[Sherwood]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Towert7 /img/forum/go_quote.gif My amp was fixed free by the person who made it. Beat that!

Erik makes (and fixes) most of his amps himself. I think that wins.

 

[pompon]

I guess it's around 10k new.

Quote:

Originally Posted by markmaxx /img/forum/go_quote.gif I would love to know what this sells for! It's thursday he only has a few more days. http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f42/si...l-week-405454/

 

[mbd2884]

I'd pass on that offer and look for something else. Why bother with any future problems that may arise. Not saying there will be problems, just saying why bother the risk.

There are other options with better feedback from the designer and builder.

 

[Wodgy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by matt8268 /img/forum/go_quote.gif I must correct these descriptions of Mikhail's operation as a Ponzi scheme. A ponzi scheme is one in which new investors' money is used to PAY INTEREST/DIVIDENDS to earlier investors. It is particularly nasty because it gives the illusion that the profits are earned, when they are simply transferred from a continually widening new investor base of the pyramid.

It is obviously not a financial Ponzi scheme. It's an analogy. SinglePower's business has the characteristic that early participants were satisfied in order to draw in more and more lucrative participants who were perhaps never intended to be satisfied.

 

[Uncle Erik]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Towert7 /img/forum/go_quote.gif My amp was fixed free by the person who made it. Beat that!

Capacitor: $11
Soldering iron: $100
Knowing how to fix it yourself: priceless

Seriously, though, a warranty is a good thing and there's nothing wrong with a manufacturer providing repairs. That's great if it's available. Problem is that electronics manufacturers tend not to be long lived and even the big ones stop supporting old products. I know that McIntosh and Conrad-Johnson service all their products, and there may be others, but that's rare.

Look back a few decades at the old tube gear. A company like Hallicrafters existed almost 50 years, made hundreds of thousands of products, and is gone today. Yet you can still have any set they made serviced and brought back to perfect operating condition. All of the headphone amp manufacturers are very small operations and, as we've seen, can disappear overnight.

That's why it's important to buy gear that can be serviced by a tech. Even the best manufacturer could drop dead tomorrow and have the business liquidated by the family. Unless you buy something serviceable, you'll be stuck with an expensive doorstop.

 

[bobsmith]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wodgy /img/forum/go_quote.gif It is obviously not a financial Ponzi scheme. It's an analogy. SinglePower's business has the characteristic that early participants were satisfied in order to draw in more and more lucrative participants who were perhaps never intended to be satisfied.

Indeed. There is also the possibility that the money being paid by new purchasers is being used to buy the time and parts to simply clear the huge backlog. While a purchaser would assume that the money goes to construct HIS amp, it may instead be going to satisfy old purchasers. If this is the case, a constant influx of additional capital would be required simply to keep operating, and, unless SP somehow catches up the backlog, the whole thing will eventually collapse under its own weight as the backlog grows. This would explain the huge backlog, crazy waittimes, broken promises, and the fact that SP seems to be taking on more new work when it cannot even possibly service its old work. It may even explain the slap-dash construction on anything "rushed", as there would be insufficient capital built up from new purchasers to finance proper work. If this theory is correct, it is not far off a Ponzi scheme.

 

[markmaxx]

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Monkey /img/forum/go_quote.gif Mark, did you have that amp at one of the NYC meets a couple of years ago?

Yes It was parked right next to Mikhails amps. because we were using my Meridian GO8 to power some of Mikhails amps too.

Thats the meet where I got my panties in such a wad!!!! about the Prototype GS 1000! That was the best my amp ever sounded by far!!!! Those prototypes loved my amp!! Too bad John changed the production models.

 

[The Monkey]

Quote:

Originally Posted by markmaxx /img/forum/go_quote.gif Yes It was parked right next to Mikhails amps. because we were using my Meridian GO8 to power some of Mikhails amps too. Thats the meet where I got my panties in such a wad!!!! about the Prototype GS 1000! That was the best my amp ever sounded by far!!!! Those prototypes loved my amp!! Too bad John changed the production models.

heh, I thought so! I remember the GS 1000 debate well.

I also remember thinking that the SP amps there that day sounded very good.

 

[markmaxx]

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Monkey /img/forum/go_quote.gif heh, I thought so! I remember the GS 1000 debate well. I also remember thinking that the SP amps there that day sounded very good.

Thanks, I think it sounds good my self! Good thing because it looks like it is going to be mine for a while

Aaron:.. you can deleate this if you want. I feel much better, already!

Way off topic,but I stayed away from Head-fi for 2 years because of the debate on the Prototypes GS 1000 and the productiom Models!

Jude is no Idiot!!!!! and he compaired them directly to the HE 90 for king of the headphone title. That's after he had the headphones for a while! (ie. Jude was not just reviewing the GS 1000 in meet conditions like the new Senn. HD 800) I don't know anyone, who has a set of HE 90s that would trade for the production GS 1000s. Everyone but you and a couple others basicly called me the village Idiot for saying there was a big differance between the 2 models, and I didn't think it fair for John Grado to have 2 prototype reviewed at a national meet and then have all of us buy the production models only to be very disipointed. End rant sorry!

