There's something wrong in Colorado...

[jp11801]

I also don't see how stifling fanboyism will prevent something like this in the future.

While this may or not may not fit the Websters definition of fanboyism (god I hate that term). The problem to me at least is when an SP customer raised concerns here or on headfi there seemed to be a universal response of " yeah I waited a long time and dealt with the BS but in the end it is totally worth it" or you'd get a few responses well I ordered my amp 6 weeks ago and I got it last week. Both of these answers without SP customers with issues chiming in had the effect of masking the issue. So people continued to send there cash to Denver thinking nothng was amiss.

With that said though if you ordered a standard boiler plate mpx3 or extreme you probably got that in short order. If you added a bunch of upgraded to your amp that had the effect of stuffing 10lbs of sausage in a 5 lb casing then there were delays.

[morphsci]

Sorry, I must not have made myself clear. I agree that is what KG said, not alluded to. I think it's nonsense. I don't think that RSA fanboy's have anything to do with SP's problems. Mikhail and his inability or unwillingness to concentrate on the business side rather than the prototyping/customization side is what caused the problems. I don't see any way to blame RSA or its fanboys in any manner. I also don't see how stifling fanboyism will prevent something like this in the future.

I totally agree with this. The suggestion that RSA is even partially responsible for this is pretty ludicrous and IMO suggests another agenda altogether. Stifling "fanboys" will increase the signal-to-noise ratio at head-fi, but will have little effect on this type of problem in the future. Mikhail's problems are mostly of his own making.

While this may or not may not fit the Websters definition of fanboyism (god I hate that term). The problem to me at least is when an SP customer raised concerns here or on headfi there seemed to be a universal response of " yeah I waited a long time and dealt with the BS but in the end it is totally worth it" or you'd get a few responses well I ordered my amp 6 weeks ago and I got it last week. Both of these answers without SP customers with issues chiming in had the effect of masking the issue. So people continued to send there cash to Denver thinking nothng was amiss.

With that said though if you ordered a standard boiler plate mpx3 or extreme you probably got that in short order. If you added a bunch of upgraded to your amp that had the effect of stuffing 10lbs of sausage in a 5 lb casing then there were delays.

I also somewhat agree with this in that many Singlepower customers, including myself, did not speak out nearly strong enough about the potential problems. That being said, it is not that difficult to find lots of posts on head-fi (including some of my own) that detailed most, if not all of these problems going back at least 2 years. You can also find plenty of posts that say that they enjoy the Singlepower sound but will not be buying anything new in the future and caution others at the same time. When I decided to buy my ES-1 there were plenty of posts about long wait times but I do not recall seeing anything about shipping deceit, switched items or non-existent upgrades. Those seem to be newer problems and to me indicates a severely deteriorating situation that does require the actions Aaron has taken on head-fi (Kudos to Aaron for doing this). As others have said, I hope Singlepower can get out of the massive chasm they have dug for themselves, but the probability seems very low at this point. Especially given the fact that the reason many people go the Singlepower route is precisely because they do want something custom. Al-in-all a sad situation.

[Dusty Chalk]

I understood what KG meant in his response to me, and it's pretty much what he said, I don't know why everyone's trying to interpret. He's not blaming RSA or RS' fanboys for SP's problems, only for setting up a situation. A situation that Mikhail could have reacted to a number of ways, but did in the one in the way that KG described, and he's absolutely right in that it's a crazy way to run a business.

I have a kitty in my lap butting her head against my elbow, so I'll cut this short.

[morphsci]

I understood what KG meant in his response to me, and it's pretty much what he said, I don't know why everyone's trying to interpret.

Because it acts as a red herring and diverts attention away from where it properly belongs. Besides, if there wasn't anything else to what he meant he could have certainly made it a more general marketplace pressure scenario. RSA was not just a random choice.

....and he's absolutely right in that it's a crazy way to run a business.

Absolutely and without a doubt.

I have a kitty in my lap butting her head against my elbow, so I'll cut this short.

[iceman94]

At least in my experience, Mikhail had problems before the whole new-product-of-the-month syndrome beginning with the Extreme. My MPX3 SE was roughly a month and a half behind schedule when it shipped. This was only based on what I was told- I wasn't given bogus shipping info, just a projected completion date. It seems ridiculously good compared to things now, but I was pretty annoyed at the time.

