[rmsanger]

Audio industry does not operate that way. The closest to audition is crowded event which is best suited for Sony and Bose ANC only. And not everyone lives in North America.

sure it does.. I'm on the burson conductor (train) tour for next month. I've got a week with the product will post my feedback on the thread and product reviews. I only pay to ship it to the next person and can purchase the product at the end.

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/us-...discussion-thread.934467/page-3#post-15727842

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/us-...ance-starting-july-2020.935956/#post-15720221

 

[NickT23]

sure it does.. I'm on the burson conductor (train) tour for next month. I've got a week with the product will post my feedback on the thread and product reviews. I only pay to ship it to the next person and can purchase the product at the end.

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/us-...discussion-thread.934467/page-3#post-15727842

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/us-...ance-starting-july-2020.935956/#post-15720221

No it does not. If so, why do you need to request demo across the states. Most people request because most audio manufacturers does not have supply chain to demo. Also, tour and shipping are costly and not everyone can afford. Not everybody live in the same country and not everybody will have the opportunity to experience the same return policy. Some have troublesome with custom duty and all that. Moreover, people have different sources, cans and other factors where it may sound different. If you demo FA-10, what dac are you using, people impression varies across dacs and other internal factors. So major factors to consider. So maybe it does only for USA, guess not everyone is lucky.

 

[driftingbunnies]

No it does not. If so, why do you need to request demo across the states. Most people request because most audio manufacturers does not have supply chain to demo. Also, tour and shipping are costly and not everyone can afford. Not everybody live in the same country and not everybody will have the opportunity to experience the same return policy. Some have troublesome with custom duty and all that. Moreover, people have different sources, cans and other factors where it may sound different. If you demo FA-10, what dac are you using, people impression varies across dacs and other internal factors. So major factors to consider. So maybe it does only for USA, guess not everyone is lucky.

So how do you suggest people listen to a product that's new from a relatively small company? For a small company, it makes sense to send a couple units out for demo as a cheap way to advertise their product. If the tour is not something you can afford, then you will probably need to wait for reviews from others. All reviews will have different equipment, that's quite obvious.

If you don't think a tour is a good idea, then just go ahead and buy a unit and let us know what you think.

 

[teknorob23]

My ultimate hope is that we would get 2-3 Flux units circulating in the US and start a "tour" so we can get listening impressions out there. Then at the end of tour the units can be purchased and everyone who participated can be directly through the retailer. It would also help in getting a mass community of thoughts/impressions out there to build "trust" in the brand and product. I think there is a ton of interest in this product/brand at this price point however the limitations are currently on production/distribution and the mktg aspect of it.

I myself am dying to get a proper amp to power my 1266 cans but I can't afford to cycle through multiple flux/burson conductor/headamp mini gsx units until I find the right one.

I have suggested this to FLA but you need to be a sponsor in order to run a loaner program on here but I know it’s something they want to do in the future. Bit of a chicken/egg situation though: loaner program creates reviews and gives buyers a demo opp, but they probably need to sell amps so they can up the marketing spend and become a sponsor

 

[tholt]

I have suggested this to FLA but you need to be a sponsor in order to run a loaner program on here but I know it’s something they want to do in the future. Bit of a chicken/egg situation though: loaner program creates reviews and gives buyers a demo opp, but they probably need to sell amps so they can up the marketing spend and become a sponsor

Curious what they said?

I don't know how much it costs to be a sponsor but I can't imagine FLA not being able to pay it. If they can afford the R&D to come up with new amp designs and manufacture them, I would assume a sponsorship would be feasible. I think the loaner program is a great idea for smaller companies to get known. They have a built-in captive audience here already. Sending a couple units for a demo tour (FA-12 and FA-10) seems like an easy decision. Based on impressions here and their description of the sonic signatures, I would assume they'll get a few sales out of it, offsetting any expense getting the units over here. Not to mention getting our glowing reviews published for others to see. Win win. Hopefully they're watching this thread and considering it.

 

[rmsanger]

delete

 

[teknorob23]

Curious what they said?

I don't know how much it costs to be a sponsor but I can't imagine FLA not being able to pay it. If they can afford the R&D to come up with new amp designs and manufacture them, I would assume a sponsorship would be feasible. I think the loaner program is a great idea for smaller companies to get known. They have a built-in captive audience here already. Sending a couple units for a demo tour (FA-12 and FA-10) seems like an easy decision. Based on impressions here and their description of the sonic signatures, I would assume they'll get a few sales out of it, offsetting any expense getting the units over here. Not to mention getting our glowing reviews published for others to see. Win win. Hopefully they're watching this thread and considering it.

They made no comment as to whether they could or could not afford it. They are in the early stages of growing a business and brand outside their domestic market and there are any number of marketing channels open to them. They also have an obvious issue of logistics with the Ukraine not be the easiest country to export from. This and other challenges probably mean its more a question of timing. There's no point over cooking demand if youre not in position to full it. All you end up with is customers getting frustrated going elsewhere if they have to wait too long. I think its obvious that based on just two favourable reviews, demand is already stretching logistics and production, that and COVID probably hasnt helped either with local lockdowns in ukraine as there are everywhere else in the world. That said, i've worked with a few quite well known hifi brands and marketing budgets are much smaller than you'd think even for so called bigger players, so i doubt they have a lot of spare cash for marketing and being a sponsor in here is quite a financial commitment, as headfi is a large and highly desirable audience. Loaner programs are definitely win win, in market like headfi, where your customers predominantly congregate online, but the timings got to be right.

 

[tholt]

They made no comment as to whether they could or could not afford it. They are in the early stages of growing a business and brand outside their domestic market and there are any number of marketing channels open to them.

