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I'll work with people here to see if we can do anything about offering the least damaged headphones to people who would like that option, but it might be part of the agreement that we have to send the entire shipment back to Fostex. I'll try to get a response by Monday for everyone.
Here are the pictures I received from the warehouse today:
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NJboneless
377
Sep 24, 2016
AlexPkWow I cant believe that passed QC. I have already emailed Massdrop support about redeeming the credit provided but I also would be interested to receive a defective version if given the option instead. Thanks again sir, you have had an interesting past few days for sure!
theCylax
7
Sep 24, 2016
AlexPkI'm also interesting in receiving one of these.
It's a real shame about all the complications but I get there's nothing you guys could have done about it. Appreciate the work you've been putting into this drop. Can't speak for the people in the previous drop though that sounded pretty bad...
xineis
60
Sep 24, 2016
AlexPkHow did THOSE pass QC is beyond me. Some of them do not seem to be so bad, though. I have read that with careful polishing the bubble marks can disappear. Might be worth a try for those who wish to keep theirs.
SevenLtrs
8
Sep 24, 2016
AlexPkI would still buy them
rwrogier
59
Sep 24, 2016
AlexPkSo I have an issue here with the way this was handled. First and foremost is the refund of the money with a "credit to be used on a future Massdrop purchase." This doesn't account for many of us who have had this money sitting on a credit card which costs 3 months of interest. To then turn around and make it that we have to use the credit on another MD purchase AND we have to talk to Customer support to get that to happen makes it that much less appealing.
I also look at the pictures above and am appalled by many things. First, why is there so much glue on these at all? Where is this glue used? I have a set of Audio-Technica's which are screwed together, not glued. I've also shopped for and held many other pairs of headphones and, unless they are just really cutting corners, every single headphone uses screws to attach the ear cups to the headphones. Maybe this glue is being used to hold the earcups to the frame while they put in the screws, but even this doesn't seem right. The next item is the massive color difference in the wood. I know Mahogany, like any other wood, has variations in color and grain structure – TO A DEGREE – but it's not a color difference which should vary so wildly to make some of those pictures look like Mahogany and others to look like Oak. The color is just one more QC thing which apparently Fostex didn't think was necessary.
I also think that Massdrop needs to engage their attorneys on this. This whole debacle stinks of a breach of contract and failure to deliver. As a side note, it seems like a breach of contract to us too, but since the original email doesn't give the terms and conditions I don't know.
I also have a big issue with Massdrop updating my profile to state that I have had no transactions with them. This isn't true. I did have a transaction which you then refunded due to lack of ability to deliver. Having your site state that I don't have a transaction is dangerously close to a deliberate attempt to mislead. I will not make that accusation, just pointing out that it looks like that. It would be much better to show in the transactions that I was a part of this drop, you were unable to deliver so you refunded my money. Instead, I have just a single email from you telling me that you refunded my money (which I can see from PayPal that you did), and that I should refer to a web page when I want to use my credit in the future. This web page reads the following: "To redeem your Massdrop credit, please contact Massdrop Support and provide the transaction ID for the order you wish to apply it to." Herein lies the issue. How do you know that I have a credit waiting? I don't have any record of it on your site, so it turns into my word against yours in the future. Does this credit last for the lifetime of Massdrop? Do I have to use it all at once? Again, here you've been unclear, appear to have made a knee-jerk reaction, and it feels like this is causing more issues than it solves.
I would be interested in receiving a pair of the headphones which aren't damaged or have minimal damage. However, I need to know very soon if this is going to be a possibility. I don't want to watch this, already too long, discussion to see if you're going to sell the undamaged/slightly damaged goods.
I'm not in attack mode right now, I'm in frustration mode and now looking at having waited 3 long months for something that is just gone. Again, this isn't the first time that Fostex made these. Is this just the first time they've been made this badly? Based on the email that you sent immediately following the completion of the drop, you stated that everyone in the drop had collectively saved "$168,002.80". I then took the sale price ($399.99 for the Mahogany and $449.99 for Purpleheart), then the stated retail value of $999.99 for Mahogany and extrapolated to 1049.99 for the Purpleheart, and got to a total of 280 people in the June drop (comes out to 280.0046666~ actually). So, if you ordered 280 in June (and since no one knows the exactly split, who knows how many were Mahogany) then another 100 in August, that's over 380 orders to Fostex. So you've shown the pictures, but does this mean that you've had everything in these orders be bad? Please, as has been requested many, many times, be open and up front with us. You don't keep customers by hiding things and the track of this discussion board and the response (and lack thereof) from Massdrop, has been evasive at best. I really did want to believe this was a great idea. Please do something to restore my/our faith in you.