The fanboy problem is not just RSA setting up conditions- I let myself get sucked into everything and so I let go my aggravation with the delay. The unreliable wait times were always a casual aside, not only expected but accepted. Perhaps if forum sentiment were more blunt and balanced, an earlier wake-up call would have spared us this situation. Maybe. What it did instead was not only accelerate SP's self-destruction, but let it begin in the first place.

[tyrion]

The way I read KG's last post, he's blaming Ray's fanboys as a component of Mikhail's problems. He doesn't mention SP fanboys at all. I agree with KG that Ray's fanboys are a big problem on HF, but I don't see how they have anything to do with SP.

What's going on at SP at the moment is sad and Mikhail has nobody to blame but himself. However, I see lots of people are using SP's problems to air their own issues and get their kicks in.

He certainly does blame Ray's fanboys but I think the point is that he believes fanboyism led to this. I think the better term is fanboyism that borders on being a shill. It's one thing to be excited about a product, it's another to take it to such an extreme that you are posting in every thread posted asking for an amp recommendation and recommending the same amp mfg. over and over again.

It's great your ears are getting licked by your amp but there are others out there that will do the same and better without the need for putting up with so much bs.

[blubliss]

Seems to me that many factors led to this; which is in the forefront one may never know.

I am sure all these things play a part:

-fanboyism/shilling

-atrocious business practices

-poor reliability

-Mikhail's incessant need to be creative (guzziguy stated this perfectly)

-erroneous delivery dates

While i am saddened by this downfall of SP, I am real glad it is out in the open now.

My amps do sound very good, but there are some minor issues i would like checked out. Maybe this debacle will help Mikhail change, but my hopes are low at present.

And, Tyrion, I want to hear these other amps because my experience is so limited. I have heard nothing but SP stuff so my mind is open. I will bring my stuff to the next Int'l meet and maybe you can help me out.

[aardvark baguette]

Maybe this debacle will help Mikhail change, but my hopes are low at present.

That would be nice, but who here would honestly fork over any serious amount of money to him at this point? Who is going to test the waters, after so much history? I'd never feel comfortable giving him money, having read this thread. This all seems like a repeat of the Diablo to me, on a much more serious scale.

[kevin gilmore]

He certainly does blame Ray's fanboys but I think the point is that he believes fanboyism led to this. I think the better term is fanboyism that borders on being a shill. It's one thing to be excited about a product, it's another to take it to such an extreme that you are posting in every thread posted asking for an amp recommendation and recommending the same amp mfg. over and over again.

mike has it almost exactly correct.

Yes it was in fact the RS fanboys with what appeared to be very one sided and

heavy handed moderation and censorship. Not the least of which was caused by

tuberoller. Its not another agenda, although my love for ray is clearly well known.

Being a shill usually requires some back channel money or favors going on, so earl

is not a shill, and therefore we need a new word for this. Hirsch and earl are

therefore fanboys in the extreme. Liking a piece of audio gear is great, loving

the person that build it, treating them like a god to the exclusion of all else borders

on insanity.

99% of mikhail's trouble is his own fault.

Fact is that both ray and mikhail are charismatic's and people want to believe the

bullshit that flows so easily from their mouths.

There is really so much other great equipment out there from many different

manufacturers that never sees the light of day due to the extreme noise to

signal ratio.

[Dusty Chalk]

It's great your ears are getting licked by your amp but there are others out there that will do the same and better without the need for putting up with so much bs.

Unfortunately, that's just not the case. There's a cleanliness to some of Mikhail's amps that I've just not heard in any other amp. Even my love for the Wheatfield is because it has a completely different sound.

But I agree that it's not BS I would put up with. Here's to hoping my SP amp never breaks. (crosses fingers)

[kevin gilmore]

Maybe some day you will hear the bamaslama which is the same

as an extreme with dc output coupling. And maybe you will hear

(or have heard?) the menace which is also the same thing.

[jp11801]

Unfortunately, that's just not the case. There's a cleanliness to some of Mikhail's amps that I've just not heard in any other amp. Even my love for the Wheatfield is because it has a completely different sound.

