Has anyone had dealing with Adire Audio?

[david teltschik]

I was just wondering if anyone has had dealings with Adire Audio where they keep postponing shipment of items. I ordered my ADA1200 before Christmas and they initially told me it would be mid-january. They then told me it would be mid-february due to production delays. And now they told me the productino delays are extending the shipment date....and that they would let me know when it's ready (which I took to mean we'll call you....).

Has anyone else been jerked around my Adire? Any stories to share?

[PMazz]

It seems no matter who it is, any time I've ever pre-ordered anything, it took considerably longer than expected.

Pete

[junior77blue]

I've had good luck with Adire audio....very knowlegable and friendly. If you can't wait, buy something else. I'm sure they're doing the best they can to get a good product out to market. It's the nature of the beast, considering they are a small company.

[billz260]

I recently bought a Shiva 12" for my DIY sub project. They told me they were out untill mid Feburary waiting for the next production run. BUT, the sales rep did give me ALL of their retailers contact information and I ended up finding one in Canada, it ended up being about $10 more for shipping but well worth it. Their product is simply unbelievable!

My buddy is wanting to build a 15" but there is just no way you need that much volume. The 12" shiva is, like I said, amazing!

Hope this helps.

[JonMarsh]

Orders do seem to have a way of going off into limbo land. That's what's seemed to happen to my order for UCD400 modules the beginning of January. They should at least state on line current availability and projected in stock status, and notify of latter at time of order placement. That's called inventory management.

~Jon

[Davey]

Jon,

I don't believe your order was in limboland. I believe there was a delay with the UcD modules from Hypex and Adire didn't have good information on when these would again be available. "Production delays" or whatever you want to call it.
David, I don't think you're being jerked around. I would give Adire the benefit of the doubt on this one.

I've been over to their shop. It's small and they don't have many employees, but Dan and the folks are enthusiastic and doing a fine job for a small business...IMHO.

Cheers,

Davey.

[JonMarsh]

I think they're enthusiastic, but one should also provide info on the web site about availability and stock, and provide some guideline about when product can be expected.

PE, for example, though not perfect, is pretty good about doing this. Retail is their thing, I guess, so they have to be good. Adire could learn a little about that... I've bought from them quite a few times, and in half the cases, product was delayed to twice or more the expected shipping time. In this case, I still don't have any info about when to expect the modules.

If you don't have something, and don't know when you're going to get it, perhaps the web site should reflect that. That's all I'm suggesting- people will understand better what to expect, and aren't as likely to be disappointed.

~Jon

[cjd]

I have a Tumult and ADA1200 sitting at home. Box almost done! One or two more coats of finish should do the trick.

They took longer than I thought, but they got there. And I did get a response when I e-mailed them asking for status.

C

[JonMarsh]

Got my UCD 400 modules Friday. Got notice they would ship on Wednesday.

~Jon

[JohnL]

Jon, I'll be really interested in your opinion of those UCD modules compared to your Aragons. Please post some info after you have them running.

John

[JonMarsh]

I'm building a complete test bed chasis/power supply for these, pretty heavy duty linear supply, lots of supply caps, dedicated PCB for supply, dual toroidal transformers (one per channel); will be in a Par Metal chasis. Should be fun, won't happen over night- have almost all the parts, just lacking time...

[Davey]

Jon,

I think you need to hire a nut/bolt/fabricator-type guy to finish all your projects so you can concentrate on the big-picture design/conceptual stuff!

Cheers,

Davey.

[JonMarsh]

That's a clever idea, but so far I haven't been able to interest my daughter in the position! And now that she's 20 her interests have diverged even further... though we did build one set of speakers together about 8 years ago.

I've got a tech in the lab that's semi-retired, if I could afford him, I'm sure I could get more done... I've used him a couple of times in the past on paying consulting projects. But now I need to save my spare pennies for a Praxis setup, so... guess I just need to figure out how to clone myself, for now. That's what they're always saying at work, too.

[GrahamT]

I think you need to hire a nut/bolt/fabricator-type guy to finish all your projects so you can concentrate on the big-picture design/conceptual stuff!

I wish I lived in California so I could help with these projects. I'm a mechanic.

[jdybnis]

UCD power supply

Jon,

What are reasons for going with a linear supply instead of a SMPS. It's a shame to pair such a compact efficient amp with a big honkin transformer.

[cjd]

Jon,

What are reasons for going with a linear supply instead of a SMPS. It's a shame to pair such a compact efficient amp with a big honkin transformer.

Though I can't speak for Jon, the amp I'm working on will end up having big honkin transformers for rather small amp circuits. Big trafo's are one of the simplest ways to get a constant current source. (or is that a constant voltage source? arrgh.) Even with caps, you may drain the caps on a spike, but then the caps turn around and drain the trafo - if it can't keep up, you drain the caps as they're trying to charge and it just gets mushy.

At least, that's as far as I understand things to date.

C

[JonMarsh]

Well, I'm an SMPS designer, and I know well what it would take to make a low noise SMPS with a high crest to average ratio of output power capability, as is usually needed for audio applications- i.e., speakers. For high volume production and the lowest cost and weight, the SMPS is a reasonable choice. For robustness and speed of implementation and tolerance for overload, a straight foward unregulated linear supply is my choice. Even with an SMPS, to handle high peak currents, a larger than typical output capacitor bank is required for hold up. When you add in EMI filtering, loop stabilization, etc, it's more trouble than it's worth for one or two units.

There's a reason Crown went this route with the K series switching amplifiers.

Regards,

Jon

[JonMarsh]

I wish I lived in California so I could help with these projects. I'm a mechanic.

