[kh36267]

Makes me wonder how they would deal with any paid prirs and features, since they'd be locked to the lost unit. I guess they could either reuse the same device identifier or offer to re-sign any content.

if i remember correctly, the board upgrade that I had sent it in for was the first paid feature I had added to my unit up until that point.......which made it easier just sending another unit with the upgrade already incorporated.

i've always wondered if my missing unit ever ended up at the UPS Lost & Found store they have in Utah.......if so, somebody probably got a pretty good deal......

 

[Ciggavelli]

My A16 just arrived. I’ll set it up later this week. I can’t wait.

I haven’t read the manual yet, but I took the unit out of the box. I’m guessing I can use rca cables from the headphone a slots on the back to connect to my headphone amp, correct? I’m going to be using the TCs and my X9K or Shang Sr with this and would need to use my wa33/3ES.

 

[Litlgi74]

My A16 just arrived. I’ll set it up later this week. I can’t wait.

I haven’t read the manual yet, but I took the unit out of the box. I’m guessing I can use rca cables from the headphone a slots on the back to connect to my headphone amp, correct? I’m going to be using the TCs and my X9K or Shang Sr with this and would need to use my wa33/3ES.

You can also use the digital outs (coax or optical) to an external DAC.

Just remember.. The more color you add to the sound... The more you'll have to remove through HPEQ adjustment.

Congrats.

 

[Ciggavelli]

You can also use the digital outs (coax or optical) to an external DAC.

Just remember.. The more color you add to the sound... The more you'll have to remove through HBEQ adjustment.

Congrats.

Oh nice! I’ll just hook it up to my mDAVE. That’ll be much easier. All I have to do is get an optical cable. Thanks!

 

[GeorgeA]

Congratulations and enjoy using your Realiser A16 unit.

 

[esimms86]

Could I ask a small favor of you? When get a chance you get could you post a picture of your A16’s “About” page? It would give us a clue regarding the hardware and firmware configurations of the units that the Smyths are currently shipping out. I’m curious to know if the Smyths are using any hardware different from previous, and if so, are the newly minted units requiring different firmware. Thanks.

 

[Ciggavelli]

Could I ask a small favor of you? When get a chance you get could you post a picture of your A16’s “About” page? It would give us a clue regarding the hardware and firmware configurations of the units that the Smyths are currently shipping out. I’m curious to know if the Smyths are using any hardware different from previous, and if so, are the newly minted units requiring different firmware. Thanks.

Will do once I set it up in the coming days

 

[Sanctuary]

So, since James is stonewalling me and being entirely unresponsive (as usual), I'm kind of stuck shipping mine back. There's an estimated $893 VAT charge. I'm assuming that once it hits customs and they see that it is not an item being sold, but in fact being returned to the manufacturer for repairs that the charge would be waived, but I have no idea, and neither does UPS. The only option I was given was to charge the recipient too, and even if I wanted to pay for it there's not any option that allows that prior to it reaching the UK.

 

[shmau]

You should write "return to manufacturer for repair" or similar on the invoice (which you will need to create regardless) and if possible on the shipping label too. As a business they should be able to figure it out. There's no way you would get billed for VAT because you're not even in the country. If anything Smyth would have to pay it until they can sort it out.

 

[Sanctuary]

You should write "return to manufacturer for repair" or similar on the invoice (which you will need to create regardless) and if possible on the shipping label too. As a business they should be able to figure it out. There's no way you would get billed for VAT because you're not even in the country. If anything Smyth would have to pay it until they can sort it out.

Yeah, the return for repair option is what I used when filling everything out. I also mentioned it again under the item description. There's also an electronic export information form that needed to be filed, and under "reason for export" the code used was TE, which is an item being shipped out of the US for repairs (not sold), before being shipped back.

The "sorting out" is what I am stuck on, because they can simply refuse the package due to the charges and then it would be sent back. So I'm sitting here waiting for some kind of verification from James before I can proceed.

edit: Funny/not funny aside, I ended up going to my local UPS store since I couldn't get anything from James, and even the manager of thirteen years was having issues figuring out how to ship this back (this is even before any Duty Tax/VAT) and spent a good two hours trying to help. He had to get involved when the initial clerk that tried to help me kept getting stuck. The initial clerk even kept asking me if I had the correct address, saying that it did not look legitimate to her, and she was asking me if I was being scammed. Clearly it was an address that was used before, because that's where my unit shipped from, and I even told her she could easily look it up online.

In the end, after the manager talked with some other representatives on the phone, he said that they had everything sorted and that they were ready to go, then left the building. I still had a few questions, but he left up the finalization to the clerk that was originally trying to help me that was way out of her depth. She ended up messing up the commercial invoice, so I just ended up telling her that I was sorry, but that I'd have to refuse for now until I can get more information.

Once I can get the above issue settled, it will have cost me $245 to ship it back ($575 in the store) for doing it myself, and doing it better than those who should know what to do.

edit2: Oh, the power of complaining on a forum. James just replied LOL.

