How long is it taking to receive a preamp?

It depends, are you on preamp savings time?

I just dropped one off for repair. 4 month wait for repairs from Mac C2500..

A build from Decware is over 16 weeks.

STL Canada, 8-12. In stock all kinds of goodies.. :-)

Regards

Decware is more like 8 month to a year......

WOW, I had a ZP3 finished last March or May I can't remember. It was 20+ weeks, BUT they said 12 weeks when I started the end of November 2020.

I couldn’t believe they used Red Audiophile caps in it.. They are the absolute cheapest cap on earth.. 2-3.00 cap in bulk and just DEAD. I’ve got to get those thing out of there, they REALLY suck..

I ordered a "Poly bypass" again the cheapest caps on earth were used..

IF your going Decware. Get the upgrade to coppers AT LEAST.. If you like colored sound go with Mundof, silver gold or any of them really..

I actually like teflons better than any of then.. Some PIO KY77 Russians are a pretty cool cap, nice sound..

Any body buying a preamp? High end hifi sales really bad? 

I got a preowned one immediately. First you wait for a new one. Then wait to break it in.

the dealers i talk w regular, 7 or so in 5 states are all busy..very busy

Heavy - careful - you will get kicked outa the cult for remarks like that on quality of parts used…

Depends were you buy from 
Pass labs, Coda ,made in USA and wait time 3 weeks or less 
on average and excellent quality.

Try tubes4hifi.

Almost seven weeks so far waiting for a Mac integrated.

oldhvymec,

Do you like the sound that comes out of the ZP3 phono amp?
I've read you say it is dead quiet. You didn't request the cap upgrade?
Are they the type of shop that will let the customer have some input on a 'custom' (cap) build. I've been researching this tube phono pre as a cost per performance upgrade to my rig. Anything you can tell me con or pro would be appreciated.

Hello,
Ayre is like 4 weeks. Luckily they bought enough of certain chips to last a while. 

Hello,
Ayre is like 4 weeks. Luckily they bought enough of certain chips to last a while. Some dealers are seeing the problems ahead of time so they bought a good amount of stock. 

I lucked out with the McIntosh C2700 that I picked up back in late July. I only had to wait 4 weeks from the order date with my dealer only because it was ordered for the store and was in the que. He told me amps were taking 8-12 weeks and pre-amps were longer.

Regards.

Could you be a little more vague?

How long is a ball of string?

My Mac C2700 only took 4 weeks. That was back in May.  The one that gets me is, I am still waiting on my MCD600. It’s only been 16 weeks.

My present lead time for anything is about 6-8 weeks.  There are numerous reasons why there are delays. Shipping and availability of certain parts is the main reason. However the cost of a lot of stuff like casework prohibits keeping too much stock.
  I'm a small builder, but you would think large companies like McIntosh would be better.

These guys have some in stock, buy one, no waiting. Some are less than $10-20K

https://upscaleaudio.com/collections/preamplifiers

Demand is high and parts are scarce.  It always depends on the brand and how lucky/unlucky you are but know transformers and semiconductors have been miserable to source.  

So how is payment being handled for delays?

my dealer dont accept cc.  Wants a wire of 50%. Paying $10k cash and uncertain delay.

Any body buying a preamp? High end hifi sales really bad?

Actually the industry is doing well from everyone I've talked to. But one thing that has made things tricky is supply side shortages. Shipping, especially from overseas, is delayed as shipyards and the like are short on employees as are the airlines.

Depends on the dealer and the product. 

For me it is driven by what I have to pay, when I have to pay it and what flexibility I have to cancel.  If it is a product where I pay nothing till it ships, I can cancel anytime prior to production, or is an item that sells quickly, I will take a modest deposit.  If I have to put down a 50% deposit, you put down a 50% deposit.  

If I have to pay for the entire item up front at time of ordering (yes, some companies require this), it is a special order item that I can't cancel, etc... then you will pay a significant deposit or for the whole thing at time of order and terms will be clear if the deposit is refundable which again, is driven by my terms.  

If you cancel and am out $10K or will be bringing in an item that might take me a really long time (years) to sell...that is where sometimes terms are not appealing.    

Most things are special order. 
Wiring money is not helpful.  Full pay and waiting 2-3 mos even with cc is an issue, no recourse for nondelivery.

and this a from a us manuf.

There is a guy on Diyaudio who builds Douglas Self's legendary preamp for about $700.  The most original part of that preamp is that you can select the frequency at which its tone controls operate. I ordered one and cannot wait to get it soon. 
You can always also get a Freya +/s with a Lokius as excellent value but unfortunately with no balance control. 

You have three choices then. 1. Find a different dealer who has better terms on the preamp you selected (may not be possible if manufacturer driven). 2. Buy used if you can find one
3. Select a different preamp with more favorable terms 

I was treated pretty crappy over at the Decweenie forum for asking a question relating to wait time.....quite a rabid following over there.....

I just inquired about ordering a Mc phono preamp and it will be about 4 months from order to delivery.

+1

verdantaudio975 posts09-22-2021 3:53amYou have three choices then. 1. Find a different dealer who has better terms on the preamp you selected (may not be possible if manufacturer driven). 2. Buy used if you can find one
3. Select a different preamp with more favorable terms

Seems dealing with manuf directly may be an upcoming way to do business.

dealers may be a relic of the past.

do listening rooms really matter? Most gear bought without listening first.

all drop shipped from manuf anyway.

