PSA: Be Careful Dealing With Uptone Audio

[Superdad]

Alex from UpTone here again... :-\

 

Regarding @mikey8811's continuation of multi-forum posting of false or mis-leading statements and messages taken out of context, there is so much to unpack here, and really it is a waste of my time.  But I will set some facts straight and well as repeat the basis for what all this is about--so folks can judge for themselves.

 

While it would normally be easier for me to quote sections and reply, it is clear that I am going to need to copy/paste this information into replies on the near half-dozen other sites where he is duplicating his baseless campaign.  Also, a couple of the points I'll make make may be in response to falsehoods posted on one of the other forums.

 

A) He claims that we sold him (the only sale ever made to him directly, and it was at below our cost) a used UltraCap LPS-1.2.  This is patently false. He bases this on only two things:

1) The fact that the black-oxide Torx screws we used look a bit ugly in their sockets (and I right away had offered to mail him a bag of new screws);

2) The fact that the unit he got happened to have a PCB board which was 0.1mm short (within our PCB firm's tolerances)--just enough so that the end plates don't squeeze the PCB enough to prevent a slight movement of the board in the case if you rock it from side-to-side.

3) We shipped his unit after receiving new boards and testing/assembling a new run. When we received payment from him, we simply took a full, retail boxed unit from the shelf and packed/shipped it. He received for $250 (including FedEx shipping) exactly what any other buyer would have received for $435 (plus shipping).

HE CAN PROVE TO HIMSELF THAT THE UNIT WAS NEW:

Every PCB in every product we produce has a 4-digit date code (this is different from version or revision number). On the UltraCap LPS-1.2 PCBs this number is located on the board next to the power switch. First 2 digits are the week number (01~52), second 2 digits are the year. In 2019 we produced two runs of 250 boards each. The first run was in February, the second run was in July--with boards actually received by us a couple months later. If Mr. Cheah slides the board from the case, he will find the date code of 2719. That is June 2019, when the bare board was produced--populating of board and receipt by UpTone was about 8 weeks after that.

 

B) He quotes another client who posted that he received goods back from us with nicks/dings/scratches on the cases:

1) Such damage NEVER occurs here at our facility. My assistant assembles hundreds of units and she comes to me when she sees even the smallest of blemishes on a new case or plate.

2) It is always astounding to us the condition that some repair units arrive to us, often due to the total lack of care taken either in their home use of it or in their packing for shipping.  People send things to us loose in poly/Tyvek shipping envelopes. We also see people being extremely rough with I/O jacks--including ripping them from the PCB, tearing off traces in the process--and turning the boards to scrap.

3) We always return repairs in the same case as received it--and we wrap/pack in the same foam as new units. Sometimes we'll receive a unit with so many scars that I can't bear to send it back in that same case. So I'll pick out some vastly better looking--but still 'B' stock--chassis parts and use those.

 

C) He complains that when we repaired his original LPS-1 under warranty, we replaced his entire circuit board with one from someone else's unit. This is true, but to his benefit:

1) We could have repaired his old board. But it is a complex design, repairs take a lot of time, and there would be possibility of other parts having been stressed but not found/replaced.

2) Original UltraCap LPS-1 boards have not been produced since 2017. The model was discontinued and superseded by a more advanced, more costly design.

3) We sometimes accept trade-ins of working, original LPS-1 units from people who want to upgrade to the new model. That deal is $275. We do not make any money on these trade ins, but it does give us working units to use for repair/exchanges for the few LPS-1 units that come back for repair under warranty.

4) We sometimes also repair LPS-1 boards, but because Mr. Cheah is located overseas we felt it would be more prudent to send him a fully test traded-in board.

5) Yes, the original LPS-1, with about 2,000 units sold, had a higher than expected long-term failure rate--about 3%. With the more advanced LPS-1.2 we made a number of architectural changes to address reliability, though it too, owing to some complex aspects (candidly explained elsewhere) has had a few hiccups.

 

D) He posts about a user who was concerned that we replaced his ISO REGEN circuit board with a newer version. This is odd because:

a) I know who that gentleman is (in Canada) and I checked our records. THE UNIT HE SENT TO US WORKED PERFECTLY--on my bench with the LeCroy protocol analyzer, and in my audio system.

b) Because he was in Canada, and because I wanted to be sure to rule out his problem being with the ISO REGEN, we installed a newer board for him free of charge--and paid for the international shipping.

c) Like any manufacturer, we reserve the right to change and improve our products without notice. Sometimes there are very small parts where we can make a difference. Usually the change is on purpose, but sometimes a part will go out of production, forcing us to search for a equal or better substitute.  The idea that we need to publicly disclose every in-line change  is ridiculous.

d) If we make a large enough revision to the basic design of a product, we will announce that. All our circuit boards have version numbers. The boards are populated with tiny surface parts, placed and soldered by expensive machines in a factory. This is not the old days where hand updates can be made. And since the retail price of our products--at only double our actual costs--is most all in their single circuit board, offering to upgrade users to a slightly newer revision would be prohibitively expensive, either for us or for the customer.