But I agree that it's not BS I would put up with. Here's to hoping my SP amp never breaks. (crosses fingers)

I'd put the millet 307a, the BA from EC in that upper tier as well as the pagano 300b amp. I'm not sure why the pagano amps did not take off while expensive they are in the range of some of the more esoteric SP offerings and won best in show at the 2006 annual meet from Stereophile.

[guzziguy]

He certainly does blame Ray's fanboys but I think the point is that he believes fanboyism led to this. I think the better term is fanboyism that borders on being a shill. It's one thing to be excited about a product, it's another to take it to such an extreme that you are posting in every thread posted asking for an amp recommendation and recommending the same amp mfg. over and over again.

To support your agenda, I think that you are assigning meaning to Kevin's post that isn't there. He never mentions the word shill.

It's great your ears are getting licked by your amp but there are others out there that will do the same and better without the need for putting up with so much bs.

The first part of your statement is a matter of opinion. I agree with the second part and, if you read my SP posts for the last year both here and on HF, I warn people that wait times are incredibly long and all schedules are too optimistic. I also state that as much as I would like the external P/S upgrade, I won't send in my amp until SP shows that they can give and make legitimate schedules.

mike has it almost exactly correct.

Yes it was in fact the RS fanboys with what appeared to be very one sided and

heavy handed moderation and censorship. Not the least of which was caused by

tuberoller. Its not another agenda, although my love for ray is clearly well known.

Being a shill usually requires some back channel money or favors going on, so earl

is not a shill, and therefore we need a new word for this. Hirsch and earl are

therefore fanboys in the extreme. Liking a piece of audio gear is great, loving

the person that build it, treating them like a god to the exclusion of all else borders

on insanity.

Here is support of my theory from the man himself. He doesn't think that Earl is a shill. So you can't reasonable use his statements to back up your agenda.

99% of mikhail's trouble is his own fault.

At least that much.

Fact is that both ray and mikhail are charismatic's and people want to believe the

bullshit that flows so easily from their mouths.

There is really so much other great equipment out there from many different

manufacturers that never sees the light of day due to the extreme noise to

signal ratio.

Agree.

[riceboy]

Unfortunately, that's just not the case. There's a cleanliness to some of Mikhail's amps that I've just not heard in any other amp. Even my love for the Wheatfield is because it has a completely different sound.

But I agree that it's not BS I would put up with. Here's to hoping my SP amp never breaks. (crosses fingers)

The more I read about the issues at SP, the more I think that SP might not ever recover the same amount of business it once had, but one never knows.

As Blubliss mentioned about being open to other amps, I would be to as it's part of the fun of this hobby .

Also, I'm in the same boat as Dusty where we got our fingers crossed with I'm sure others that their SP amps don't break too.

I do like the sound of the SP amps I own. But it really is sad and disheartening how there seems to be a lot of unresolved issues at SP. I really give Aaron kudos and a thumbs up for letting members know the current state at SP so they have at least the info at hand to know what they are getting into if they purchase a SP amp right now. I feel there will be more members with stories about their experiences at SP in the next coming days, weeks, and probably months.

[immtbiker]

Aaron,

Is there a well documented case of the serial number swap happening? To me that crosses over a much darker line between right and wrong. That's theft, plain and simple. It is not Mikhail's right to chose what to do with a product that someone else owns and certainly not his place to send it on to someone else. I'd feel differently if the items in question were merely returns rather than amps sent in for upgrades or repairs. Either way that's seriously shady and just plain awful to think about.

Nothing written in stone, Nate. Just telephone complaints and details that were asked to be kept out of print. I'm sure that Kevin heard similar circumstances in his late night phone calls from frustrated people who just need an ear or shoulder to lean on while waiting on their extra long journey through the unknown.

If the dark line is going to be painted, it is going to have to be from a person willing to openly post their experience. I don't think that anyone wants to single-handedly be responsible for the downfall of someone's mortgage payment or child's college fund, unless that person truly thinks there is no chance of ever getting their money back that equates to a sizeable amount.

One member is currently involved with a lawyer who advised them not to say anything publically that might hurt their case. Afterwards, I'm sure that s/he would be very free to share with us.

[tyrion]

To support your agenda, I think that you are assigning meaning to Kevin's post that isn't there. He never mentions the word shill.

