ScuderiaHeadFi
Member of the Trade: Tune HiFi
- Joined
- Mar 30, 2010
- Posts
- 178
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- 50
Part of the explanation lies in AxelCloris's very accurate answer of how manufacturers balance logistics with customer delivery/satisfaction.
Part of it has to do with the process of developing and delivering a completely new product type for the first time, especially if you want your first attempt to be received less as an attempt and more as an achievement. (Remember all the hullaballoo surrounding Focal's initial batches of Spirit Ones? And that's from a manufacturer with even greater resources than AudioQuest, and whose main product category - speakers - has a helluva lot more to do with headphones than cables, theoretically easing their entry into the category).
Part of it has to do with our hyper-consumerist confusion that an announcement means product readiness. Not all companies are Apple, and not all sectors make mass consumer commodities on a scale of 10s of millions of units. On the other end of the spectrum are artists/artisans who craft individual works as resources allow (and never have any formal announcement until they show up at the local fair). AudioQuest falls somewhere in the middle (a lot closer to Apple, obviously, but still, the point stands).
Perhaps as consumers we have a right to demand seamless product pipelines, from concept through R&D through delivery all in no time flat. "I WANT MY PRODUCT AND I WANT IT RIGHT NOW!" Frankly, I'd rather keep waiting. I have enough stuff to spend my money on, especially when it comes to products that have yet to prove themselves in the hands of actual users.
Part of it has to do with the process of developing and delivering a completely new product type for the first time, especially if you want your first attempt to be received less as an attempt and more as an achievement. (Remember all the hullaballoo surrounding Focal's initial batches of Spirit Ones? And that's from a manufacturer with even greater resources than AudioQuest, and whose main product category - speakers - has a helluva lot more to do with headphones than cables, theoretically easing their entry into the category).
Part of it has to do with our hyper-consumerist confusion that an announcement means product readiness. Not all companies are Apple, and not all sectors make mass consumer commodities on a scale of 10s of millions of units. On the other end of the spectrum are artists/artisans who craft individual works as resources allow (and never have any formal announcement until they show up at the local fair). AudioQuest falls somewhere in the middle (a lot closer to Apple, obviously, but still, the point stands).
Perhaps as consumers we have a right to demand seamless product pipelines, from concept through R&D through delivery all in no time flat. "I WANT MY PRODUCT AND I WANT IT RIGHT NOW!" Frankly, I'd rather keep waiting. I have enough stuff to spend my money on, especially when it comes to products that have yet to prove themselves in the hands of actual users.
. I was told I would get a pair as soon as they went into production. I did get an opportunity to listen to the demo pair and I was well impressed. I was just dissapointed they didnt let me have the demo pair 
The original plan was to put the demo Nighthawk into the raffle but unfortunately it was damaged before the meet (only cosmetically). Still, getting a brand new one is very cool 