-RWR
rwrogierI can't speak to how Fostex does QC or manufacturing, but maybe @Will could help with that. I'll try to address the things that I can.
- The grain color variation in these photos is due to lighting from camera flash vs the lighting already present in the warehouse vs some combo of them. In person there isn't as much variation.
- I'll work with engineering and product on the transaction issue. That is something I was *not* unaware of until recently and agree it's not great
- Credits can be used on anything in any distribution for as long as you have your account. It's added to your account on our side. If for some reason anyone in this drop is challenged on their having a credit then ping me wherever and I'll help out.
- I've asked people on my side about selling the least blemished at a discount for those who would prefer that
- The warehouse has opened and photographed 25 pairs of headphones. They've opened additional units with only a text based report. I don't know the official number, but the sample size is large enough that this shipment is considered a total failure.
- Completely understand frustration
- (Kind of grabbing from your next comment as well) By the time the Purpleheart was being reported as blemished the Mahogany was already on it's way to us. When we realized the extent of the QC issue, we held up the shipment in the US and Fostex agreed they would inspect it before going any further. Supposedly it was approved and everything was fine. Obviously not the case. I don't know what happened there, but we're working on that now. As it stands, we are going to very rigorously inspect any future shipments from Fostex.
- I've tried to be as honest as I can. If I've seemed deceptive or evasive I apologize. If you want to know more please feel free to ask questions as any missing information is probably something that doesn't occur to me to speak about or I simply lack the information to provide further insight.
rwrogier
59
Sep 24, 2016
AlexPkThank you for answering so quickly and being honest. I did think about the flash coloring the wood and that was in an original version of the comment which I lost because I swiped my mouse the wrong way. (Magic mice aren't always so magic... :) ) .
I would like to know about purchasing the ones in the shipment at a discounted cost, even if there's some minor damage.
As stated before, I've been part of a brand new DOT com so I can understand some of these growing pains. With that said, something about this order seemed very very off. I hope that you all can learn from it and find ways to make this not happen going forward. I also don't want to seem like I'm lowering all my guns at you and just going into all out attack. It was just surprising/frustrating this morning after seeing the email yesterday that you had gotten in the boxes and were going to be shipping them out to be met with an email from PayPal stating that you refunded the shipment, then the second email from you without the detail in this page.
I think the one thing I would ask is that in emails you either link to the pictures like you showed here or your include those in your emails. Not everyone likes to get pictures in their inbox and I get that, but just getting an email which seems to say -- "We've given up, sorry," is less informative than the pictures and your comments here are. I think the one thing which I see is the reliance on the discussion as the primary means of getting information. Really, email should be the primary means of communication once you have orders in queue. Having to find a specific post buried in a 280-page long thread which covers (I think anyway) 3-4 drops is just not easy.
So, thank you again, I do hope that there may be some way to get the units which are only a bit damaged or not at all.
jgomez
0
Sep 24, 2016
AlexPkI'd rather be able to purchase a discounted pair than wait for a new drop. I look forward to seeing how this gets resolved. I've participated in several drops and been happy so far but this has been crazy to say the least
JimK
139
Sep 24, 2016
rwrogierboom! ............... amen, again
JimK
139
Sep 24, 2016
AlexPkAlex ~ I'm going to throw a monkey wrench in here, but I think its a valid one to throw. Several of us (many) purchased these in the Mahogany/ Purple Heart drop well before the folks in this drop did. If the decision is made to let us buy them and use the $100 to what amounts to now as "re-purchase" them, the orders from those of us who have been waiting 3 months or more now should be taken first
Rhuidk
3
Sep 24, 2016
AlexPkI have also waited very patiently for this drop (since June!!) and I've been headphone-less since the purchase of this can.. Every single day since I paid, I have been wanting to purchase a headphone as I desperately need one but I have embraced myself to not impulse buy because I knew that glorious Fostex headphone that everyone seems to be raving about would be shipping just around the corner.
And I see this yesterday.. :( Very disappointing, but I would also rather purchase one that has very little damage (preferably near-mint condition) at a discounted price. I am not willing to wait this long ever again and simply just want to listen to this headphone.
AlexPkAlex,
I just had a look at my account - all trace of the drop has been erased. I can't prove I was part of the drop. The transaction record is erased. The $100 credit appears nowhere for now.