The first part of your statement is a matter of opinion. I agree with the second part and, if you read my SP posts for the last year both here and on HF, I warn people that wait times are incredibly long and all schedules are too optimistic. I also state that as much as I would like the external P/S upgrade, I won't send in my amp until SP shows that they can give and make legitimate schedules.

Here is support of my theory from the man himself. He doesn't think that Earl is a shill. So you can't reasonable use his statements to back up your agenda.

At least that much.

Agree.

Ken, it's just semantics. Whether KG thinks someone is or isn't a shill doesn't matter to me. I wasn't looking to KG to provide my opinion anymore than he would look to me for such an opinion. Each of us are capable of coming up with that on our own.

Did you read what KG wrote. He and I may not agree on the term to use but I think we agree on the what Earl is. We may choose to use different terms to describe it but it doesn't mean we are talking about different things. I don't know why you would spend the effort to point out that KG doesn't believe Earl to be a shill yet says that he is a fanboy to the extreme and Earl's feeling relative to Mikhail and SP borders on insanity. Is that is some how better than being called a shill?

Warning of schedules that are overly optimistic, is commendable but don't you think this has gone a bit beyond overly optimistic? My god, 2 years to wait for an amplifier to be built or repaired? I waited less time for my kids to be born.

I'm curious, what do you think my agenda is because I don't believe I have an agenda. I do have an opinion, however. I have zero vested in any of this. But I do believe that there are some that follow Mikhail and SP like sheep to slaughter and I guess I don't get it. I think in the end it hurts the community but if you are willing to put up with it, so be it.

Dusty, if you believe that SP amps are the greatest thing since sliced bread, no problem. But do you really believe he has cornered the market on the best sounding amps? Do you really believe that there is no one out there that can create an amp that equals anything that Mikhail produces? If so, you may be suffering from the same insanity that KG was talking about.

[guzziguy]

Ken, it's just semantics. Whether KG thinks someone is or isn't a shill doesn't matter to me. I wasn't looking to KG to provide my opinion anymore than he would look to me for such an opinion. Each of us are capable of coming up with that on our own.

So you just used his post to jump in to call Earl a shill?

Did you read what KG wrote. He and I may not agree on the term to use but I think we agree on the what Earl is. We may choose to use different terms to describe it but it doesn't mean we are talking about different things. I don't know why you would spend the effort to point out that KG doesn't believe Earl to be a shill yet says that he is a fanboy to the extreme and Earl's feeling relative to Mikhail and SP borders on insanity. Is that is some how better than being called a shill?

Yes, I read it. He distinctly said that Earl is not a shill. A shill is someone that secretly gets compensation to help sell something. You said that Earl is a shill. So no, you are not saying the same thing unless your definition of "are" is different than my definition of "are". Yes, it's better to be called borderline insane that it is to be called unethical, and that's what you did.

Warning of schedules that are overly optimistic, is commendable but don't you think this has gone a bit beyond overly optimistic? My god, 2 years to wait for an amplifier to be built or repaired? I waited less time for my kids to be born.

Have you read anything else I've written about the situation? I've stated that I personally find Mikhail's inability or unwillingness to give and make reasonable schedules to be bad business. I haven't sent in my amp for an upgrade because of it. However, afaik nobody has lost any money due to a long wait. If the wait becomes too long, a person can cancel and get a refund. I haven't heard of anybody not getting a refund. If this is still the case, it's a matter of bad business but as long as people are warned that it can take two years, that's all that needs to be done. It's up to them to make a choice. Again, I think it's bad business and won't do it myself.

I'm curious, what do you think my agenda is because I don't believe I have an agenda. I do have an opinion, however. I have zero vested in any of this. But I do believe that there are some that follow Mikhail and SP like sheep to slaughter and I guess I don't get it. I think in the end it hurts the community but if you are willing to put up with it, so be it.

I don't know exactly what your agenda is, but it obviously involves Earl. If you have no agenda, then why jump in and accuse him of being a shill? This issue is about SP and Mikhail, not Earl. If you've payed any attention, you'll have noticed that Earl has been very quiet about SP, both here and on HF, for quite a while. So he hasn't even been that much of a fanboy recently, much less a shill.

