off yet with it because I've been busy beta testing out the custom cables I have. They need to be revised a little. I'll go into details later after I've done more testing.
I've been A/Bing back and forth between the Ref1 and the Transporter and the Transporter is no slouch. It is very close to the quality of the Ref1. The Ref1 is more detailed and refined, but for an all in one solution the Transporter is one hell of a unit, and it's not even modded. If the Transporter had CAST outputs, it would probably run neck and neck with the Ref1.
I think my biggest issue is with the Phoenix, and while it is a great amp it just doesn't have quite the fidelity of the balanced B22. I am eventually going to have someone build me a balanced B22 with CAST inputs. The Phoenix can probably be modded to such a way that the fidelity is possible to get out of it, and I feel a lot of that probably has to do with the resistors used and it's complex signal path.
For some reason (and I e-mailed Kingwa about this), Audio-gd just can't get it through their heads that we don't want any stickers on the gear. No matter how many times I've told him and you all have told him - over and over and over and over and over and over and over - only put the one sticker on the back of the unit with the serial number - there still remains a sticker on the back right top corner of the unit and needs to be removed with lighter fluid. Additionally on the front of the unit the sticky tape from the label had to be removed with lighter fluid. The big patch of a greasy-looking splotch that takes up the middle 2/3 of the top of the Ref1 (which was also on the last one) easily was removed with lighter fluid.
I don't like having to mention these issues over and over again since his products perform really well, but I don't know what it will take for it to sink in with Kingwa that we don't appreciate this and it can easily be avoided. I specifically told him at least two or three times before he shipped out the replacement Ref1 not to put that sticker on the back corner, and I wasn't surprised when I saw it there. Kingwa, please google "Post-It Notes".
Edit: Kingwa responded with this:
Dear Philip,
Before pack we are use some things to clear the chassis, this things fashion in China and Hongkong, they can clear anythings.
The ticket on rear is seal, in China and Hongkong, all wiring have this, like audio gear, TV, mobile telephone, if the users shatter the seal, the wiring will lose the repair guarantee.
Does in oversea no this rules?
Kingwa
I followed up with this:
Products on the U.S. that have such a thing only have stickers on the inside of the unit. Sometimes there are stickers on the back of the unit but NEVER on the sides or top or anywhere that can be seen from the front. If you need to put stickers you should put something on the inside, and something better quality than paper which is very hard to remove. It ruins the look of the gear.
If you are concerned with people opening the gear, you should XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
(removed so people don't try to bypass this suggestion if he applies it.)
