Your most disappointing purchase or audition?

Re. Atma-sphere. Charles, your posts are well thought out and valued. My matched monoblocks differed drastically from each other internally and had numerous problems including emitting profuse amounts of smoke and there were numerous problems with a preamp. You suggested that my equipment must be the exception to the rule regarding Atmasphere as a friend’s Atmasphere components work fine. From a statistical or logical level that suggestion does not compute.

Also I didn’t state anything global about Atmasphere product reliability/service. Now that you mentioned that, the 1st I heard about Atmasphere issues was in the Stereophile review of the Atmasphere MP-1. Read it--during his lengthy use of the MP-1 the reviewer experienced so many problems that his review detailed why he no longer used the preamp as his reference. Digging into old posts on audio bulletin boards, assuming those contentious threads were not all deleted, provides additional viewpoints.

Per my Atmasphere equipment. I was young and naive, assumed there was a common goal to make those purchased-new products work properly. After more than a yr of efforts at repairs I realized my goal differed from others.

Rpeluso. I agree Ralph comes across in a professional manner. Still, that someone posts has no bearing on anything other than he posts. A side comment, and of course to each their own, I feel any manufacturer that posts frequently is self serving on a subtle to an overt level and takes advantage of an under-the-gun manner to advertise product.

Howdy Audiolabyrinth, thank you kindly for your comments. Per your comparison. Amps & preamps are quite diff from cars. Cars rarely are tested after they've been produced: big production numbers with limited testing results in some lemons. Amps and preamps typically are thoroughly tested after they've been produced: small production numbers with testing should weed out the few lemons. Furthermore, to protect consumers, most states have automobile lemon laws. For audio components, consumers rely on the whims of manufacturers.

My Atmasphere amps and preamp were purchased new direct from the factory. The preamp with its reversed diodes, overheating resistors, and other issues was a lemon. Calling my Atmasphere monoblocks lemons is being kind. The matched amps were so different internally they appeared made by diff people in different years. In a scary fashion, each amp emitted profuse amounts of smoke. The smoking cure (not the cause as someone implied) was to replace, under the factory's direction, resistors in the amps with those of a different value. On-going problems were numerous. It's possible one amp was a prototype which would explain the vast differences in the matched amps.

As mentioned previously, during my ownership of these products, including the warranty period, the factory did little to rectify problems. Even the unmatched matched amps were deemed suitable, as I recall as appearance had no bearing on functionality.

Per Atmasphere components. Posting in a public forum personal correspondence demonstrates Ralph's lack of integrity. Regardless, the time to be proactive was when I owned the gear, not now after the fact. I've previously addressed satisfactorily things Ralph presents in his 9/4 post and that his followers posted on 9/5 including what happened during the warranty period and why talking to him after the fact would not happen, though funny how things disappear.

Products as poorly made and as problematic as the Atmasphere amps and preamp I owned are solid reasons to mention them in a thread about “your most disappointing purchase.” Ralph insists I'm lying and have ulterior motives. I've endeavored but failed to understand what ulterior motives I might have, see my previous post, with the most logical being I was a sleeper agent for another company. I challenge someone to come up with ulterior motives that make more sense than the facts I’ve described. On the other hand, Ralph has motive to sweep my experiences under the table.

Per the reversed diodes in the preamp. It is possible that was not the reason the 2 Caddock resistors severely overheated and their resultant color change. The reversed diode fault was what Ralph mentioned when the overheating resistors issue was in for repair at Atmasphere. As an aside making a global statement that no product can work if it has a diode reversed is an unusual theory.

Howdy Roxy54. I've addressed the "when he bought it comment previously", funny though how things have disappeared. Per a request I'm waiting for someone to reply to my challenge to come up with "my ulterior motives" that make more sense than the facts I’ve described.
Cheers
Tubes108