As an international customer, it might take "weeks" before I see a refund on my credit card. This leaves me with zero proof, outside of my credit card statement, that I did make the purchase. Seems like a huge clusterfuck just waiting to happen.
Why has the drop been erased? Why not list it as canceled? You could use this to show who has been refunded, and when.
NateB
168
Sep 25, 2016
Only.here.for.FostexI have a folder in my email account for all my Massdrop emails so I have the required transaction ID number.
tiad
40
Sep 26, 2016
NateBOver the years I have learned not only to store the corresponding e-mails but also create PDFs of the most important information & receipts etc. to have all the relevant information any time.
ilockemup
62
Sep 26, 2016
AlexPkI have been precluded from this discussion board for the last 3 days. I did not agree and wanted to make my own choice as to the Fostex TH-X00's. Please contact me ASAP with an option other than some future discount. And please in the future do not withhold the ability of a customer the ability to see this discussion. It makes me think you are not being truthful with your customers as I feel.
ilockemupHmmm what was happening on your end? We don't have any kind of block or ban feature so it would be a much larger bug/concern if you couldn't see the discussion at all.
dogfalo
2
Sep 27, 2016
AlexPkHi Alex, Any news on what other headphones in a similar price range will be coming to massdrop soon? If there is nothing comparable soon, I may have to look elsewhere. Thanks.
ilockemup
62
Sep 27, 2016
AlexPkThe complete sale of the Fostex TH-X00's was removed from my transaction page. I had no links to this discussion until after two emails to customer support which took three days.. So for all intentions, I was blocked by Massdrop. Other transactions that ended unsuccessfully were available except the Fostex TH-X00's. What if any, have been any responses from Fostex? Is someone going to contact me as to possible available Fostex TH-X00's? I would like to make my own decision as to whether I wish to dropout or continue my purchase.
dogfaloI think something pretty cool is coming soon, but I don't think I'm allowed to say what it is for legal reasons.
I'll see what details I can find out, including likely dates.
ilockemupI think I understand and sorry about that. I've let engineering know about the missing transaction issue and they're working on fixing it. I'm looking into the possibility of remaining pairs, but based on the communications I've seen with Fostex, it is looking very unlikely there will be any pairs remaining in our possession. I'll let everyone know once I have more solid information.
m2drox
7
Sep 27, 2016
AlexPkIf you could please at least tell us if there is no chance for us to get damaged pairs that would be nice. I'm kind of stuck in limbo because I really would love to just have a scratched up pair but I don't know if anything is going to happen with that and I don't know if I should apply for my credit or wait for news on if I can buy a damaged pair. It's very frustrating you know? I just wish we could have more direct and faster updates.
JimK
139
Sep 27, 2016
AlexPkWhen you say "pretty cool" ............ cooler than the Kennerton Magister Light Headphones? I'm thinking about using my credit to get those, although I was excited about the sound signature on the TH-X00's so if you could give me some direction would be helpful >>>> even a hint like "wait" until what your talking about might be coming up soon, or I should grab the Kennertons because they are better than whats coming up. Kennerton drop ends in 8 days .......... I've been waiting since June, so hoping to get some direction here. Thanks Alex
CEE_TEE
3480
Sep 28, 2016
JimKHmmm, do you need closed-back headphones?
Rashomom
4
Sep 28, 2016
CEE_TEEI certainly do! I was so excited for the x00s /:
StevenR296
51
Sep 28, 2016
RashomomBased on a lot of reviews I read, these leak like a semi-open headphone. Just saying, in case that is an important factor for you.
JimK
139
Sep 28, 2016
CEE_TEEno, they don't have to be ~ whatcha thinking? :)
I have a pair of V-Moda M100's (I had to put Beyerdynamic pads on them so I could wear them for more than 10 minutes) so I have a pretty good pair of closed already that I paired up with a Mayflower ODAC so I'm kind of open to trying something different.
The thing that sold me on trying the TH-X00 Mahogany was watching Z-Review enjoy them so much he got tongue tied trying to describe them saying, "these? these? these are just F-ing Fun, that's what these are" :) ............ but again, I'm open to trying Open headphones for sure
plus I do a couple web shows and I wanted to start doing some reviews eventually
CEE_TEE
3480
Sep 28, 2016
JimKWell, yes. We've got some cool stuff coming out shortly, especially in the open back area. But if you need something soon then it is best not to wait...
JimK
139
Sep 28, 2016
CEE_TEEHmmmm. I don't necessarily have to have something right away *although the Magister drop ends in 6 days) and I realize Open back and closed are two different animals so I could use some guidance since I don't know what's coming up) but I'm looking for something that's "fun" to listen to and has a full punchy base (I have never tried open backs) so I don't have a baseline to compare.