It also doesn't matter if you (or anybody else) get why some people will follow Mikhail and SP. It doesn't matter if it makes sense. You can only protect the community by educating them, you can't make people's decisions for them.

Lastly, if it turns out that Mikhail has stolen money or has switched machines on people without their permission, this changes the situation. Being really late and not being very honest about being late is one thing, being fraudulent is an entirely different game. I hope that is not the case.

[Dusty Chalk]

Dusty, if you believe that SP amps are the greatest thing since sliced bread, no problem. But do you really believe he has cornered the market on the best sounding amps? Do you really believe that there is no one out there that can create an amp that equals anything that Mikhail produces? If so, you may be suffering from the same insanity that KG was talking about.

Oh, no, I do believe that others can design it, I'm just saying, I've heard some top-tier amps, and I just haven't heard it yet.

And in my mind, once you get into top tier (the Headamp KGSS + Blue Hawaii, Headroom Balanced Max, Wheatfield HA-2, EAR HP-4, AudioValve RKV, Singlepower Supra/SDS + Dragon + maybe the Maestro) -- it's not a matter of one being better than another, but of which house sound you prefer. I happen to be most fond of the Singlepower house sound, but I keep a Wheatfield HA-2 for an entirely different house sound. There is no "absolute" best, and what's best for me may not necessarily be the best for you.

I mean, it's like comparing a nice fleawatt SET with high efficiency, single-driver speakers against some 1000W solid-state monsters driving ribbons. It's not a matter of one being better than the other, it's a matter of personal preference. And since I have multiple personalities, I have multiple preferences.

I certainly do believe that others can design and build amps with "that sound", I just haven't heard it yet. Does that mean I believe it won't ever happen in the future? No, of course not, otherwise I'd be "done", no? ...and never want to hear another amp, right? No, I would always like to hear new developments in the top-tier sound, and always keep an open mind for new developments -- and not necessarily even for the same sound, but one which I will prefer in some way. From everything I've heard about Conrad-Johnson (and based on what little I know about design), they're probably closest in spirit...but they don't do headphone amps.

And no, Kevin, I've not heard any of those amps (for that matter, I haven't even heard the Extreme -- which, I suppose, is a good indication that I am at least somewhat immune to "new product hype"), including the Menace which, from Nate's description, sounds like it might come closest, and has piqued my interest since Nate first mentioned it. Also that Mayberry on Acid trip 3-box amp, whatever that was. I surely wouldn't mind hearing those.

And calling someone crazy just for preferring someone's amps -- well, that's just crazy talk.

Edited July 20, 2008 by Dusty Chalk

[909]

I've stated that I personally find Mikhail's inability or unwillingness to give and make reasonable schedules to be bad business.

i really think you're understating or sugarcoating what Mikhail has been doing now for many years -- lying.

I don't know exactly what your agenda is, but it obviously involves Earl [and Mikhail].

playing devil's advocate here -- the same could be said about you.

If you've payed any attention, you'll have noticed that Earl has been very quiet about SP, both here and on HF, for quite a while. So he hasn't even been that much of a fanboy recently, much less a shill.

i am not going to assume why Earl has been laying low, but just because he has recently doesn't change the influential role he played promoting and even on occasion protecting SP.

[tyrion]

So you just used his post to jump in to call Earl a shill?

I was addressing the fanboy comments that had been made. I believe he had carried it way beyond just fanboyism, which is why I used the term shill. I didn't just jump in for that reason.

Yes, I read it. He distinctly said that Earl is not a shill. A shill is someone that secretly gets compensation to help sell something. You said that Earl is a shill. So no, you are not saying the same thing unless your definition of "are" is different than my definition of "are". Yes, it's better to be called borderline insane that it is to be called unethical, and that's what you did.

I believe that the appearance of impropriety can be just as bad as if there is actual impropriety. Again, this imo. I believe I said earlier that the way I define the term shill may be different than how others define the term.

Have you read anything else I've written about the situation? I've stated that I personally find Mikhail's inability or unwillingness to give and make reasonable schedules to be bad business. I haven't sent in my amp for an upgrade because of it. However, afaik nobody has lost any money due to a long wait. If the wait becomes too long, a person can cancel and get a refund. I haven't heard of anybody not getting a refund. If this is still the case, it's a matter of bad business but as long as people are warned that it can take two years, that's all that needs to be done. It's up to them to make a choice. Again, I think it's bad business and won't do it myself.

