[csommers]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mbd2884 /img/forum/go_quote.gif That's bullcrap and you know it. QC is up to the company. Asus products from China, Audio-gd from China and Audio Technica cans made in China all have excellent QC. So far people have had great results with Woo Audio and Dark Voice and others here. Keep your prejudice views and generalizations to yourself. It's just wrong. You have issues with specific companies, then say so, but don't generalize to an entire country or ethnicity. Completely lame...

Ehhh...last I check WooAudio was made in the USA

 

[apatN]

Aww that blows. It is good there are rules and limitations and that customs make sure these rules are lived up to but it often looks like they enjoy taking their time. I know how you feel..

Best of luck!

 

[FSonicSmith]

I just got a call from the supervisor at JFK's customs department. They located my amp on a skid somewhere. They did open it up once they found it and inspected it-whatever that means-and then put it back in the box and re-taped it and it has been released to USPS to deliver to me. He sounded somewhat apologetic though he did not say "sorry" or anything-just sincere. So, the amp sat for 9 days in customs before being processed. It will be interesting to see how it looks upon arrival. If this happens to anyone else, the number you want to call is (718)553-1446 and the guy in charge is Charles Mattina.

 

[Drag0n]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dBs /img/forum/go_quote.gif I like your name.

As long as yours doesnt mean Drag0n Boy Slayer!

*runs* Its a trap!

lol

 

[mbd2884]

Quote:

Originally Posted by csommers /img/forum/go_quote.gif Ehhh...last I check WooAudio was made in the USA

My mistake, sorry, apology.

 

[deaconblues]

*crosses fingers*

 

[XXII]

I don't see how an amp from a respectable builder can violate a TRADEMARK.

Maybe they thought LD MKV was LV....

 

[Lad27]

And while talking about some overzealous idiots in Customs here is my experience with Sydney Airport Customs & Quarantine:

A Head-Fi member (US resident) decided to have his Denon 2K cups woodied in some nice amboyna wood. After some consultations, he had sourced a very nice slab of amboyna burl. Well seasoned, beautifully figured, solid piece of wood. Expensive, but he wanted the best. He had shipped it Downunder (another considerable expense, these things are heavy).

It arrived in Customs re-taped box. The heart attack moment followed when I took the wood out of box - there were 3 large diameter holes drilled 3 inches deep in 3 separate faces. What?

What they've been looking for in solid piece of wood? Perhaps someone villain put a bag of cocaine in the young tree, let it grow and 50 years later felled the three cut to pieces and thus smartly smuggled the drugs to Australia.
There were no insect borer holes at all, the whole log was properly covered with wax.
No bloody idea, only answer I could get from these pricks was that they followed their established procedures regarding exotic wood. Of course, not a word of apology for destroying the goods someone paid a decent cash for.

 

[roosta]

jeeeesus.... that cant be allowed. surely there must be some proceedure for reclaiming money for things THEY have damaged? is that not what insurance is for?

 

[Frihed89]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lad27 /img/forum/go_quote.gif It arrived in Customs re-taped box. The heart attack moment followed when I took the wood out of box - there were 3 large diameter holes drilled 3 inches deep in 3 separate faces. What?

I had the exact same thing happen to me with a preamp that was shipped from Vancouver, OR to Copenhagen, DK. A single, quite long, 1" diameter hole drilled all the way through the package (outer box-foam-inner box-foam--preamp--foam-inner box-foam-outer box. Fortunately, it missed the preamp.

There was no indication of where or who drilled the hole, no comment on it, nothing. They didn't even put a piece of tape over it.

My guess is that it is homeland security in the US. It was shipped US Postal Express insured the whole way.

Anyone else had this happen?

 

[DarKu]

thats normal, i paid for my new RS-1's 695 + 50 (shipment) + 142 (VAT+customs) = 886 USD

 

[FSonicSmith]

My amp arrived today. It's an LD MarkIVse. It was rather obvious the chimps had taken the amp out of the bag and had poked and prodded. The tubes were cockeyed in the sockets and the volume control was at "9". The box was in terrible shape, but the amp on the whole seems unblemished. Since I am at the office I will have to wait until this evening to see if it's in working order but I would be surprised if it isn't. So, it took 15 days instead of 5-7 to get to me and spent about 10 days in customs. Amazing that it only took 24 hours from the time Thomas "Charles" Mattina, (you can Google this guy and find all kinds of info regarding his various rulings-apparently he is vested with all kinds of authority and has taxed things like Chinese made golf club bags that violated trademark) called me until delivery at my office in Columbus OH.
Visually, the build quality looks decent, but just that. It reminds me of early MF (Musical Fidelity) gear like the first generation XCan tube buffer I bought many years ago and got rid of when I realized you get what you pay for with CD players and you can't polish a turd).
For those who have nothing better to do, look up the tour of the Melody factory 6moons.com - industry features: RoadTour China - Melody Valve Hifi factory tour and take a look at the conditions for the workers and the environment. It is not shockingly bad, but just so very, well, foreign. If Melody is one of the best manufacturing models in Shenzhen, what are the others like?
I have an AudioPrism Mantissa pre-amp. For those unfamiliar, Victor Tiscareno was the designer of this amazing all-out pre-amp and Mark Levinson bought the rights to the design/product when he launched Red Rose Music. I bring this up because despite being handcrafted and quite expensive, my Mantissa is arguably not built any better than this LD, but it uses some better components (stepped attenuators for one, dual mono for another), my point being that with electronics it's all in the execution and not the thickness of the faceplate or the case. So, I will give this thing a try.

 

[PhilS]

Quote:

Originally Posted by FSonicSmith /img/forum/go_quote.gif It was rather obvious the chimps had taken the amp out of the bag and had poked and prodded.

Oh, so now you're casting aspersions on a species of primates! Shame.

 

[FSonicSmith]

BTW, my box was absolutely beat to hell, and unlike Penchum's assessment, I would not describe the packing materials or box as the least bit impressive. Actually, the shipping box is rather flimsy and the only thing that saved my amp from probable destruction is the minimalist foam supports-two strips of foam with slots for the amp which basically suspends the amp within the box. I can only imagine what kind of shaking the amp would have incurred in transit.