I'll sign you up anyway, Graham - just how will we get the project hardware back and forth across the border? This NAFTA stuff isn't as easy as they try to make it sound....

[jdybnis]

Well, I'm an SMPS designer...it's more trouble than it's worth for one or two units.

Then there isn't much hope for the rest of us. AFAIK nobody is selling these off the shelf yet to individuals. Seems like a hole in the DIY market.

[Dennis H]

I saw a site in Europe somewhere (can't remember the address) that was selling switching power supplies for DIYers. But they cost more than their linear supplies so the only real advantage would seem to be be less weight.

[jdybnis]

I assume they are also smaller than the linear supplies and dissipate less heat.

If you come across it again please post the address.

[david teltschik]

going on three months now....

I'm getting so impatient with Adire. It's been almost 3 months since I've ordered my ada1200. And now they have stopped ansering my biweekly checkin emails to see how progress on the issue is going. I will agree with most of you that adire makes some good products.....but they have allot to learn about running a business and dealing with customers in my book. I'll wait for the amp I ordered because my box I spent a month building has just the right sized gaping hole in the back, but I will never buy anything from adire again because of their handling of my order.

First they told me when I ordered the amp that they were doing another production run and would be ready mid January.....which turned out to be a lie...or at least an ommision of the truth....in that they were in the midst of a redesign of the amp to make it more "production friendly". Not mentioning the 3 delivery dates that have come and gone already......

Goodness I'm so frustrated with them already!

[Lex]

Dan Wiggins is a class act, a really great guy. I don't know what's up with this particular product, but I expect that the situation is not in his direct control for some reason. I also expect he didn't personally get your email. Either that, or there have been harsh words, I can't say.

I'd say relax, your product will be there soon...

Doug

[Brian Bunge]

Well, I just called yesterday and found out that the ADA300's are in so maybe the 1200 isn't too far behind.

[Bent]

Good luck David, I'm totaly satisfied with mine.
(had a nasty ground loop though, needed to rig up an adapter).

[Al Garay]

Bent,

Was the ground loop caused by your plate amp?

I stopped by Adire today, my first visit ever to drop off a PDA for RAW. I wa very impressed with the hospitality that Christopher and Stephen showed me. Dan was busy doing a white board training session for one of his engineers.

I got a chance to see the ADA1200 plate amp. And it is the most impressive plate amp I have seen. I though the Hypex plate amp was overbuilt. These Adire plate amps are tanks with a huge toroidal transformer and a bank of power supply capacitors very neatly put on a PCB board. It looks commercial grade with EQ knobs have nice tactile feel and heavy gauge metal plate. Nothing like the cheaper Parts Express variety.

I also got a chance to listen to an Extremis-Usher 2-way using .75cf PE cabinet, rear ported. They're still tweaking the crossover to add extra air, extension to the highs. The mids were very clean and detailed, not quite Seas Excel Magnesium, more like the Scanspeak 8545 that I recall, which was their intended target. Not edgy. Very smooth. The crossover, I recall, was 6th order slope at 3k. The bass on these things is unreal. It really feels like it extends down to low 30s. Given the feedback from all the measurements, I was surprised that it sounded very good.

I also got to listen to the CSS125, 4.5" almost full-range driver. Was told it starts rolling off around 15k. Again, very clean mids, good detail, smoothness, surprising amount of bass. I can see that these would be great for wall or ceiling mount speakers, outdoors... Very inexpensive way to provide surrounds.

They were also finishing a test box LCR center channel with Extremis flanking a CC125 below a Usher tweeter (this seems identical to the Northcreek Music D28 with soft dome). Judging from what I heard with the 2-way and full-range CSS125, this center channel should be an impressive center channel. Supposedly, it will be offered as a regular 3way kit in a TMWW tower, I recall hearing expected extension down to 23Hz. I did not hear whether that was simulated or measured F3 or expected in room response. I can imagine it will be substantial bass in a slim cabinet.

All in all a very good visit. And look forward to visiting again when theyhave the 3-way systems ready in a home theater demonstration....

By the way, did I tell you that these are nice guys.

Al

[Bent]

Al, the ground loop was not caused by, but was made apparent by the addition of my ADA 1200. Difference in ground potential causes this, not any fault of the amplifier.

(There is a chance that the ada could have poor noise filtering, I can't say... However pulling the ground wire on the amp's plug fixed it).

I do like the construction of the ADA's. but I'd love to see them mount the torroid on some 1.5 inch stand-offs, or enlarge the heat sink/plate so the amp will fit into a cut-out. I had to build an extension plate for mine that had a 9-1/4 inch square hole on the inside and a 12" square outside.

[david teltschik]

Update on ADA1200

I just got an email...from yet a different sales person.....telling me what was up with the ADA amps. From what I can tell they have all the parts ready to go, but are waiting on a vendor to get them the front panels to attatch everythnig too. I was told very plainly that the vendor has given them a 3/23 date for delivery. The adire staff has now told me that they should have them installed by COB 3/24 and the amp should ship after that.

I was pleased to hear that it is maybe going to be here within the month, but I'm not holding my breath just yet.

[david teltschik]

another ship date passes......still no word......

I emailed them on 2/24 to see if the amps were assembled/shipped like they had hoped. I have yet to hear from them again. Looks like another ship date has come and gone. What is with these folks at adire? That makes a handfull of deliver dates that they have missed already. I know some others have had great dealings with them on the message board....but come on.....am I the only one that gets HIGHLY frustrated at things like this?

[Bent]

no, you aren't the only one.

have you tried phoning them?

[ThomasW]

am I the only one that gets HIGHLY frustrated at things like this?

Probably not, but this thread serves no constructive purpose. So it's now locked.