[Anthony1]

I actually heard that just as they got the production versions in that there was a popping noise. I wasn't provided with any more details other than it was making a popping noise.

Well there goes my theory then :rolleyes:

Lets hope its not a Veilled Popping noise

 

[estreeter]

Quote:

Obviously ALO doesn't owe us any answers, but it's really weird that Ken or someone else from the team hasn't posted here. 
 
The thread is a good sign people want the product - I myself have been very happy with my CLAS and Mk2 - but the silence often causes people to assume the worst. 
 
Everything okay Ken? Even if there was a major production or prototype issue, sending out a "delayed until we know more" message would be better than nothing at this point, no? 

He has already posted to the effect that 'it will be ready when its ready' several times - just how much hand-holding do you need ? If you are so concerned, give him a call - I think you'll find he has a business to run in addition to trying to iron out the kinks in a portable amp for a bunch of needy, self-absorbed Head-Fiers.  
 

 

[Jalo]

Another name for that bunch of needy, self-absorbed headfiers happens to be called customer which I last checked is the life line to most businesses unless your name starts with an "A" as in Apple.

 

[Tonyflo]

Thank you. Notice I was not bashing ALO at all, the opposite actually. I love their products. And exactly as you noted, I'm a customer who has spent over $1300 with them in the last 12 months, nothing to sneeze at. I don't feel I have a "right" to updates on a product I haven't purchased, just really eager to see it released...
 
If it's needy/self-absorbed versus bitter/condescending... I'll take the former every time. 
Quote:

Another name for that bunch of needy, self-absorbed headfiers happens to be called customer which I last checked is the life line to most businesses unless your name starts with an "A" as in Apple.

 

 

[estreeter]

Quote:

Thank you. Notice I was not bashing ALO at all, the opposite actually. I love their products. And exactly as you noted, I'm a customer who has spent over $1300 with them in the last 12 months, nothing to sneeze at. I don't feel I have a "right" to updates on a product I haven't purchased, just really eager to see it released...
 
If it's needy/self-absorbed versus bitter/condescending... I'll take the former every time. 


 

Neither your keystrokes nor mine have coaxed Ken out of his workshop, and the thread went dead for at least 3 days, so I'll take my bitterness and condescension to Sound Science where I know its appreciated. 
 

 

[Girls Generation]

I'm guessing they've been busy with the "National" a smaller version of the Continental... Lol...
 
Quote:

Neither your keystrokes nor mine have coaxed Ken out of his workshop, and the thread went dead for at least 3 days, so I'll take my bitterness and condescension to Sound Science where I know its appreciated. 
 

 

 

[Kremer930]

I don't know how the National can be like a smaller version of the Continental. It lacks a tube stage. That was the key feature.

 

[smial1966]

I'm intrigued by ALO asserting that the National is a solid state Continental too, unless of course they've somehow sonically matched components to deliver a tube like sound, which would be quite a feat.
 

 

[Kremer930]

My guess is that they wanted to continue an alternative to the Continental when they ran out of tubes.

 

[estreeter]

Quote:

I'm intrigued by ALO asserting that the National is a solid state Continental too, unless of course they've somehow sonically matched components to deliver a tube like sound, which would be quite a feat.
 

Several others claim to have achieved that feat with SS amps - I guess the only people who can judge that will need both amps. I see it as very clever marketing:
 
- its cheaper than the Continental by over a hundred dollars, and much closer in form factor to many Head-Fiers' ideal portable amp
- ALO have firmly established the notion that 'once we run out of tubes, that's the end of the Continental'. You cant get much more 'Limited Edition' than that.
 
The downside, of course, is that if ALO cant source enough of the tiny Raytheon tubes, what hope do Continental owners have in the future ? 
 

 

[matt8268]

 
Quote:

The downside, of course, is that if ALO cant source enough of the tiny Raytheon tubes, what hope do Continental owners have in the future ?

 
The tube in the Continental is rated for extreme longevity.  I thought I read somewhere 100,000 hours.  That would be 34 years if you listened 8 hours a day.  Assuming that can be trusted, "the future" looks pretty bright.

 

[estreeter]

Fair enough. I'll leave it to those with tube amps to comment on that estimate. 

 

[idletime1213]

To be fair, I found minimal differences between the sound of the Millett Hybrid and its solid state successor the TTVJ Slim. Might be similar for the National.

 

[KB]

 
[size=10.5pt]Hey Guys,[/size]
 
[size=10.5pt]Thanks for all the posts. Sorry I have been rather absent of late in participation in my forum. We have been really busy with a lot of new cool stuff. But yeah I admit I have not been a good participant in my own forum, so I apologize to all. [/size]
 
[size=10.5pt]I have about 200 6111 Raytheon tubes NOS never been opened that I plan to keep as a just in case warranty item that will be available to my customers for a long time. The 6111 tubes, there are various equivalent 6111 tubes out there and the Raytheons will be around I suspect. However they are as all NOS tubes become, harder to obtain in any numbers. I know for example that there is a good Chinese 6111 replacement we can get in huge numbers but these IMO did not sound quite as nice and tended to run a bit hotter.[/size]
 
[size=10.5pt]The National was something we asked to have made for us. We were really pleased to find out good it sound and performed. [/size]
 
[size=10.5pt]As for my absence, again I am sorry. Therefore let me speak candidly here. I have been really consumed by my what is now my “White Whale” the Rx Mk3-b. Its been over a year now in engineering and it has been really difficult for me and my team here to get all the gremlins exercised The Mk3 is I am almost certain the most complex portable headphone amp design that I know if. It is very sophisticated design using a 4 layer board and with at last count over 300 parts being used in one single amp. I have had a total of 3 engineers working on it to get it just right. I have done a total of 6 rounds of prototypes, tweaking its sound features over and over again. So I would like to thank everyone for their patience, of which I seem to have little with things like this. I wanted to get the Mk3 into the hands of people long ago. I can say that we are very very close to going into full production here unless there is some unforeseen last minute hold up. [/size]
 
[size=10.5pt]So that’s the one thing that has been giving me grey hairs, the other is the Studio 6 tube amp we are making. We are done with the engineering and are now working on the enclosure. We want to go all out and have a lot of custom machined parts and bits. I want the enclosure to look as beautiful as the amp sounds. The Studio 6 amp will also have a accessory matching tube based phono stage. Anyhow these 2 things have been really all consuming. [/size]
 
[size=10.5pt]We are also doing a total revamp of the ALO website, launching a Cryo-fi website and cryo treating service, and one more big project that I cant disclose at the moment. I promise to be better engaged in the future and again I don’t want to slight any of my loyal customer and the core community that makes all of this possible. [/size]
 
Thank you again for all of your posts
 
[size=10.5pt]Ken[/size]

 

[Kremer930]

Awesome Ken. Let me put out my hand for you to slap... I was certainly one of the impatient ones.

It is great to get an update on the progress, trials and tribulations though.

Best wishes for your products and ALO.

Cheers.