[Kevin Haskins]

Ok... I've been doing this for a couple years and I'm spending WAY too much time fixing errors made by consumers on the kits.    As much as I'd like to offer a kit, I can build them and test them cheaper than I can support the kits.   

So... effective immediately, the amplifiers are no longer offered in kit form.    I've adjusted the prices accordingly.

Lead time will vary but expect at least 2-4 weeks.   

[DeanSheen]

Imagine how Hugh feels.

[JoshK]

I can understand why this would be so.  I wouldn't go into the kit business. 

[Kevin Haskins]

I can understand why this would be so.  I wouldn't go into the kit business. 

It hasn't worked with the amps.   I've never... NEVER had one I've built come back.    I don't have tons of these out there but not a single amp that I've built has had a failure. 

Of the kits, it seems like every other purchase I'm getting parts back from customers who have some kind of problem.    I've looked over the documentation and don't know what more I can do to improve or clarify them.    I practically assemble the kits, all the parts come in the chassis bolted in place.    All you have to do is wire it.     

Based upon how many expensive parts I've been eating, I'm just not interested in doing the kits any longer.   

[Bill Baker]

I know how you feel Kevin,
 I have actually had interested people call me to see if I could build your Exodus amps for them. Not being familiar with the build process, I couldn't offer any assistance.

 I also get a lot of inquiries by people aksing if I can provide our mods in kit form. For reasons you mentioned above and liability issues, NOT something I want to get involved with.

 I think it's a smart decision Kevin. Save yourslef from a lot of headaches.

[richidoo]

Kevin, I hope you will continue to enable people to build their own hypex amps by offering parts and your helpful wiring diagrams and other info on your site. I understand your feeling about offering retail kits though, it implies you are still responsible for the success of the built kit even if the builder is extremely unqualified.
Rich

[ezeg]

I built the 5 - channel 400 watt amp.  I thought the diagrams and documentation were great!  I Have assembled quite a few kits (Heath, Knight, Dynaco & a couple others) as well schematic circuits from
scratch -- problem free.  I guess my luck ran out on the Exodus amp. 
It was easy to assemble but I had a brain fart. When placing the amp
in my equipment rack with power on without the case cover in place, I
brushed the 5th channel Hypex module with my wrist and that channel
quit working.  It was all my fault and I gave Kevin every chance to
say so.

Kevin replaced the module for free -- what a guy.  I'm sorry I contributed
to Kevin's decision to discontinue the kits.  The amp is (by far) the best amp I've ever owned -- well worth the money.
 
Thanks a lot Kevin!

Elza Earll 

[Kevin Haskins]

I don't want to make anyone feel guilty.   It wasn't your problem Elza.   

Your issue is small beans compared to some of them I've had to deal with.   



 

[pwhartman]

I built one of the UCD-400 2-channel kits and have loved it. I think even the assembled units will be an incredible value and much easier for Kevin to support. I was recently auditioning speakers and brought in this amp to see how it sounded with some different speakers I was interested in. I was able to compare this amp to McIntosh MC-501s in the same system driving the same speakers and I came away with a slight preference for the Exodus amp! I was really thinking the 501s would outclass the UCD-400s but this was definitely NOT the case. For those of you not up on all the McIntosh details, these are 500 watt 100lbs monoblocks that (with the new price increase) are over $11k for the pair.

Your results may vary, but I think that these amps are an incredible value and I recommend them wholeheartedly.

-Paul

P.S. Kevin, I do hope you continue to sell the Hypex components for those of us that want to continue to experiment on our own.

[Kevin Haskins]

I built one of the UCD-400 2-channel kits and have loved it. I think even the assembled units will be an incredible value and much easier for Kevin to support. I was recently auditioning speakers and brought in this amp to see how it sounded with some different speakers I was interested in. I was able to compare this amp to McIntosh MC-501s in the same system driving the same speakers and I came away with a slight preference for the Exodus amp! I was really thinking the 501s would outclass the UCD-400s but this was definitely NOT the case. For those of you not up on all the McIntosh details, these are 500 watt 100lbs monoblocks that (with the new price increase) are over $11k for the pair.

Your results may vary, but I think that these amps are an incredible value and I recommend them wholeheartedly.

-Paul

P.S. Kevin, I do hope you continue to sell the Hypex components for those of us that want to continue to experiment on our own.

I'll continue to sell the parts.   The kits for whatever reason are what created much of the support trouble.   I think it just created a lot of people with minimal experience who felt they could take the jump as long as all the parts where supplied.   That was a great idea but in practice, many of them botched the build and then it got into a time-consuming and expensive support problems.    It just didn't make sense to keep hitting my head against the wall.

I have some monoblocks, available in the UcD700 flavor that I never did put out as a kit.    I need to update the web site with them too.

I'll continue to offer the parts with the exception of the Exodus ones.   Those will be pulled from the site and only used in my amp builds. 

[J Payton]

Kevin,

Are the UCD700 mono blocs the HG version?

How much are you selling them for?

Joel

[Kevin Haskins]

Kevin,

Are the UCD700 mono blocs the HG version?

How much are you selling them for?

Joel

I only have a couple pair of UcD700AD's left.    I can build with either.... they are both the same footprint.   

A monoblock pair of UcD700HGs with the voltage regulators would be around $3000/pr.  Size is 2U rack space height & width so they fit in pretty much any standard equipment rack or stand.  Shipping weight is going to be about 75-80lbs per pair.

They look like this:

[klh]

Man those suckers are beasts .