[Charente]

No,I haven't done this, but it is a customs rule that you can look up. I'm sure Schiit also knows how to act in these situations.
I had once an Aegir send back to the USA for repair/investigation. That was an item handled by Sonority, not directly by me.

Fortunately, I have found Schiit electronics to be very reliable ... but it's a niggle in the back of my mind if things do go wrong and I have to deal with it, making sure the right paperwork is in place. I've heard that French customs can be 'difficult' if it isn't, especially after the Brexit debacle !

Thank-you for the explanation.

 

[j0val]

Here’s a couple photos of Lyr+ with the tube cap in place.

 

[golfbravobravo]

IMO the Asiana accident was a direct result of the cultural aspects of the airline. Specifically, the hierarchy of command is enforced by cultural norms. In this case, the captain in the left seat was receiving instruction from an instructor/check airman in the right seat. Therefore, the pilot in the right seat had absolute authority in the eyes of the pilot in the left seat.

In all fairness, US and European airlines had the "captain is God" mentality up until the 15-20 years ago.

I couldn't find the exact numbers so I'm going from memory here, but in roughly 75% of airline accidents the captain was the pilot who was flying the aircraft. With that in mind, my airline now recommends that the first officer conduct the landing if there's an emergency in progress. We now more fully utilize the experience and skill of our FOs, as we should. Very frequently my FO has more flying time in our particular aircraft. Why wouldn't I utilize him/her to the fullest extent possible??

Unlike Asiana, my airline explicitly empowers the FO to call for a missed approach/go-around if something doesn't seem right.

An aspect of CRM (Crew Resource Management for non-aviation folks) that we've added in the last few years is the concept of threat and error management (TEM). In its simplest form, before every takeoff and landing we discuss potential threats and how we intend to mitigate them. It seems obvious, but it's taken a long time for us to get here.

The timing of the 'God' complex is interesting. I maaaaay have told this story before:
In the early years of this millennium, I was elected as Treasurer of the International Aerobatic Club - the USA's sanctioning body for aerobatics and selection the US teams in World competition. As with most volunteer organizations the sections for roles are staggered, and President was on the 'off' year for Treasurer.
As it happened, we lost our then current president before I had attended a Board meeting and met many of the other Board members.
The procedure when a president resigns early is to choose form the existing Board members. Here's a how-de-do; how do I vote for someone?
Fortunately, I sought advice from an old friend (also ex-pres of the same organization). We had a call. "How should we do this?" I asked. "Why not go through the members and I'll tell you my experiences of working with them" says Dick.

We start the list.
"Airline Captain! says Dick with some vehemence."

Hmm, thinks I. That would be good, but I ask in a cautious tone exactly what he means.

"Sits in the left seat, says 'Put the wheels up.' 'Get the coffee.' 'Put the wheels down.' Not good at team working, or taking input, says Dick."

We continue down the list. There are a number of "Airline Captain" rejoinders as one might expect of such an organization. The ones without the exclamation mark were Ok, and we choose one of them. He and I had the task of turning round an organization that was on a steep downward slope and in parallel organizing the (unfunded) 2003 World Aerobatics Championship in FL in 2003. Gerry Molidor turned out to be a United Check Captain and one of the nicest people I know. There were a couple of each breed and I see posts from one of the exclamation points on FB regularly and it always makes me smile.
Things have changed. The women I knew who were fliers, and Captains rarely exhibited that trait, nor do the newer generation of left seaters - at least it's a rarity now rather than the norm.

 

[golfbravobravo]

I have a Southern Gentleman mentality. It's always "yes Sir", "yes Ma'am", and "take care" from me, regardless of the ages of the people I'm speaking to. So, I was surprised to learn from a New York co-worker, that women from the North, would be offended, if I referred to them as Ma'am? I don't get it, as I just like to be polite...!

Ms Jody tells me that my mum brung me up OK. I've been challenged for holding open doors, walking on the outside of the pavement, etc., etc.
I explain that a gentleman is one who takes at least half his weight on his elbows........

 

[golfbravobravo]

It's called confirmation bias and it transcends the audio world.
Take a moment and ask a Tesla (or Porsche, Mustang, Jeep, Genesis etc.) buyer if they feel like they make the right purchase.
And yes, I still look for reviews of my audio gear to validate my purchasing decisions.
Isn't this entire thread somewhat based on the idea?
(Ducks and runs for cover...)

It is taught on marketing courses that a large percentage of BMW's ads are not to persuade folks to buy, but to reassure recent purchasers that the made a good decision....

 

[golfbravobravo]

They haven't stated that officially although It appears to be so ... however they will readily accept new orders directly from customers outside the USA... with no local support,

I think they have!

My experience is that distributors are only useful if the provide local (at least first line) support and troubleshooting. Distributors who want margin without providing those basic services don't last long with us. The ones who sign up and then direct customers back to "home" last an ever shorter time.

 

[golfbravobravo]

Last time I drank Beaujolais Nouveau, I was a student ... it was cheap !!

Not anymore, it seems!

 

[golfbravobravo]

... plus the import duty and import processing fees BEFORE they apply VAT. Then, if an item has to be sent back to the US for warranty, presumably those charges apply again when the item returns. That's my main point of concern. For high value items, that can amount to a lot.

