Where is Singlepower? Where is Mikhail?

[blubliss]

Quote:

Originally Posted by neilvg /img/forum/go_quote.gif Sadly - My ES-2 was sent back precisely because of this bias problem. It became unusable on one channel. I was fixed before, but happened again, and this is what spurred the recent wait (which I have now gotten back with no issues so far). Bluebliss - actually the problem you might be having may have something to do with the current he has setup the circuit with. I'm not totally sure on exactly what was done, but my original es-2 has this exact issue with XF-2's and Mikhail lowered the current to allow the bias to be more steady. But it didn't sound as good, and now I am somwhere in between, but XF2's work. Neil

This guy is really starting to piss me off. He never mentioned your issues with the XF2s when i talked to him on the subject, he just blamed the tubes. And I got into a huge tussle with the tube seller on the condition of the tubes he sent me. That is a definite lie of omission. He knew about the issue and did not cop to it. He has mentioned in the past that he may have tuned the circuit too aggressively, but not in this instance. I am at my wits end.

And no reply to my emails!

. I left a phone message about an hour ago. I best hear from him soon or this could get nasty!

Edit: Well he finally called and we worked things out for now at least. He also explained that my amp should be able to handle the XF2s as it is. Maybe it was a bad tube??

 

[Elephas]

I've asked Mikhail to bring my amps to the Colorado Meet on July 26. I hope the meet participants can listen to and check out the amps.

If the amps have been completed, as Mikhail insists, it should be an easy enough task.

 

[rsbrsvp]

I have had similar biasing issues with my ES-1. After biasing it to 0.00 and rechecking 30 seconds later- one of the channels jumps to 7 or 9 or more. After much experimenting I learned that it is the rechecking itself that the amp. seems to be sensitive to.

If I set the bias and leave it alone- everything sounds great and the bias stays fine- as I hear no break up in sound even in highest volumes. I generally recheck and adjust the bias once a week only in order not to aggravate the unit. Also- the unit will not bias well even without rechecking with certain tube combinations which it just doesn't like. How it chooses what it does and does not like- I don't know.

 

[blubliss]

Good news for my situation. Both of my outstanding items have been shipped, one on Monday and one today (and I am not talking just tracking numbers, actual pick ups).

Will I do business again with SP, doubtful, unless there is a total overhaul. Seems like he has to do it and i am sure he will try. Time will tell. I hope Mikhail can pull it off.

 

[Elephas]

Someone told me that he talked with Mikhail recently, and Mikhail said that there is an issue that has kept him from shipping my amps.

Yes, there was and is an unresolved issue regarding one of the amps, the Supra-XLR's front faceplate. In March, while I was expecting the amps to show up in the mail, I asked Mikhail about the functionality of dual volume controls. One of the upgrades was adding a second volume control to the Supra-XLR. Mikhail sent me a photo of the amp on March 27:

I was dissatisfied with the way it looked. As part of the upgrades, Mikhail added a second volume control and a second 1/4 headphone output. I thought the result looked unprofessional. We discussed a new front faceplate or replacing the entire chassis.

On April 18, Mikhail sent me photos of another Supra with a Maestro chassis, as an example. I was more interested in a new front faceplate. He did not respond and still hasn't given me an answer about this issue.

So yes, I do agree with Mikhail that there is an issue about the Supra-XLR that is still pending. I've acknowledged this point to him in our communications, and never expected (or wanted) the Supra-XLR to be shipped as is, without a fix for the faceplate.

But there is another amp, an ES-1. There were no unresolved issues with this amp. Along with the Supra-XLR, it was also supposed to have been completed in Feb. I've told Mikhail that I do understand that the Supra-XLR is held up because of the faceplate, but I don't understand why the ES-1 hasn't been shipped. He never gave me an explanation about this.

All along, throughout our communications in Feb. through June, Mikhail has been telling me that BOTH amps were fully completed and ready to ship. In June, I didn't want to take his word for it anymore and finally asked for photos of the amps to confirm that all the upgrades were made and that they were BOTH complete and ready to ship. I received these photos on June 20, which I've posted below. In the email accompanying the photos, Mikhail again stated that "the units have been ready for shipment for over three months."