I agree with this. It does appear that it maybe more than this going on but I don't know it for a fact.

I don't know exactly what your agenda is, but it obviously involves Earl. If you have no agenda, then why jump in and accuse him of being a shill? This issue is about SP and Mikhail, not Earl. If you've payed any attention, you'll have noticed that Earl has been very quiet about SP, both here and on HF, for quite a while. So he hasn't even been that much of a fanboy recently, much less a shill.

It's the problem that people like that can create. I have been paying attention. Getting back to the point that I thought I understood from KG, its the rampant fanboyism unchecked that leads to the problem that now exists. Whether it's done openly in the forum, through pms, email, phone calls.

It also doesn't matter if you (or anybody else) get why some people will follow Mikhail and SP. It doesn't matter if it makes sense. You can only protect the community by educating them, you can't make people's decisions for them.

You're right about this, it doesn't matter if I get it or not and I can't make another persons decisions for them. However, I have the right to express my opinion on the subject that we are discussing.

Lastly, if it turns out that Mikhail has stolen money or has switched machines on people without their permission, this changes the situation. Being really late and not being very honest about being late is one thing, being fraudulent is an entirely different game. I hope that is not the case.

I hope that is not the case. I don't know if that is the case.

Oh, no, I do believe that others can design it, I'm just saying, I've heard some top-tier amps, and I just haven't heard it yet.

And in my mind, once you get into top tier (the Headamp KGSS + Blue Hawaii, Headroom Balanced Max, Wheatfield HA-2, EAR HP-4, AudioValve RKV, Singlepower Supra/SDS + Dragon + maybe the Maestro) -- it's not a matter of one being better than another, but of which house sound you prefer. I happen to be most fond of the Singlepower house sound, but I keep a Wheatfield HA-2 for an entirely different house sound. There is no "absolute" best, and what's best for me may not necessarily be the best for you.

I mean, it's like comparing a nice fleawatt SET with high efficiency, single-driver speakers against some 1000W solid-state monsters driving ribbons. It's not a matter of one being better than the other, it's a matter of personal preference. And since I have multiple personalities, I have multiple preferences.

I certainly do believe that others can design and build amps with "that sound", I just haven't heard it yet. Does that mean I believe it won't ever happen in the future? No, of course not, otherwise I'd be "done", no? ...and never want to hear another amp, right? No, I would always like to hear new developments in the top-tier sound, and always keep an open mind for new developments -- and not necessarily even for the same sound, but one which I will prefer in some way. From everything I've heard about Conrad-Johnson (and based on what little I know about design), they're probably closest in spirit...but they don't do headphone amps.

And no, Kevin, I've not heard any of those amps (for that matter, I haven't even heard the Extreme -- which, I suppose, is a good indication that I am at least somewhat immune to "new product hype"), including the Menace which, from Nate's description, sounds like it might come closest, and has piqued my interest since Nate first mentioned it. Also that Mayberry on Acid trip 3-box amp, whatever that was. I surely wouldn't mind hearing those.

And calling someone crazy just for preferring someone's amps -- well, that's just crazy talk.

I probably should have put a smiley after that last sentence about suffering from the same insanity. I obviously wasn't comparing amp to amp when I made my comment that you can get amps as good or better without the bs. I believe you can. Which amp is the best is up to each of us to decide. On the issue of the bs part, it's one thing if a builder says, I'm going to build you the best amp I can, to the specs we discuss, however, because I'm busy and have do all this custom work, it's going to be 12 to 16 months to get the amp. If someone wants to to do that I kind of understand that. What appears to have happened here is quite different than that. As Ken pointed out, it's not for me to make decisions for others but I was expressing my opinion that I don't understand why someone would put up with the bs.

If I came off too harsh to either you or Ken, I apologize. It wasn't my intent. Well, at the time I guess it was. I probably should not post late at night, after having a long political discussion/argument at dinner with a friend and a couple too many drinks. You guys are friends and I shouldn't let this stuff get to me.

[kevin gilmore]

I use the yiddish definition of a shill. Slightly different.

Mike and I agree on the last 5 things.