 

E) Mr. Y.A. Cheah claims that he has not received any refund. This also is false.

1) Below is a screenshot of the notification of chargeback that I received from my e-commerce site. HE RECEIVED HIS MONEY BACK LAST YEAR!

2) It is UpTone who has lost--and much more than just the cost of the NEW PRODUCT WHICH HE STILL HAS IN HIS POSSESSION. There were shipping charges, the cost of the original replaced unit, and the hours spent both in e-mails with him and now in defending our reputation across multiple forums.

3) I have challenged the chargeback and it will be up to his credit card company to decide the matter in another month or so.

----

 

To summarize:

==This is a baseless campaign by a person who we treated well (as we do all our clients) but has some other agenda.

==This is about scratched screws and a perfectly working product with a circuit board which knocks 1mm from side-to-side in its rails if you shake it.

==Every true fact or e-mail from ANY UpTone client anywhere in the world will prove just how exemplary our customer service is. As do the many kind comments offered here and elsewhere.

==Am I perfect? No. Are our products perfect? No. But we are producing and selling good value products at a reasonable price and treating our clients more than fairly. (It is not as if we are selling products each costing thousands of dollars; And we have all heard stories about audio companies selling expensive products and not treating their customers well.)

== We often loose money going the extra mile and giving people the benefit of the doubt. Because I take the long view about generating customer loyalty. We don't advertise, so word-of-keyboard is what drives the business.

==This April marks the 10-year anniversary of UpTone Audio (begun in 2010 when I formed as an LLC with MusiCaps after the closure of Hovland Company). So we must be doing something right...

 

Really I am done with this matter now.

Cheers,

 

Alex Crespi

UpTone Audio LLC

[wizardofoz]

If the TS wants help to open the unit and see what’s up with rattle or replace the screws, I will try to assist. Of course this might avoid any warranty from UpTone but in the interest of fairness to UpTone maybe they will close one eye as they offered to send you screws anyway to diy. Note I don’t have replacement screws but I have done hifi repairs for the last 45+ years.

[macrotrust]

Hey Bro,

 

Move on. Case closed. Sometimes this is part and parcel of any merchandise that may or may not be perfect. Whatever is done to address or re-address is already being done or rectified. Cause there is no ending in pursuing any further.

 

Sell it away- if it does not stabilise you mentally. and get yourself a new toys so many to pick from.

 

Enjoy your music.

 

[mikey8811]

If the TS wants help to open the unit and see what’s up with rattle or replace the screws, I will try to assist. Of course this might avoid any warranty from UpTone but in the interest of fairness to UpTone maybe they will close one eye as they offered to send you screws anyway to diy. Note I don’t have replacement screws but I have done hifi repairs for the last 45+ years.

 

Thanks mate for your offer. I'll just leave it as it is. I do not think that Uptone will warrant the unit but it is no big loss given my experience with their warranty service anyway.

 

The whole point was I paid full price for a finished product so there shouldn't be any need to DIY.

[mikey8811]

Hey Bro,

 

Move on. Case closed. Sometimes this is part and parcel of any merchandise that may or may not be perfect. Whatever is done to address or re-address is already being done or rectified. Cause there is no ending in pursuing any further.

 

Sell it away- if it does not stabilise you mentally. and get yourself a new toys so many to pick from.

 

Enjoy your music.

 

Thanks for the consolation mate. I've corresponded with you over the years and you always have a good word and kind advice.

 

I've moved on. I've purchased a linear power supply and will gradually phase out all the Uptone items I have. I will just use the unit until it fails (probably a year from past experience) and then write it off.

 

I just wanted unsuspecting customers to know what to expect when dealing with people like Alex and Uptone. Just excuses, nothing is ever their fault and talking endlessly about good customer service without performing it and a complete and utter lack of remorse for what they have done. Just pure marketing talk.

[benlzy]

Considering I know 5 lps1 that has been sent back, + ho-kuku's set (assuming his other 3-4 friends are different from the people I know), that's essentially 10 units out of the 60 that failed in the world (3% of 2000).

 

SG damn sui sia