Soekris ApS dac1101 another discrete R2R Multibit dac.

If you are a purchaser of the rev 1, see this thread on DiyAudio:

http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/digital-line-level/294351-soekris-sonics-comparisons-other-stuff-5.html#post5110663

Original purchasers of the rev 1 dac boards purchased them assuming, based on the initial sales pitch, that they were finished, tested, functions as advertised, products. Only afterwards did Soekris Engineering admit they were beta tests boards with design issues and did not live up to his initial claims. He has refused to offer any refunds, credits, etc. despite a classic bait and switch.

If you were a victim of Soekris Engineering’s dishonest business practices, contact me.

No, but I am in discussions with one...And am building a file for the Danish equivalent of the BBB, Consumerombudsman.dk

I have heard from several people about it.

Keep in mind that he basically used the membership at DiyAudio.com to troubleshoot and fix the bugs in his rev 1 dac, which he later admitted to being a test bed that shouldn't be compared to other dacs. It was a beta test cleverly disguised as a finished product. He incorporated the work the membership did, which would have cost him thousands in R&D, into the later versions. In other words, he put out a shoddy product and let everyone else fix it for him.

Most responsible, professional companies would have done the right thing and repaired or replaced, or offered trade credit. He told his customers to fix it themselves and then insulted them when they called him on it....I can't recommend doing business with such a company. I would proceed with great caution.

I bet you are sorry and you should be for ripping people off with your false and misleading advertising. Yes, the original thread is long because it is all about all the design issues people found with the rev 1. I encourage people to check that out. Notice how Soekris used the diyaudio.com members to debug and improve his product for him, saving him thousands in R&D. Clever.

Yes I am pissed, and I am not the only one. People don't like false advertising and products that don't live up to the claims made by companies, especially those who won't stand behind their products but rather insult and spread lies.

I emailed and stated clearly that they weren’t as advertised. You replied that it was a DIY product and I should fix them myself. Yes, I said I was overwhelmed. DIY doesn’t mean fix it yourself!

I did not ask to return them. I asked for a credit on the purchase of the new version or that you repair them. Yes, you offered to repair them- for $100 and postage!

Show me where your original sales ad for the rev 1 says it was a "test bench". It doesn’t, rather, it calls it a "reference quality dac" with "sound quality will be the absolute best, better than any Delta Sigma DAC, in class with discrete DAC’s from totaldac and msb technology."

You admit it was flawed and can’t be compared to other dacs with this comment:

"We all agreed that the stock rev1 was not perfect, but it was really also a test engine for the core R-2R technology, it’s not really fair comparing with that one.... "

"Really a test engine", not a reference quality dac. You should have made that clear up front instead of misleading people into thinking it was a finished, professional product. If you had any integrity you would have done the right thing and offered to repair them without charge. Instead you insult and spread more lies, all over $100. Pretty short sighted in light of all the time you are wasting hopping around all the internet forums lying to people. Would have been far simpler to just repair them and have a satisfied customer.

Soekris Engineering has admitted, in their own words, that the rev 1 was not as advertised. There is no disputing this fact. Sadly, when a company is not responsive to its customers and refuses to do the right thing, airing dirty laundry and exposing poor service is really the only avenue left to customers who have been ripped off. I don't want to see anyone else get shafted by Soekris Engineering and am alerting people to how I have been treated so that others don't suffer the same treatment. Please keep this in mind when you consider Soekris Engineering products.

I would like to update this thread with the following news: Soekris Engineering has agreed to update the boards and return them at their expense. I will post again after I receive them back and report on the experience.

I've been a member of this forum since 2001. I have with few exceptions had great experiences with audio companies, such as Hypex, which I have shared as a happy and satisfied customer. When deals go bad and companies aren't responsive, customers have few options available for recourse. Seems some people here don't realize the community service policing vendors does for all. I sure hope all of those pissing and moaning here end up someday with an issue with a vendor so that they can experience first hand what it's like.

Odd indeed.

Since Soekris has offered to work on the boards I am not going to explain the issue in any further detail. Read the thread on DiyAudio.com if you want background.