They show pictures of these speaker drivers, out of the speaker cabinets here. http://www.whatsbestforum.com/showthread.php?7860-Evolution-Acoustics-MMMicroOne-loudspeakers/page7 |
I've followed this thread from the beginning. I've heard the MicroOne on two occasions in the past year, at RMAF and NewPort Beach. IMO, the praise for the Micro is deserved. The SQ of these speakers is remarkable. For the price, it is extraordinary. Now that they are shipping to customers, I feel inclined to share a few observations about the somewhat rocky inception of this product. IMO... 1. Long production delays damage trust. 2. Large unanticipated price increases damage trust. 3. Slow responses to customer inquires damage trust. 4. Arguments on internet forums damage trust. Evidence for each of those statements can be found on this thread and other internet forums. That is regrettable for EE. I've met Jonathan and Kevin and they strike me as nice guys, and plenty smart. But I believe they have done themselves a disservice, because I believe the issues above could have been handled differently. I understand that production delays are sometimes unavoidable and production costs can be difficult to predict. I understand that small operations cannot return every email and that it's difficult to watch someone impugn your reputation on a public forum and not fight back. Nevertheless, I believe that there are a few things Jonathan and Kevin can do... 1. Be extremely transparent about production delays and pricing. You don't have to name names or reveal every exact figure, but much more specific information would go a long way toward reassuring customers. It could also, incidentally, build anticipation. 2. Hire someone to return calls/emails. If that's not possible, enlist a loved one. If that's not possible, then at least expand the FAQ page on your website so that it answers as many questions as possible, both technical questions and purchasing questions. The more information the better. This would not only alleviate some of the pressure to return calls and emails but it would also, IMO, build even greater interest in the audiophile community. 3. Adjust your style when dealing with troublesome posters on internet forums like these. Fight innuendo with information. Be as unemotional about it as possible. If that isn't in your nature, then don't address any specific post, and just give occasional updates that address recurring concerns. I apologize if all this seems presumptuous. I'm offering these suggestions as a sincere effort to provide meaningful input to a company that, IMO, deserves to thrive. The MicroOne and EE are currently enjoying the spotlight. But the spotlight is fickle. What is brightly lit today is dimly lit tomorrow. I would invite Jonathan and Kevin to do everything in their power to ensure that EE and its remarkable products remain visible for years to come. Bryon |
I definitely agree with Byroncunninghams 4 observations and comments. Im a recent owner of the MMMicroOne having taken delivery last week. I would add a 5th comment to his list. 5. Lack of transparency, lack of trustworthiness and deception damage trust. I live in Tokyo, Japan and ended up having to pay $925.00 USD to have these shipped to me. Thats not what I thought I was getting into and led to believe. $925 shipping for a pair of $2500 speakers is mightily outrageous and I would not have done that had I know clearly upfront. But by the time it became obvious it was too late. When shipping was invoiced to me I asked Jonathan if that was door to door. He indicated he thought it was and would check and call me back if it wasnt. Anyway, I never got a call, the speakers arrived in Tokyo and that was when I was informed by the local shipper that the goods had been shipped only to the airport and I was liable for the delivery to my door. I called Jonathan, sent numerous emails and he then indicated that apparently his agent decided in the last minute to charge only to the airport as apparently it would be cheaper for me to pay delivery from the airport versus having that included from the start. This is exactly what he was supposed to check for me, but he obviously did not or he knew the charges would be large and decided to withhold the information such that I wouldn't pull the order. I feel I was deceived and at a minimum, if that wasnt the case, he did not follow through on his promise to validate the total shipping charges for me. I also found it odd delivery would only be charged to airport. I have purchased a lot of things overseas and shipping charges were always door to door. I wonder if EA and their shipper are in cahoots and making unnecessary margins on shipping and deceiving perspective buyers. I bet had this been shipped by FEDEX or DHL the door to door charges would be a lot less than $900. Anyway, on a scale of 1-10 I rate the customer service as a 1. Especially after the shipment invoice was paid and leading up to the shipment and during this payment crisis many many emails and phone messages went unanswered. No matter how good a product might be, customer service and trust comes first and had I know it would end up this way I would not have purchased these speakers. I caution all overseas buyers to look at your shipping charges very carefully and ask for DDU or DDP charges that pay for the charge door to door. |
