[stereocilia]

I ordered tubes and fuses a few weeks ago (just before RMAF), and I've had no luck in contacting MR for confirmation that the order is pending.  I've called several times during the hours stated in the phone message, and my email last week remains unanswered.  I figured things are just busy, but it's beginning to be excessive.  What should I do now?

[jamesgarvin]

I recently ordered tubes on a Thursday, got them on Monday. Don't email. You will not get a reply. I would suggest calling MR local time in early afternoon.

[chadh]

I managed to get a hold of someone by phone in the middle of last week.  Roger's new assistant answered.  I had a pretty simple inquiry, and was told that Roger might have a chance to call me back by the end of the week.

It sounds as though the MR people are busy, busy, busy.  But keep trying by phone between 2pm and 7pm Pacific time.  You'll get someone eventually.

Chad

[srb]

In regard to the vendors (and I have noticed that there are several on AC), who choose to not respond to email and rarely return phone calls, only leaving the option to the customer of repeatedly and incessantly placing phone calls to them until they "get lucky" .....
 
Is it really worth it?
 
Steve

[stereocilia]

I was able to make phone contact tonight and it looks like my order is "boxed up" and will ship very soon.  I realize that a small company can't have operators standing by at all times, and I suppose that having products which come from a designer's heart and soul rather than from a bean counter's directive means that these sorts of issues are bound to happen from time to time.  OTOH, it's annoying.

[srb]

I was able to make phone contact tonight and it looks like my order is "boxed up" and will ship very soon.  I realize that a small company can't have operators standing by at all times, and I suppose that having products which come from a designer's heart and soul rather than from a bean counter's directive means that these sorts of issues are bound to happen from time to time.  OTOH, it's annoying.

I apologize for the fact that my comment is in the MR Circle, when it is actually  a more broad-based question after hearing comments that certain people do not respond to emails, you need to call late at night, etc..
 
But the inherent beauty of email is that it places no demands upon real time. 
 
Glad that you got your order confirmation.
 
Steve

[stereocilia]

I recently ordered tubes on a Thursday, got them on Monday. Don't email. You will not get a reply. I would suggest calling MR local time in early afternoon.

How is this possible?  I ordered fuses and el84-Ms ages ago, and I still have no evidence that they've shipped.     So, for some reason, it isn't first-come, first-served.  When I was told that my order was "in a box and ready" I asked them to add more fuses to the order, mostly because if I ever need another one I don't want to have to wait months.  The amp is disabled without fuses.  I think I've been patient, right?  It seems that my order has been passed over.  C'mon, what gives?

[sts9fan]

lame

[6BQ5]

It sounds as though the MR people are busy, busy, busy. 

Why make excuses for MR's poor service? Busy .... hmm ...

It is, what it is. People can see.

[Ericus Rex]

Wow, dude.  I feel your pain.  So sorry for your loss.  You can come over and hear my MR!!!!

[pbrstreetgang]

Contacted them 3 times via email for a small issue and they answered every times. Good for me

[stereocilia]

I think I'll call tomorrow (or as soon as I can get through) and cancel the order.  I'm guessing it was just lost in the shuffle since it seems others have received orders soon after they were placed.  I'll give the benefit of the doubt and chalk it up to human error somewhere in the chain .  I can order the fuses from a local company.

[stereocilia]

Just received my order today; all is well.  Although, I did order some fuses from a local vendor, too.  Oh well.  It sounds great, just like I remember, but there is still a tiny amount of line noise in the left channel which would bother me if I hadn't purchased the amp from audiogon.  But, I did, and so it goes.  It *is* comforting to know that my speakers will never see DC.

[KDus]

When I worked there in the 90's, it was rare that orders got held up but there are a few reasons that happens. It's a small company, so resources get redirected on occaision.
RAM tests many hundreds of tubes before matching them, so if they're low on matched sets, they may be mid- testing and they need a few days to match them.
Once in a while, they get swamped by a truly big order.
Roger likes those high interrupt fuses, and they can be hard to get. There's a small possibility they ran out of stock; if they still use the little white ceramic looking fuses.
If Roger has a project that's too big for his labs, he might setup in the shop and that could interrupt normal product flow.
Is it worth it? Absolutely. That amp will out live you. You should find a signature in your amp. The assemebler treated it like a work of art. Each builder has a style. Roger wants you to be thrilled by every product; his name is on it, and he's proud of his work. BTW, you should not accept the noise on the left channel.

[Ericus Rex]

Stereocilia,
Is the noise in the left channel the RFI?  Or just plain hiss?  Does it stay in the left channel when you swap all the tubes between the channels?

[stereocilia]

It was really odd, and for now, it's gone    ; all I hear now is a very very faint hint of 60 Hz which is only audible with my ear right up against the loudspeaker in both channels.  This is with a cheater plug in place, and it's much quieter than anything which might annoy me.  Previously, the cheater plug only made a small difference, and the noise was more of a buzz (60 Hz plus harmonics I guess).  It would remain quiet forever until moderate-level or louder music was played, and then the buzz would appear and remain forever until I turned the amp off.  In other words, there was no refractory period, and the buzz would never appear unless I played moderately-loud music first.  Weird.

Since I got the new tubes, I set the bias as described in the manual (starting low and checking after 20 min.).  Yesterday, the buzz in the left channel was there.  Then, heard some slight popping in the speaker at startup and shutdown in the left channel.  I decided to set the bias at .280 instead of .300 (mostly because that's one of the only variables I can manipulate), and I've been "light loading" since I replaced the tubes.  Today, no buzz, vanishingly low noise, and as always incredibly good sound.  However, I *think* that the problem disappeared even before I tried under-biasing, so I'm not sure if that made any difference.  It seems like after that initial popping, the problem is gone. 

Admittedly, in my search to find the culprit with an intermittent problem I could be connecting things together in my mind that aren't actually connected.  If so, the coincidences sure are weird.

To be sure, I'm really happy with this amp despite what seems like some idiosyncratic behavior.  Hopefully that's over with.