And yes you both of us should not be paying any import tax, as this unit is being returned for repair under warranty.
Please make them aware of this. If they need the original quotation I can provide this.

 

[dsperber]

I repeat... I recommend Fedex International Economy, -> "Great Rates Hotline" to get a quote. You only have to have an existing Fedex account, which anyone can register for at no cost to you. Depending on your usage this account will offer you about a 10% discount on future domestic shipments, but you don't ever have to use it. You just want to get in the front door here to be able to use the "Great Rates Hotline" to save about 80% on Fedex International Economy.

The "create shipment" wizard will guide you through the "commercial invoice" process, etc., and the "return for warranty repairs" explanation as mentioned by all of us. That paperwork must be produced for any international shipping, Fedex or UPS or DHL etc. You then print the resulting documents and take it to the Fedex depot with your packed carton. They will affix the plastic bag with all of the required paperwork inside, to move through customs.

Again, my Oct 2021 shipment of my A16 to Smyth was $86 (that truly is a "great rate"). Period. Delivered in 5 days. No $900 VAT that needed to be refunded. No battles through customs. Fedex knows what they're doing. Just $86. It may be different today, but for sure there was not VAT involved through Fedex "return for repair".

I see from my notes the following phone numbers that may be of help to others. Note that the "Bureau of Census" phone number that I was given in order to get the correct "Schedule B" numeric codes to enter in the proper fields of the "commercial invoice", to correctly specify "electronic equipment being returned for warranty repair".

877-463-7408: Great Rates Hotline
866-352-3252: EEI tech support
877-339-2774: Fedex InSight tech support

800-549-0595, 2: Bureau of Census,
Schedule B codes

 

[Sanctuary]

I repeat... I recommend Fedex International Economy, -> "Great Rates Hotline" to get a quote. You only have to have an existing Fedex account, which anyone can register for at no cost to you. Depending on your usage this account will offer you about a 10% discount on future domestic shipments, but you don't ever have to use it. You just want to get in the front door here to be able to use the "Great Rates Hotline" to save about 80% on Fedex International Economy.

The "create shipment" wizard will guide you through the "commercial invoice" process, etc., and the "return for warranty repairs" explanation as mentioned by all of us. That paperwork must be produced for any international shipping, Fedex or UPS or DHL etc. You then print the resulting documents and take it to the Fedex depot with your packed carton. They will affix the plastic bag with all of the required paperwork inside, to move through customs.

Again, my Oct 2021 shipment of my A16 to Smyth was $86 (that truly is a "great rate"). Period. Delivered in 5 days. No $900 VAT that needed to be refunded. No battles through customs. Fedex knows what they're doing. Just $86. It may be different today, but for sure there was not VAT involved through Fedex "return for repair".

I see from my notes the following phone numbers that may be of help to others. Note that the "Bureau of Census" phone number that I was given in order to get the correct "Schedule B" numeric codes to enter in the proper fields of the "commercial invoice", to correctly specify "electronic equipment being returned for warranty repair".

877-463-7408: Great Rates Hotline
866-352-3252: EEI tech support
877-339-2774: Fedex InSight tech support

800-549-0595, 2: Bureau of Census,
Schedule B codes

I appreciate your advice, but I actually already tried to take advantage of it after you previously mentioned it. I have a FedEx account, and wasn't able to get a discount over the phone that was anywhere close to what I was getting from UPS (for now anyway).

Most carriers were a minimum of $500 if you were to go to a physical location, and somewhere around the same (slightly more, or slightly less) online, while the only place I could actually get a real discount was at the UPS shipping site where you create your own label. In store was going to cost me $575 after I ended up just saying "screw it" and used the original box, heavily reinforced and packed in a way that the A16 can't possibly move in any direction. But after they messed things up in the store, not really making more progress than I did on my own, I just went back to the online site and it's going to cost $259. At this point, I don't even care about saving another $100 just to be done with it.

Even USPS, which a few here used told me that they are not able to ship an item with a declared value over $600 to the location it needed to go. Their online store was a different story, but the cost from there wasn't worth it.

 

[Ciggavelli]

You can also use the digital outs (coax or optical) to an external DAC.

Just remember.. The more color you add to the sound... The more you'll have to remove through HBEQ adjustment.

Congrats.

Quick question. I don't know anything about optical cables. Does the quality of the cable matter for optical? If so, what brand do you recommend (this goes for everybody)?

 

[shmau]

Quick question. I don't know anything about optical cables. Does the quality of the cable matter for optical? If so, what brand do you recommend (this goes for everybody)?

It does not matter but not all optical cables are capable of 192kHz. Not that it would matter with the Realiser. Regardless, I like the ALVA professional cables (often used with RME equipment) because they are well made and reasonably priced.

 

[Litlgi74]

Quick question. I don't know anything about optical cables. Does the quality of the cable matter for optical? If so, what brand do you recommend (this goes for everybody)?

No need to go crazy... Just get your feet wet... Get an inexpensive cable to start out with.