[Beagle]

 The secret squirrel approach is very suspect too I might add.

 

 

[preproman]

  Having talked to the company in depth, I can say that some of the speculation in this thread is incorrect. I'm not going to reveal any of the confidential details, but let's just say that I fully intend on owning the HE1000 and have nothing to worry about. (Except the investment, of course.)

You can "talk" to the company all you want.  We have these details in writing which carries more weight than anything verbal.  

 

[customcoco]

They posted publically that they were going to do it. They gave opportunity for folks to submit willingness to participate. They privately chose the participants. They made an offer that could be accepted or refused. I politely refused. What they do on their terms is their business. Nobody is being forced to participate or buy the HE1000. If y'all thought you would be rewarded with a free $3000 headphone, you were in dreamland.

I've never criticized their offer for what it is, I've just said what it is not.

 

[Music Alchemist]

  You can "talk" to the company all you want.  We have these details in writing which carries more weight than anything verbal.  

 
I meant via PM. HIFIMAN intends on taking care of their beta testers and not leaving them in the cold in any way. This statement is for those who were speculating without having the facts. I can't go into specifics, though.

 

[Beagle]

I've never criticized their offer for what it is, I've just said what it is not.

 
Fair enough. I can understand the feeling that it is not beta testing. I thought the testing was done and we were awaiting release date followed by production. I can understand the cynicism. It can look like a "buy at a small discount" in exchange for your thoughts and opinions. But the bottom line was that it would cost me more than I could afford in order to participate....and even that makes it look like the money bags are the only people with suitable hearing and views? Which of course is nonsense. But that's the way the game is set up and those who want to play have to follow the set rules. Just the way it is.

 

[customcoco]

   
 even that makes it look like the money bags are the only people with suitable hearing and views? Which of course is nonsense. But that's the way the game is set up and those who want to play have to follow the set rules. Just the way it is.

"Only those who can pay might play".
 
As long as the people get what they're here for, it's fine. I hope that they fully understand what they're going into, but again it's none of my business.
 
I wouldn't agree to participate even if I had the means to, and I wouldn't like to see this kind of offer spread around on HF, but I'm not the one who writes the rules.

 

[Trogdor]

"Only those who can pay might play".

As long as the people get what they're here for, it's fine. I hope that they fully understand what they're going into, but again it's none of my business.

I wouldn't agree to participate even if I had the means to, and I wouldn't like to see this kind of offer spread around on HF, but I'm not the one who writes the rules.

Then you don't know what a beta program is. Plain and simple. Beta does not mean free as you seem to constantly infer.

There is no way any company is going to distribute a 3k headphone on some kind of online-forum-adhoc-trust system that is constantly being bantered about in this thread. I wouldn't even trust a company that did that anyway.

For something like this I would fully suspect some kind of refundable down payment per sample unit as a way to provide some semblance of insurance in case the units get damaged and/or stolen. It only takes ONE "beta" tester to screw it up for everyone (resell it on eBay or something else that is equally despicable), and this kind of pay to play collateral mitigates that substantially.

There isn't anything hush, hush about it as many folks have stated.

Finally, if you are really serious about buying a 3k headphone, a refundable deposit to beta test is not even in the slightest outrageous. I wish Audeze (another great company) and Stax had these programs in place to make my life easier.

Either wait for impressions or stop whining. Fang has been unbelievably generous to the Head-Fi community at large and some of the comments in here are frankly disturbing (you really think Jude doesn't know about this program? Are you serious? He is probably the first beta tester and had to plunk down whatever to participate like everyone else!).

 

[gikigill]

I'm out.

After factoring the taxes, exchange rate and postage, I might as well buy a new one off the shelf.

 

[phillyd]

Definitely interested!!

 

[daltonlanny]

After much debate, and thinking it over for many hours, I actually did decide to go through with their offer at the last minute :confused_face_2:
I mean, if I don't like them, I can send them back for a full refund of my deposit, and loose nothing.
Hifiman has always been a great company for me to buy from and deal with, and I cannot really say anything bad about them.
They also gave me a wonderful opportunity last year of participating in their HE-560 US tour.
The HE-1000 offer was just too tempting for me, and I gave in to the opportunity . Lol.
I may never have another opportunity to listen to them. Who knows, right?
Looking very forward to testing them at home

 

[Exacoustatowner]

I'm still interested! Not heard anything yet. I've been Loving my HE-560's. I attend a lot of live Classical music-and they are the best I've found so far to reproduce the sounds I hear in person.
Of course my Lyr and various tubes help with that!

 

[Timestretch]

NVM

 

[customcoco]

Then you don't know what a beta program is. Plain and simple. Beta does not mean free as you seem to constantly infer.

There is no way any company is going to distribute a 3k headphone on some kind of online-forum-adhoc-trust system that is constantly being bantered about in this thread. I wouldn't even trust a company that did that anyway.

For something like this I would fully suspect some kind of refundable down payment per sample unit as a way to provide some semblance of insurance in case the units get damaged and/or stolen. It only takes ONE "beta" tester to screw it up for everyone (resell it on eBay or something else that is equally despicable), and this kind of pay to play collateral mitigates that substantially.

There isn't anything hush, hush about it as many folks have stated.

Finally, if you are really serious about buying a 3k headphone, a refundable deposit to beta test is not even in the slightest outrageous. I wish Audeze (another great company) and Stax had these programs in place to make my life easier.

Either wait for impressions or stop whining. Fang has been unbelievably generous to the Head-Fi community at large and some of the comments in here are frankly disturbing (you really think Jude doesn't know about this program? Are you serious? He is probably the first beta tester and had to plunk down whatever to participate like everyone else!).

I'm not sure that you do, but all of my arguments have been on some other post so let's just leave it at that on that point.
 
One beta tester can't screw it all simply because, if I'm not mistaken, every participant will get his/her own pair. I could be wrong on that though.
 
The thing is that a beta test is not used for people to buy stuff at a lower price, but for people to "test" and report back in order to improve the product. Hence there's no need to be "serious" about buying the stuff your reviewing.
 
I can keep on whining as much as I want, thank you. As you might have noticed, I'm very good at that

.
 
I've never said that Jude wasn't aware of this program, I think that he does too (Hifiman being a "sponsor").
 
But anyway, I'll refrain from posting on there now. I've lost already enough time and I don't believe that I can bring anything meaningful and constructive at that point in our debate.

 

[Takeanidea]

This is a nonsense. If you have to put down a deposit and are sworn to silence after all the hype and rumour mongering that this headphone has been involved in this is just another episode in the marketing campaign that has been steamrollering through since this was first talked about. It's in danger of putting people off what may be a really good headphone.
A beta test should not involve money other than paying to send it on to the next tester, this other thing is a pre sale. Why not just buy the finished product from a shop? Isn't that better than buying the first version and faffing around with sending it back to be refined?
I am hoping that this is not the new way in which companies feel they can get away with marketing their products. If enough of us protest then other companies may not follow suit in the future. I think I'll wait for these products to come out and have a listen myself to a final version before I decide whether it's any good or not and whether I want it.
I shall send my thoughts to HiFiman and see what they say, I'd encourage others to as well.

 

[Takeanidea]

   
I meant via PM. HIFIMAN intends on taking care of their beta testers and not leaving them in the cold in any way. This statement is for those who were speculating without having the facts. I can't go into specifics, though.

We can only speculate when the beta testing FROM A PUBLIC POSTING I may add is enshrouded in secrecy. 2 facts are clear -there is a deposit involved and the terms and conditions are not for public disclosure. Both of which stick in the throat a little.......