Reviews and forum chatter are the best ways to gain traction in this industry. When you google a product you're interested in, that's what you hope to find. As a manufacturer, good reviews (and great quotes from them) are the best marketing tools to have at your disposal.

There's no point over cooking demand if youre not in position to full it.

Also very true. And it looks like they need to address their logistics issues at the moment.

That said, i've worked with a few quite well known hifi brands and marketing budgets are much smaller than you'd think even for so called bigger players, so i doubt they have a lot of spare cash for marketing and being a sponsor in here is quite a financial commitment, as headfi is a large and highly desirable audience.

I have also worked in marketing for the hifi industry. This can be true, but it's not a rule. It's just a matter of priorities. As a smaller company, they probably don't have a big marketing budget. I also have no idea what it costs to be a sponson on this site, perhaps it's enough to be a stopper. But if I were to spend money, head-fi would be an obvious place to spend it.

Loaner programs are definitely win win, in market like headfi, where your customers predominantly congregate online, but the timings got to be right.

I believe timing is right when you have new product(s) you want to get out to market and gain buzz for. COVID presents a unique opportunity, and depending on where your finances are at, it could be a golden opportunity. I've spoken with a few manufacturers who are experiencing record sales. But your point re: ship times is real and at the moment it doesn't seem like FLA can get them out fast enough.

Outside of whatever the sponsorship costs, a loaner program doesn't cost much more than shipping the units out to wherever they feel will get most bang for buck. Europe might be more feasible than the US. From there, the users are responsible for shipping it around. The manufacturer would need to assume the risk that their products could get damaged, no way around that. IMO for the money, they'd be best served getting more reviews under their belt. I'd still love to see a demo program, though, if only for more selfish reasons

 

[gancanjam]

This whole fluxlab acoustics product lineup and the missleading reviews and comments
of fluxlab starts confusing me more and more. Also the "weekly" announcement of new products and
color options while many customers like me are still waiting for their ordered amps is frustrating.

I ordered a Fa-10 after reading the FA-10N review on „soundnews“ manly
because he praises the hard-hitting ability so much.
At this time the FA-10 was officially the hard hitting neutral/cold amp
wich was not recommended for headphones like HD800 and similar.
Fluxlab themself recommended the FA-12 to be a better match because of the "warmer" sound signature.

In the following weeks, starting with comparisions between FA-10 and HA90,
the FA-10 seems to transfer to something totally different.

I think fluxlab is not very lucky with describing the sound signature of their
products, maybe its a translation/not native speaker thing.
To call the bass soft and the the midrange fullbodied vs. linear is at least confusing.
Isn't any serious amp aiming at linear frequency response and
wasn't the bass hard-hitting like no other in the „soundnews“ review?
(I mean you can been hit hard by a cotton ball as well if it weights some pounds and is fast enough...)

After reading their facebook post about FA-10pro vs. FA10 I ask myself what the FA-12 with
its even warmer sound signature is to be? If you read this you
expect the FA-10 as a boomy non linear soft and dark amp ... very confusing

I had reached out to Flux recently and they do understand this, they will articulate it better between all the variations of FA ** Amps like 10, 10 pro, 12, 11 in the near future. Yes we can get lost with all the descriptions between their FB/web site/reviewers and descriptions can be contradicting but hope this situation will be improved.

 

[Kevin Lee]

I received my FA-10 . I think it worth every penny. And I trust my ears.

 

[JP281]

When did yours ship? 10 weeks for me and nothing. Not even a shipping update.

 

[JP281]

I received my FA-10 . I think it worth every penny. And I trust my ears.

 

[cfranchi]

When did yours ship? 10 weeks for me and nothing. Not even a shipping update.

You mean 10 weeks after delivering by Flux ? What is your tracking info ?

 

[JP281]

You mean 10 weeks after delivering by Flux ? What is your tracking info ?

Yes it shipped out april 30th

 

[teknorob23]

Reviews and forum chatter are the best ways to gain traction in this industry. When you google a product you're interested in, that's what you hope to find. As a manufacturer, good reviews (and great quotes from them) are the best marketing tools to have at your disposal.


Also very true. And it looks like they need to address their logistics issues at the moment.


I have also worked in marketing for the hifi industry. This can be true, but it's not a rule. It's just a matter of priorities. As a smaller company, they probably don't have a big marketing budget. I also have no idea what it costs to be a sponson on this site, perhaps it's enough to be a stopper. But if I were to spend money, head-fi would be an obvious place to spend it.


I believe timing is right when you have new product(s) you want to get out to market and gain buzz for. COVID presents a unique opportunity, and depending on where your finances are at, it could be a golden opportunity. I've spoken with a few manufacturers who are experiencing record sales. But your point re: ship times is real and at the moment it doesn't seem like FLA can get them out fast enough.

Outside of whatever the sponsorship costs, a loaner program doesn't cost much more than shipping the units out to wherever they feel will get most bang for buck. Europe might be more feasible than the US. From there, the users are responsible for shipping it around. The manufacturer would need to assume the risk that their products could get damaged, no way around that. IMO for the money, they'd be best served getting more reviews under their belt. I'd still love to see a demo program, though, if only for more selfish reasons

I agree with everything you say, so it just comes back to not being able to get the product made or more likely delivered quick enough to fulfil a spike in demand this could create. If you've worked with these guys too, you'll probably recognise the problem that they dont always think from the target audiences point of view even when it looks super obvious from our side of the fence. I will keep badgering them to do this, so if everyone else can get on their case too, they might do it just to get some peace.