I'll let you judge the photos for yourselves. Part of the purpose was to show each specific upgrades and parts, but I did not think that these photos showed all the upgrades and supposedly completed amps (Supra-XLR and ES-1) ready to ship.

Last week, I asked Mikhail to bring both amps to the Colorado Head-Fi meet on July 26. I'm hopeful that the people at the meet can examine and listen to the amps. This would prove to me that the amps are working, that the upgrades have been completed, and they are both ready to ship. It would be my fault (which I have never denied to Mikhail), if I was not satisfied with the Supra-XLR's faceplate and requested a change and would continue to wait for a solution. But I would expect the ES-1 to be shipped immediately after the meet.

I'm angry and frustrated with Mikhail, but I don't think that he had bad intentions or that he does not intend to fulfill his obligations. But if the amps are not brought to the Colorado meet and the situation continues to drag on, then I might be forced to conclude otherwise.

Note: the cover of the ES-1's power supply had scratches; one photo shows the old cover, one photo shows the new cover

 

[Gradofan2]

Truly amazing... such great sound comes from "such a mess."

And... they have to be, quite literally - "a fire hazzard."

I have a picture in my mind of Mikhail being some kind of "mad scientist," suffering from dislexia, or ADD, in his grungy white lab coat, bespecled with hair tousled, and electrical components strewn and stacked all over every surface in his workshop... which... may explain why it takes forever to get one of his amps. He's too busy trying to find his tools and parts, or trying to find the issue in an amp he's trying to finish - testing and re-testing to find the right cap, or resistor, or wire with the problem.

I simply can't believe it!

I mean compared to the Woo Audio Amps...

 

[purk]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gradofan2 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Truly amazing... such great sound comes from "such a mess." And... they have to be, quite literally - "a fire hazzard." I have a picture in my mind of Mikhail being some kind of "mad scientist," suffering from dislexia, or ADD, in his grungy white lab coat, bespecled with hair tousled, and electrical components strewn and stacked all over every surface in his workshop... which... may explain why it takes forever to get one of his amps. He's too busy trying to find his tools and parts, or trying to find the issue in an amp he's trying to finish - testing and re-testing to find the right cap, or resistor, or wire with the problem. I simply can't believe it! I mean compared to the Woo Audio Amps...

I take amazing sound out of a messy P2P than a neatly done P2P with good sound any day.

 

[screwdriver]

Quote:

Originally Posted by purk /img/forum/go_quote.gif I take amazing sound out of a messy P2P than a neatly done P2P with good sound any day.

i beleive i might take the same route - but thats just me.

 

[Kang]

Quote:

Originally Posted by purk /img/forum/go_quote.gif I take amazing sound out of a messy P2P than a neatly done P2P with good sound any day.

x2

 

[grawk]

I hate to say it, but I'd take an amp that arrives without breaking over a great sounding amp that breaks in transit or that never gets shipped.

 

[olblueyez]

Quote:

Originally Posted by grawk /img/forum/go_quote.gif I hate to say it, but I'd take an amp that arrives without breaking over a great sounding amp that breaks in transit or that never gets shipped.

x2

 

[n_maher]

I will, quite literally, say a prayer when that amp embarks upon its trans-pacific journey. Messy wiring is ok as long as it properly secured. Clean PTP and great sound don't have to be mutually exclusive properties.

 

[Uncle Erik]

You had a second Shallco stuffed in there? Those things are big, like 2.25" square and 4" deep. Add in the banks of caps and another jack and it will get crowded inside. But that's like putting eight sofas in your living room and then saying there's something wrong with your apartment. Also, it is a huge amount of work to take a point-to-point amp out of its case and put it in another one. It's almost like building two amps - deconstructing one and then building a new one. I'm not going to apologize for Mikhail, but that is considerable work. You probably should have a custom chassis built to hold it.

 

[Gradofan2]

Quote:

Originally Posted by purk /img/forum/go_quote.gif I take amazing sound out of a messy P2P than a neatly done P2P with good sound any day.

I can't argue with that position at all... so long... as you get a great product in a reasonable timeframe... and have no problems with it!

It's just amazing!

 

[Asr]

Not all of Mikhail's p2p wiring is messy. For example, Voltron's SDS-XLR Accent T: