RSA Predator

[aardvark baguette]

Not that I'm considering buying one, but I don't understand the comments about battery life. It is being touted as the best ever. Yet the Tomahawk gets like 400 hrs per charge (or battery). How is 56 hours better than 400? Granted the Predator is powering a DAC, but I think I'd rather have 400 and use another (better) DAC. I'm certainly not buying a different portable amp just to have lithium batts; thats like buying a new $20K car that gets better gas mileage.

The charging time is within 2-3 hours, the play time is 7 days at 8 hours per day, per charge.

[n_maher]

What you should really be asking yourself is how can a device that can run for 400hrs be putting out any sort of useful output current.

[milkpowder]

aardvark sandwich, post your question on the official Predator thread

The DAC is most likely powered by USB and hence has no effect on the battery life.

[aardvark baguette]

aardvark sandwich, post your question on the official Predator thread

lol, do you have any idea how much trouble I'd be in?

I'd be gettin PM's a plenty. Hostile ones. From Mr. Ray S. Wait thats too obvious...Mr. R. Samuels

Jude would NOT take a sad song and make it better....

[hYdrociTy]

given up on your sr71?

not a bad amp since it's like a mint in a nice case..

[aardvark baguette]

given up on your sr71?

not a bad amp since it's like a mint in a nice case..

I sold my SR71 to help fund a GS1, about 2 months back. I bought the TH when I was planning on getting IEMs. But I've heard too many horror stories about proper fit w/ UE10/UE11 to risk buying. I'll probably sell the TH when Justin ships the GS1

[milkpowder]

If you can afford custom IEMs, just get 'em. Don't worry so much about fit because most people get it perfect the first time.

[Filburt]

http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f5/rsa-predator-appreciation-thread-277017/

Heh. was bound to happen I guess. Seems like there frequently has to be an attempt made to fetishise a product and deliberately exclude negative commentary in the headlining thread.

[deepak]

Looks like oicdn's post was deleted?

[bhd812]

told you peeps to shut up and don't make your self look so bad calling out Vaporware...

and the life time warranty is amazing! like him or not thats a statement!

time for lots of you to start sticking your feet in your mouths..

[bhd812]

oh AND i am joking.,....hahahahahahahahahahahahaha

i am at a cafe now and had way to much coffee...

oh look a cookie..i am going to eated the cookie!

[Filburt]

Looks like oicdn's post was deleted?

I was wondering about that too.

[Dusty Chalk]

Seems to be a short thread.

Billy -- fuck off and die. I don't perceive any foot-in-mouth disease yet. You want to keep spinning it that way, I'll keep calling you out on it.

[n_maher]

I don't quite know how to take the life-time warranty. Allow me to put on my cynical asshole hat for a moment...

A. In the auto industry this is one of those things that you see as the last refuge of the damned. Honda has a 3yr warranty on all their cars (last time I bought one anyway) and they've never advertised using their warranty as a marketing ploy. Why? Cause everyone knows the f'ing thing is going to run forever.

B. Is there so much profit built into the product that it just doesn't matter how many he has to fix? From what I've seen this is a Bithead with a better battery, sexier case (presumably) and that's about it. Seems plausible.

C. Is it just that dead-nuts simple a device that nothing can or will go wrong? Hard telling but given the lipo battery (which I believe that he's already excluded from the warranty) I would think there was enough potential for failure that some rate of failure is expected.

[elnero]

If there's ever a problem, fix it, call it an upgrade then charge for it.

[elnero]

Originally Posted by 3x331m

Anything can happen, it might happen. Lifetime warranty is a big statement, because if Ray pass the business to his next generation or partners, they will also have to assume the liability.

Originally Posted by leftnose

Not necessarily. The definition of a lifetime warranty depends on the UCC of the state in which the transaction took place. Since Ray is in Illinois, I believe the length of a lifetime warranty is up to interpretation based on what the reasonable life of a headphone amp is. What is that? 3 years? 5 years? 10 years? 20 years? Basically, if Ray feels that the amp is beyond its life, he doesn't have to warrant it anymore.

If he were in California, the lifetime warranty would be 8 years, I think.

Now, I have dealt with and met Ray and he is a very honest and honorable person and I am sure he will do whatever he can to keep the Predators running for as long as he can.

Interesting...

[aerius]

If there's ever a problem, fix it, call it an upgrade then charge for it.

It worked for the Raptor, I can't see why it wouldn't work for the rest of his products.

[Filburt]

Well, unless the Predator has some sort of DC-DC converter, the Bithead would appear to have more supply voltage (4xAAA). The overall design itself isn't particularly complicated. Where did he say the battery is excluded from the warranty?

[guzziguy]

The thread suddenly became interesting to me. The OP has discovered that a "lifetime" warranty is not exactly what he thought it was: http://www.head-fi.org/forums/3536861-post7.html.

He was undaunted and decided that it was great anyway. It's a wonderful example of "inverse sour grapes".

[PFKMan23]

I just want to see what kid of charge circuit the Predator has.

[bhd812]

Well, unless the Predator has some sort of DC-DC converter, the Bithead would appear to have more supply voltage (4xAAA). The overall design itself isn't particularly complicated. Where did he say the battery is excluded from the warranty?

I think that would be a wear and tear item, like tubes. so i would think (again its only my thought) the Battery would not be covered cause eventually it will go byebye at some point (how many years is a question) just like tubes will eventually die. i believe the batteries are only $12 bucks or something like that and if ever needed to get replaced then one would just pay for shipping (according to Rays post).

Koss and RSA are the only companies i can name off the top of my head with Lifetime warranty. and knowing Ray and his service he probably meant in his or his companies lifetime.

the only thing on the amp that could break is the volume pot or mini jacks, and that will happen cause of user error. I have seen the sr-71 go deep in hell and come back still working perfect. i said many times my lighting guys sr-71 is so fucked up its not even worth selling now. still works perfect but it has been crushed and dropped from high catwalks and been threw many foam parties also (think lots of water..lots of times)..i had to give him my extra case cause his was crushed by a lift once. the battery did not blow up though, one was leaking but no bang..and the board was bent in little bit..

[Upstateguy]

Is the battery user serviceable or does the owner have to send it back like an ipod and purchase a new battery?

[n_maher]

Where did he say the battery is excluded from the warranty?

I swear he said it in the original announcement but I can't find it now so perhaps I am mistaken. He's nuts if he's including the battery in the warranty...

[boomana]

Jamato8, or something like that, is reviewing the Predator as something quite different than I and others seem to have heard. He also says it's different than the one at Florida, which may be true, and claims the Florida one had only one day on it, which I know wasn't true. I do know that the one Ray brought to NY was supposedly different than the one at our meet and that one had only one day on it, but in what way or how different, I don't know.

[grawk]

Default The Predator....

I did mention in the sponsored thread of the Predator that if you don't believe in burn-in then the Predator is not for you.

Ray Samuels.