@emergingsoul

Its always best to do business with people and organizations you trust. If you don't trust them or if they dont trust you, dont do a deal. Lead times are long from good companies with good products.

Regarding dealers, they are absolutely critical. Maybe not in the same way as in the past (retail storefront, multiple demo rooms, cash and carry) but they serve an important role. System matching, upgrade paths, dealers are important.

" Seems dealing with manuf directly may be an upcoming way to do business."

My experience has been with ordering direct from the manufacturers - speakers, preamp, power amp , DAC still required 50% up front payment with the orders, and pre-pandemic wait times were from 8-12 weeks for each. As others have noted, wait times now are even longer due to all of the supply chain disruptions which are impacting everything not just audio.

It will take less time than services from AI.

I find dealers get in the way. Manuf know more and u tend talking to them about product. Dealers r heavily biased. Some good but many arent.

further, dealers refer me to manufs. They want to limit involvement.

tough business.
Just drop ship to me.

@emergingsoul

You may have been speaking with the wrong dealers. In addition, if you believe dealers are heavily biased, try asking Audio Research how their preamplifier stacks up against Shindo or Audio Note or BAT or another brand you may be considering.

Once again, buy what you like from whomever you like but no one is unbiased. 

I value dealers....  This hobby, pastime, lifestyle, whatever you want to call it NEEDS dealers.   I visit a few local ones occasionally...  usually for. an accessory or tube or something just because.   But often times it stokes the fire for something like a new speaker, or source,  amp.... 

So when I am looking for something I will consider used and new .  I never waste a dealer's time.  If you, the dealer take the time to demo something and work a little on the price I am most likely buying it from. you.  Im really not a fan of buying online...  I do it once in a while,  there was no Quicksilver dealer near me so I bought from Johnny at Audio Connection in NJ.   He took good care of me, no doubt and I'm still supporting a dealer, not some mega-conglomerate

My new Lyndorf MP-40 took about 3 months from Denmark. Man was it worth that wait. Room Perfect is .... PERFECT

REALLY!  Based on the Original Question?  and there was even 20 Replies plus..  I guess everybody is bored wanting to tinker with answers .. as they listen to their music?   Not sure if folks know, yet there are many Preamps and suppliers.. too funny sorta like me Posting 
"how long does it take to receive a car?'
I heard they were delayed ..

Hmm, I'm as bad as all of us even replying.. I suppose.. too bad emergingsoul could not have been more Specific..?

You have to feel sorry for the makers.I ordered some capacitors from Madisound and sent by UPS and it took 13 days to get from Wisconsin to L.A..And we thought our postal service was slow!

I honestly case dealers now and make sure its "in stock". I've been given 3 month wait times on most items past their initial release dates (ex. releases October, ships February most times).

I've preorderd form very reputable people and delays ALWAYS happen. So if you really want something specifically you either wait, or shop around, and used is always a great option.

If it's in stock, again I haven't had issues, nor would I expect to. I've even gone international and as long as it's in stock, they can get it to me faster then local US dealer's can in most cases.

Happy hunting, and good luck!

Therein lies problem. Most stuff aint stocked as dealers have to buy and then sell.  
And manufs wait for order to produce.  And then production run is scheduled when manufs have enough to produce.

high end products are a pain in the ass. Great equip. But over priced. 

ES,
You will likely be waiting for any product in demand nowadays.
Savor it. Just Covid fallout.

Love the decbeanie comments. Yeah they are all on the cool aid.
Don't piss them off or you are out schmittenzie!

High end sales are good. Delivery is slow. Prices are rising.

I toured the ARC facility yesterday courtesy of Dave Gordon.
It was a treat. Best factory I have seen. Clean, organized and
they what they are about. Since the buy back 3 years or so ago
things have really changed for the best.

I saw a prototype yesterday of a new INT coming out soon that has me salivating!

Aman58-Where you getting your info?
Pass has not been accepting new orders for what, a year?now.
Marc Sammit is leaving Reno for Phoenix-(yeah) and this has
put things on hold. They are hoping for mid oct reeopening.

I got my Freya plus preamp in 7 days , Iam from Illinois.

Been waiting since July to hear back from Decware....three contact attempts, auto reply that they got my email.....no response.   Whats going on over there?

Some hi end manuf are likely struggling.  They are micro businesses.  If they go under, very little can be done.

i am not gonna give a 50% deposit and risk losing it.

And many are raising prices?

What makes you think that audio firms with an unprecedented backlog of orders are generally in danger of going under? That’s counterintuitive. It reminds me of the Yogi Berra quote when talking about a restaurant "Nobody goes there anymore, its too crowded".

If you are unwilling to place an order and wait for it your only options for new gear will be from those dealers who stock or manufacturers who may not be experiencing a windfall of orders (which may also be a danger signal) or occasionally there is a manufacturer capable of scaling up quickly. That gear will likely be pcb based with snap/screw final assembly. Point to point/hand made gear...there is a lead time, especially if the gear is good/sought after.

Then, there is the used route which is also a great avenue but prices for great used gear is on the rise as well.