[NightDayAudio]

   
...... Yeah it is what is asked for, we don't tell our customers what we are giving them, they tell us what they want, we just break the cost down to bring the the feature to fruition at the cost (not at retail price).. The remote is a standard Apple remote, costing really only about 22 dollars or so, but people didn't want it. I can only assume it is because they already have this remote and don't want to add to the cost of the unit. I do like this feedback and i think opinions from you should definitely get considered so i ask if you have not already open a ticket and we can build more request to add this. 

 
With all due respect, Manny, please point me to the source of the crowd-funded feedback from buyers where they wanted zero physical buttons on the unit to control it AND they wanted no factory remote included, thus requiring them to buy their own remote from a different company to do basic functions?  I went looking on LHL forums and through the threads here... I don't see any comments like that....  I may have missed it entirely.... thus why I am asking....
 
It is my understanding that the decision to go remote only was only officially decided right before the video from Gaven, Larry et. al. was taped.  Over the last few months, I've read through the threads on the LHL forum and here with fascination.  Please just help me find where others advocated that there be zero buttons or means of controlling the unit on the chassis AND also advocating that no remote be included with the unit at the same time, when that was now the only means of controlling the unit.  I genuinely would love to see all those requests.
 
along the same line of thinking, I just spent a little while trying to find a commercially available headphone amplifier that had zero physical controls on the chassis to adjust volume, select input, power on and off, etc. I couldn't find one.  For those that also offered remote control capability with their units, I looked for one that was supplied from the factory without a manufacturer constructed remote control.  Again, I can't find one.  If there are examples out there, everyone please help me as I just haven't found them....  if there are none, there must be a reason for this, right?
 
Gavin even pointed out in the video that form must follow function.  He was, of course, referring to the headphone connectors on the front versus the back....  but this is an even more basic and fundamental issue than the location of the connectors... Every design choice has consequences...  while I personally think it is a monumental mistake to eliminate all physical controls on the unit for the sake of aesthetic (this is a DAC *and* a headphone amplifier, not just a DAC... you could maybe get away with it if it was a simple DAC with no remote volume control or preamp capability... but it's not), the flip side of that is if you make that design choice to go remote only for Vi DAC, you don't put the onus on the buyer to accommodate your choice by making them buy a dinky remote from an entirely different company to even be able to use your product!  
 
Asking folks to have to buy an Apple remote for vanilla Pulse where a lot of buyers got the unit at a super duper inexpensive price is one thing....  understandable cost saving measure and there is still a way to control the unit (physical knob) if folks don't want to ante up and buy the 3rd party remote...  but Vi DAC is not in the same price class as Pulse... it may share some of the same innards... but you are targeting an entirely different market and price class... and a buyer at that price class has different expectations than a $189 Pulse....  I can just imagine now the look on customers' faces when a dealer tells them that the >$4000 DAC they may want to consider purchasing can't be controlled out of the box unless they also go to the apple store and buy a remote to even be able to use the DAC/headphone amp....  instant fail and immediate no sale and move on to a different option....  

 

[Anaximandros]

We initially wanted analog volume control. Preferably on the top of the Vi like in these mock ups.
 
http://www.lhlabs.com/force/geeksoul/2238-geek-soul-campaign-and-related?start=175#37299

 

[Khragon]

I don't get the obsession to have a clean front panel, I rather prefer well laid out with full feature access, I don' t have a problem with putting the a large volume knob to the right and HP ports to the left with display in the middle, that will look and function much better.

 

[mtruong34]

  I don't get the obsession to have a clean front panel, I rather prefer well laid out with full feature access, I don' t have a problem with putting the a large volume knob to the right and HP ports to the left with display in the middle, that will look and function much better.

 
Same here. Handicapped but hey it looks clean!

 

[uncola]

new shiny black finish samples for the gothamites

 

[Anaximandros]

Gothamites? You mean dark souls and/or siths on the dark side.
Personally I like the dark finish. Not as reflective and shiny than the chrome one and it Looks a bit more intimidating and elegant than the grey finish.

 

[uncola]

Black finish is for the league of batmen.   I have proof!
 
Batarang goes here!

 
 

 

[uncola]

Not enough vi dac talk.. I guess September is a long time away
 


My dac will be gone til September(not november)
 
After looking at some other dacs with a grey finish I'm starting to get psyched for the cool gunmetal grey finish the newest prototype has.. glossy black is cool but all my other gear is black, I'm leaning towards the more distinctive grey finish.. kind of like the finish on the bmc puredac but more reflective..  here's a nice look at the bmc puredac
 

 

[Anaximandros]

September? More likely first quarter of 2016.
That's what I anticipate.

 

[NightDayAudio]

Originally Posted by uncola View Post After looking at some other dacs with a grey finish I'm starting to get psyched for the cool gunmetal grey finish the newest prototype has.. glossy black is cool but all my other gear is black, I'm leaning towards the more distinctive grey finish.. kind of like the finish on the bmc puredac but more reflective.. here's a nice look at the bmc puredac

 
 
 
Well would you look at that... a really great sounding DAC, fully balanced headphone amplifier, and fully balanced pre-amplifier circuit in one box at roughly the same ***MSRP*** as the Vi DAC crowdfunded early bird super discounted cost..... oh and there are the full physical controls on the front.... and a remote control comes in the box!! the chassis on the BMC likely doesn't run as much as the Vi based on the way they are doing it.  BMC did a great job making it look as great as they could at the price point allowed...  beyond that?   It will be an interesting head to head listening comparison in 2017 when Vi DAC is delivered hehehe

 

[uncola]

Yeah September is me being optimistic  But given that the geek soul had a ship date of march or april, maybe LH Labs september date will be easy for them to stick to.

 

[NightDayAudio]

I was just poking a little fun at LHL's ability (or inability as the case may be) to hit dates and just trying to keep it light and fun.... since tone is hard to pickup on in my written words,  just wanted to clarify...
 
i like both the dark grey and possible black chassis options....  the grey reminds me of the Abbingdon Music Research AM-77.1 top series integrated amp I just sold...  

 

[uncola]

New update on indiegogo:
 
During a recent meeting with our CNC shop, we came to the realization that if we could reach an order quantity of 500 Vi DAC units we’d be able to lower the cost by about $100 per unit.

Besides saving us $100, what does this mean to you?

Here’s the skinny.  If we can reach a stretch goal of 500 Vi DAC backers, we’ll use that per unit savings to upgrade the existing XLR and RCA outputs on each Vi DAC to Cardas XLR’s and WBT RCA’s, making Vi DAC truly unique in its performance and capabilities.



So do what I did, visit the indiegogo vi dac page and click those links on the left column to whore out/share the vi dac to all your friends on facebook, twitter and google plus  If you have to answer a question from your crt tv owning grandparent about what a dac is, that's a small price to pay for blinging gold xlr ports

 

[uncola]

there's a new perk up:
 

$488USD​

Vi DAC Xfi TradeUp (Lot 1) Change
If you backed Geek Pulse or Geek LPS prior to July 12, 2014, you can trade them in for Vi Dac Xfi & get 120% of your original contribution credited toward your order. If you backed Geek Pulse or Geek LPS after July 12, 2014 you’ll receive a 100% trade in value. Select this perk & make a $488 deposit. In a few days, we'll send you a PayPal invoice for the balance. To calculate your balance, just take $1699 - (120% or 100% credit) - $488. We'll invoice you separately for shipping expens

3 out of 20 claimed

 

[Muinarc]

Looks exaclty like the original trade up perk from months ago when the soul was first offered.