I don't know for sure, but if a non-US customer buys direct from Schiit USA, we must be paying the same US tax inclusive price ... IOW, the US Tax is not deducted ... perhaps that isn't possible or too much hassle ? In Europe, if you export a new item, I believe the local tax (VAT) is deducted.

You are mistaken. One of the frustrating aspects of US culture is that tax is never included. on anything. In most (all?) European countries it has to be included by law.
In most (albeit limited) cases we deal with, if an item is retuned then duty / import taxes can be refunded. Whether you deem it worth the effort to do that is a personal choice of course.
It used to be that if you bought from an 'out of state' company then taxes would not be charged, but the taxation depts are closing that loophole and now almost every purchase carries taxes. And, by the way, every state, county and city may or may not charge tax. I happen to live in a County where the rate is the lowest, 7%. My recent car rental originating in San Diego attracted tax and fees of 21.6%!!
And you do know, with certainty, what your tax rate will be. Rent a car in San Diego and you will pay an airport tax, a convention center tax, maybe a ball park tax, an hotel tax - all on top of the state tax. Joy!!

 

[Charente]

You are mistaken. One of the frustrating aspects of US culture is that tax is never included. on anything. In most (all?) European countries it has to be included by law.
In most (albeit limited) cases we deal with, if an item is retuned then duty / import taxes can be refunded. Whether you deem it worth the effort to do that is a personal choice of course.
It used to be that if you bought from an 'out of state' company then taxes would not be charged, but the taxation depts are closing that loophole and now almost every purchase carries taxes. And, by the way, every state, county and city may or may not charge tax. I happen to live in a County where the rate is the lowest, 7%. My recent car rental originating in San Diego attracted tax and fees of 21.6%!!
And you do know, with certainty, what your tax rate will be. Rent a car in San Diego and you will pay an airport tax, a convention center tax, maybe a ball park tax, an hotel tax - all on top of the state tax. Joy!!

Thank-you for the clarification ... my knowledge of US Tax is zero !! The effort involved in trying to unravel the customs paperwork on your own, if you have to, does seem onerous to me as a mere consumer.

Oh well ... I guess I'll continue focusing on EU-sourced items. There is some good stuff over here as well.

 

[Luckyleo]

I disagree. You can always distribute in the ratios under common situation and have back orders equally spread. It has been a clear choice to focus on North America and of course it has not been stated and apologies have been made.

It is the reason I stopped purchasing Schiit gear until stock is back in Europe ... price difference is just too much as VAT is high in Portugal (VAT is paid over the total amount incl transport )

Well Derrick, disagree all you want. Jason disagrees with you. He understands that international customers may not be as willing to buy from the USA with all the costs and red tape involved. Since he owns the company, I guess his opinion counts, while mine and yours, not so much.....

Just saying

Leo

 

[OldRoadToad]

Here’s a couple photos of Lyr+ with the tube cap in place.

That looks soooo neato! And that tube?! Sweeet! I know that most people are not comfortable using that word, but it really is neato looking!

Yeah...I am O L D E.

ORT

 

[bcowen]

NC is always looking for 'good' people. Just bring a pallet of cardboard with you, and you'll be welcome with open arms. Probably given a key to the city...!

True that.

@classfolkphile , just steer clear of the mountains anywhere north of NC. All you'll hear is banjos.

 

[bcowen]

What group contains people that love music, buy equipment, and then SEEK out reviews to validate their audio gear purchasing prowess?

I only seek out reviews on something I bought (and like) to see if the reviewer is right.

 

[Mike-WI]

What do people think of Zu Audio speakers?
Specifically the Dirty Weekend 6 that went on sale today?
$1599 + $299 [natural hickory] + $499 [Superfly upgrades]

I would pair with Ragnarok 2 (+/- Tyr amps in future).
And Yggdrasil v2 DAC.
Despite a lot of gear, I have never owned high end speakers.
I wouldn’t consider these high end. But new, value oriented, full(-ish) range speakers.
They would replace KEF LS50’s monitors -- which would then move to one of my office near field locations.
I also have a 7.1 home theater with nice looking, but likely “good” value speakers from the 2008 era now bankrupt av123 company.

 

[bcowen]

Well, unless you have a stash of great 5670 tubes. Or if you like the shorty version of these tubes (even Rina thinks they’re cute.) Or maybe you have a Western Electric 396A stashed somewhere, if you are completely bonkers and want to use a tube that costs more than the amp itself.

Aside: You are nuts if you do this. I’ve done this. Take that as you may. ​

I would never do that. Nope, never. Mostly.

I've been a 2-channel guy for a decade or four, but only got into headphones about 5 years ago. The Vali 2 was the first HP amp I bought. Price? $149. And here we are almost 5 years later, and despite the cost of everything spiraling out of control lately (not to mention normal inflation for the other 4 years), the Vali 2 is still $149. That's pretty damn commendable in my book. The fact it's an absolute killer amp for the money is more than icing on the cake, it's the cake too. Maybe I just have a place in my heart for the Vali because it was my first HP amp. But that would require me to have a heart, so scratch that.