[musicday]

Maybe, we should all organize and protest the communication situation by e-mail, or do something to get the Smyths' attention and let them know how unacceptable their silence is. If the Smyths had a representative on head-fi reading conversations, and and participating in them occasionally, like other manufacturers, such as Audeze, Astell & Kern, and Schiit Audio do, they would be more responsive to our protests and questions about communications. Unfortunately, they do not seem to have any representative here, and one wonders if they're at all interested in what their A16 buyers and Backers think.

I am just wondering whether as buyers and backers, we can use this platform to do something more meaningful to get their attention, other than simply complaining about their communication practices in isolation.

What do you guys think about this? What can we do as an organized group of buyers/backers to draw the attention of the Smyths to their very deplorable communication practices and demand some reform?

If we do nothing, then we are mere sitting ducks, just waiting to take whatever delays and excuses the Smyths are willing to throw at us, and who knows, maybe even an eventual bust-up of this project, without delivery. Well, I personally do find our current role of complaining sitting ducks, to be too acceptable, and I am pretty sure that I am not alone. So what can we reasonably do here to get the Smyths attention and hold them accountable?

Wow, you wrote exactly what i did in different words and post it 10 seconds before me

 

[Got the Shakes]

I can tell you trying to contact them as an individual for updated info hasn’t worked to well for me. They haven’t responded at all to a few emails I sent them a couple of months ago.

 

[sahmen]

We just have to organize and take some concerted action, that would impact them at the same time. I am sure if they were to receive an e-mail with the same complaint from even 50 to 100 backers/buyers on the same day, about the same problem, they will begin to take notice. The message we send could be something as simple as

"We need more frequent A-16 updates. As your clients, we deserve that."

But again, they must receive that message in bulk, and on the same day, for it to make the desired impression.

 

[sahmen]

So how about this: if you're willing to participate in this group e-mail project, as an A16 buyer or backer, please indicate your willingness by posting your approval on this very site... A single word, such as "approve," or "Ay," or "yes" would do. After enough backers/buyers have indicated their approval, we can all decide on an appropriate date and message for launching the project.

For the date of the launch, let me tentatively suggest September 1st, although we can change it if necessary...

In the meantime, go ahead and "vote" and let you voice be heard.

Needless to say: the more participants we can gather together for the project, the louder our voices are going to sound, and the larger the footprint of the impact we are going to make... etc etc.

 

[MichaelJames99]

I received a Customer Survey on 2/22/17 at 8:38 am EST that had a lot of personal email addresses on it (51 total that ordered the A16) LOL

 

[Fox1977]

We should first wait for August update (I hope there will be one) and see what they say in it...

 

[musicday]

We should first wait for August update (I hope there will be one) and see what they say in it...

I agree with you. Let's wait for thr August update and we can discuss what to donin September, if next month the units doesn't start to ship.

 

[mikemav]

^^^agree^^^

 

[sahmen]

Just to be clear, I am all for waiting till September before taking any action. However, any concerted action will still take time to organize, especially, on this forum... And that is why I wanted to collect approvals now... Something to think about...

 

[musicday]

Let's all agree to wait 29 more days before September.I still want to believe that is coming next month, smiling again.

 

[sahmen]

I received a Customer Survey on 2/22/17 at 8:38 am EST that had a lot of personal email addresses on it (51 total that ordered the A16) LOL

A total of 51 e-mail addresses, as against a whopping total of 330 backers?... That makes for a pretty dismal record of keeping tabs on one's custumers, if 51 addresses are indeed all they have on their A-16 mailing list. And that is not even counting pre-orderers like me who got on board after the Kickstarter period was over.

 

[VandyMan]

Please start a new topic for your vote.

 

[Dixter]

sounds like we are all holding hope until September.... best of luck to all and I hope there will be no need for a concerted vote/action...

 

[mrtim6]

I agree we should do the following this week:

Compile a list of headfi backers / buyers.
Set up a “headfi Smyth Reasearch Realiser A16 backer email group” - hopefully we have someone in this group tech savvy to accomplish this.
Ensure all who want to be included in that group have their headfi name / handle added.
Email Jame Smyth and company inviting them to participate in this forum - has anyone previously requested they join us here?
Negotiate a regular update - with progress report once a week - say by close of business (UK GMT) every Friday until units are dispatched.

We should vote on these and any other suggestions through this forum.
If we fail to let the Smyth’s know of our collective frustrations of a lack of updates then it’s our problem not so much theirs. We need to sort out a consensus on these questions and any other relevant questions right now, not in September or we will just continue on the same old merry go round.

 

[phoenixdogfan]

sounds like we are all holding hope until September.... best of luck to all and I hope there will be no need for a concerted vote/action...

This has all the makings of failed venture. The reason for the lack of updates to me look pretty clear: They're out of money and about to go belly up.