The world is comming to an end i tell you...

Earl is a rampant singlepower fanboy extreme.

Maybe he got a few free tube adapters, but that is about it.

Fred was (or still is) a rampant ray samuels audio fanboy extreme.

(yet the only thing he may still own is a sr-71 )

[Elephas]

i really think you're understating or sugarcoating what Mikhail has been doing now for many years -- lying.

This is the type of info I wasn't aware of back in Aug. and Sept. 2007 when I bought the used Singlepower amps and in Feb. 2008 when I sent money to Mikhail.

True, I was told by some people that the wait would likely be a long time. I was prepared to wait a year. I didn't think I would have to do so, because I wasn't waiting for an entire new amp, but some upgrades to existing ones. Now, it looks like a year or more is very probable.

But no one ever said, through email, PM or a post on Head-Fi or here, that Mikhail could be dishonest. Maybe this info was already there and I missed it, or only hinted at and not explicitly said. Maybe some previous customers suffered through broken promises but eventually received their amps, so didn't have much incentive to post about being lied to. I never suspected that Mikhail, a supposedly "reputable" "high-end" "trusted" manufacturer, would lie about an amp being ready to ship when in fact it was not, and thereby getting his hands on the customer's money.

As far as I know, no other well-known manufacturer on Head-Fi or Head-Case, including HeadRoom, HeadAmp, Meier, RudiStor, Eddie Current, Ray Samuels, etc. and Xin, Darkvoice, Little Dot and others would lie like this. The only one I was aware of being dishonest was Storm Audio.

Now, it seems that one is less likely to miss this info.

I don't blame anyone but Mikhail and myself for my problems with SinglePower.

[hadden]

As far as I know, no other well-known manufacturer on Head-Fi or Head-Case, including HeadRoom, HeadAmp, Meier, RudiStor, Eddie Current, Ray Samuels, etc. and Xin, Darkvoice, Little Dot and others would lie like this. The only one I was aware of being dishonest was Storm Audio.

Well Brice at Sound Odyssey ripped me off and many others at Head-fi. Same kind of pattern. Nothing new about vendors behaving badly through Head-fi. People always make the same lame excuses for them. The person in question "is a craftsman not a businessman". Or "it's worth waiting longer for the finest things". The softminded niceness of the atmosphere there creates a lot of suckers. It ranges from outright fraud to having a cavalier attitude to customers. Not every vendor, obviously. I don't understand why people allow themselves to be strung along so often, treated like rubes, then they get thrown a pathetic scrap through an email they have been waiting for forever and it's "yeah, what a great guy...!"

[tyrion]

I use the yiddish definition of a shill. Slightly different.

Mike and I agree on the last 5 things.

The world is comming to an end i tell you...

Earl is a rampant singlepower fanboy extreme.

Maybe he got a few free tube adapters, but that is about it.

Fred was (or still is) a rampant ray samuels audio fanboy extreme.

(yet the only thing he may still own is a sr-71 )

I think the Yiddish word is shillaber.

The fact the we agree on at least 5 things tells me that the world is safe.

As I recall I received at least a couple of calls from Fred whenever I defended SP, which I did on more than a few occasions, including in the SP internal amp picture thread. I don't remember the details but I do remember that after the calls, it was pretty clear he had an agenda.

[kevin gilmore]

Unfortunately, that's just not the case. There's a cleanliness to some of Mikhail's amps that I've just not heard in any other amp. Even my love for the Wheatfield is because it has a completely different sound.

From this quote and another after it, you have a mpx3, ppx3, or variant thereof.

I thought you had an extreme.

Anyway you have the only production headphone amplifier i know of that uses a

white cathode follower. And therefore it has a sound signature all its own.

You really need to open the thing up and take a look at the regulator section to

see if it is burning its way thru the board. Because if it is, you need to get that

fixed quick if you want the thing to last a while.

The wheatfield is a class A cathode follower. Same as about 10 other amps including

the extreme and menace. Has a very different sound signature. This is the signature

i personally like. Although i certainly like my solid state pieces better.

Here is an example of done right

http://gilmore.chem.northwestern.edu/millet.bmp

None of mikhail's stuff rises to this level of quality. None of it. Not even the stuff

in the $18k range.