How long is it taking to receive a preamp?

@emergingsoul 

Because they have minimal cash flow.  Backlog is meaningless if no sales.cant pay employees.

No offense intended whatsoever, but your logic isn't making sense. Your original premise is you are uncomfortable paying a 50% deposit in advance of ordering an item. The only way to have a backlog of orders(sales) is if people like you and I have ordered gear AND paid the required deposit.

So, in this example, they DO have sales AND the cash to pay employees.

Decware isn’t going anywhere...   neither are most of the companies that make good bang for the buck equipment.   no one predicted supply chain shortages like this.   I fix medical equipment, a lot of new stuff is 4 to 6 months out of you order now , Parts?  Who knows , things that sat on the shelf for years are gone, new stock back ordered...   I get it. 

So even with deposits they are still operating with a deficit.

businesses cant survive with mostly backorder income flow.

its not a good time for anyone.

They will weather this better than many boutique mfg. in my opinion.  Zombie like following, plenty of orders in queue. 

@emergingsoul To understand the supply chain is to understand your statement is innocently inaccurate. Most manufacturers are set up to be sustainable with a certain level of working capital. Assuming they were a viable ongoing concern before the order backlog, they are even more viable with an order backlog. Paying a typical manufacturer 50% of retail in advance as a deposit to place an order almost completely covers their wholesale cost of a given item.

In short, the high end audio business has likely never been healthier. As a consumer, I understand that what you are likely saying is that you prefer a transaction that is instantly fulfilled. With today’s unprecedented demand and supply imbalance, the better gear is pre ordered and spoken for. The ultimate irony right now is that if something is available for instant delivery, in many cases that might be indicative that it may not be among the more coveted pieces of gear. 
You seem to be trying to imply that if a manufacturer has a backlog, that they may be in trouble. My premise is that an order backlog, prepaid by the consumer, is actually a dream scenario for a manufacturer. There are exceptions of course but a prepaid order backlog isnt bad for the industry, just bad for those who want instant gratification. Warm regards…