So hearing this, knowing what I'm looking for in a headphone, would you recommend the Kennerton drop before it ends, or do you believe what's coming up will be more what I'm seeking in a headphone? I appreciate your thoughts
CraigS
28
Sep 28, 2016
JimK
139
Sep 28, 2016
CraigSCraig ~ thanks for the links (I went through and read them all) and I found a YouTube video that went about 20 minutes into a lot of depth about them ~ the guy actually said that he was shocked to find them even better than his Fostex TH900's .......... the challenge I have in deciding (about these) vs. waiting for what Alex and CEE TEE are saying about some really cool things coming up soon is that I can't find anything about the Magister Light (which is more my budget :) ) everyone is reviewing the more expensive model *the cheaper ones don't appear to have the same Titanium driver as the upgraded version* ~ also I love a lot of bass but hoping to find something "fun" to listen too and when everyone talks about Open backs (which I've never had or even heard) it sounds like open backs are "fun" but not sure if any have the bass I love .......... funny, just 2 years ago I was freaking out about spending $99 on a pair of headphones (and now?) I'm freaking out over spending $400 which is something I used to think people were insane to do ~ *I am developing a headphone fetish* which I'm sure in the next 2 years will lead to me pulling the trigger on anything that sounds appealing regardless of how much goes on the credit card and how much I have to hear Mrs. JimK yell at me for spending ~ iy yiy yiy :)
CraigS
28
Sep 28, 2016
JimKI'm in an opposite situation, I'm used to open backs but need something more closed for work. I LOVE my HiFiMan HE-500s at home (with HiFiMan EF-5 AMP and Schiit Bifrost Multibit DAC) and they are a blast to listen to. Regarding the Magister vs Magister Light, I found http://www.head-fi.org/t/736175/kennerton-fischer-audio-magister-appreciation-thread which says:
"The difference between light and usual version are: 1. Artificial leather ear cushions are used instead of true leather ones 2. Ear cups have simpler structure, without pyramids 3. Lower quality cable All of this components are available to order separately, so you can upgrade it to the full version later if you wish"
JimK
139
Sep 28, 2016
CraigSThanks Craig :)
dogfalo
2
Sep 28, 2016
CraigSI would just suggest the magister or the meze 99 if you want closed
CraigS
28
Sep 28, 2016
dogfaloSomehow I've never heard of the Meze 99 before, but those are GORGEOUS! For now I'm getting the ZMF Vibro MKII Purplehearts, but if they don't work out then I'll keep those in mind.
Voiced
10
Sep 28, 2016
JimKHaha I know what you mean about the headphone fetish, and like I said before, The cost of my headphones nearly double each year. I am afraid that next year ill spend $800. Eventually the price point gets maxed out I would assume... Definitely not down to pay $50,000 lol. I'm still checking out ebay for x00's but I doubt the bid ones will go for cheaper than $400. And I see some have damage. I'm not usually down for other's used headphones. Mainly because I see what mine look like on the inside after a week of thorough use and I'm not even a sweaty guy.
amoeba1126
460
Sep 28, 2016
VoicedI got to the point where I started going the other way. I downgraded to the TH-X00 and m9XX from the LCD-2 and Soloist.
gusdn95
16
Sep 28, 2016
AlexPkIt would be really appreciative from everyone whose drop got canceled if you did mahogany drop next before of other variations. Considering it would be appreciative for me! I would take the mahogany/ph drop also.
m2drox@m2drox @Langkattle Wanted to get back to you on this. After talking with Fostex about this, it was decided that all units will have to be returned and Fostex will determine what to do next regarding those headphones. This means we don't have any extras to sell at this time unfortunately. Sorry I don't have any real alternatives to offer here, but we are working with Fostex to address the QC issues going forward and will hopefully have these back soon at 100%. Thanks for your patience.
amoeba1126
460
Sep 30, 2016
AlexPkFor those that were affected (thankfully I am very happy with mine from the first drop) be able to get it at a discount?
Langkattle
11
Oct 1, 2016
AlexPkThanks for getting back to us on this.
ilockemup
62
Oct 1, 2016
AlexPkWhat system is in place that gives the previous unsatisfied customers first choice at the new and quaility checked and cleared TH-X00's?
ilockemupHmm good question. Let me work with the Audio team on this.
Rashomom
4
Oct 12, 2016
AlexPkWhen you have the headphones back at 100% will those who joined the last drop receive their headphones?
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