To this day Grado still has on there website:... Judes review of the Prototypes. To me that is like putting a 500 horse power motor in a mustang at the auto show, print a review of the prototype. Then use the review in their advertising. Then release the mustand with 300 horsepower. Thats a flawed analogy, because we can measure HP. we can't measure sonics! Almost forgot, Them have Ford give you the Mustang for the great review!

See you in two years

 

[tom hankins]

Icarium,
Let him come out and fix your amp. Your not getting even with Mikhail by loosing money. i gave up after my PSU deal and had no intention of dealing with SP or ever collecting my money. Now i have what I should have had all along and it didnt cost me anything more than I already had in the amp. he stayed 2 1/2 days and worked on the amp until it was what I had wanted. You have nothing to loose and everything to gain. Even if you want to take it to some one else after he's done working on it you will at least have the parts that should be in there and it will be working and sounding up to your satisfaction. If its not what you wanted you can always file with the CC company later.

 

[markmaxx]

Quote:

Originally Posted by tom hankins /img/forum/go_quote.gif Icarium, Let him come out and fix your amp. Your not getting even with Mikhail by loosing money. i gave up after my PSU deal and had no intention of dealing with SP or ever collecting my money. Now i have what I should have had all along and it didn't cost me anything more than I already had in the amp. he stayed 2 1/2 days and worked on the amp until it was what I had wanted. You have nothing to loose and everything to gain. Even if you want to take it to some one else after he's done working on it you will at least have the parts that should be in there and it will be working and sounding up to your satisfaction. If its not what you wanted you can always file with the CC company later.

Is the inside of your amp, and PSU as unorganized as some of the others, like mine. If so what does Mikhail have to say about the DIY, quality, construction?
And after being around Mikhail for 2 and 1/2 days how is he justifying the behavior we are seeing (reading) in this thread? ( Let me say I was shocked that my amp looks so amateurish inside. Yesterday was the first time I looked inside by the way.) You guys must of talked about this thread, and it's impact on his loyal customers. It seems like this topic is important to a lot of our members, because there are 80,000 hits on this thread!

 

[tom hankins]

Quote:

Originally Posted by markmaxx /img/forum/go_quote.gif Is the inside of your amp, and PSU as unorganized as some of the others, like mine. If so what does Mikhail have to say about the DIY, quality, construction? And after being around Mikhail for 2 and 1/2 days how is he justifying the behavior we are seeing (reading) in this thread? ( Let me say I was shocked that my amp looks so amateurish inside. Yesterday was the first time I looked inside by the way.) You guys must of talked about this thread, and it's impact on his loyal customers. It seems like this topic is important to a lot of our members, because there are 80,000 hits on this thread!

No I didnt talk about this thread. I lived this thread. Thats all been covered with him over the phone and online. My conversations with Mikhail pretty much all involved getting my purchase right. My amp is, sounds great, and is what it should have been from day one. My advice to Dan is to have Mikhail come out and make things right. Everything face to face, no excuses, get what you paid for.

 

[immtbiker]

Quote:

Originally Posted by markmaxx /img/forum/go_quote.gif and I didn't think it fair for Joeseph Grado to have 2 prototype reviewed at a national meet and then have all of us buy the production models only to be very disipointed. End rant sorry!

Just for clarification, it is John Grado, not his uncle Joeseph.

...and you shouldn't leave for the reasons you stated.

Every hobby needs the hobbyists to grow a "thick skin" for one reason or another.

 

[Icarium]

Quote:

Originally Posted by tom hankins /img/forum/go_quote.gif Icarium, Let him come out and fix your amp. Your not getting even with Mikhail by loosing money. i gave up after my PSU deal and had no intention of dealing with SP or ever collecting my money. Now i have what I should have had all along and it didnt cost me anything more than I already had in the amp. he stayed 2 1/2 days and worked on the amp until it was what I had wanted. You have nothing to loose and everything to gain. Even if you want to take it to some one else after he's done working on it you will at least have the parts that should be in there and it will be working and sounding up to your satisfaction. If its not what you wanted you can always file with the CC company later.

Tom I appreciate the sentiment.. but I have it on good authority that the parts in the amp are ~800 bucks. The chassis costs more than the parts by quite a bit. Unless he totally guts and revamps the amp I do not have confidence that he will make me satisfied.

If this were a tube amp I think it'd be a different story. His skills in the tube amp depart seem decentish and I'm sure what he made for you is pretty decent.. but his solid state is seriously lacking.

My amp is fundamentally 6 squarewave boards and a like a 100 dollar power supply made out of a bunch of butchered and 2 not butchered wall warts. A chinese diy digital attenuator kit (200 dollars) a 24 stepper and some other random bits and pieces.

I don't know what he could cobble together in a week that he could not cobble together in 5 months.. but I don't know if what he can do will satisfy me. I have a plan to gut it and replace it with something I will be satisfied with so I am going ahead with that. The 1250 I get back will take me pretty far in that journey and I have the funds to take it to the rest.

 

[vcoheda]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Icarium /img/forum/go_quote.gif Tom I appreciate the sentiment.. but I have it on good authority that the parts in the amp are ~800 bucks. ... My amp is fundamentally 6 squarewave boards and like a 100 dollar power supply made out of a bunch of butchered and 2 not butchered wall warts. A chinese diy digital attenuator kit (200 dollars) a 24 stepper and some other random bits and pieces.