Geek Pulse Xfi + LPS - incredibly poor quality control and customer service

[cktse]

Sharing my experience for those considering one of these Geek products: my Geek Pulse Xfi + LPS bricked after working fine only for 1 day. No sound from either USB and headphone. Opened a support ticket *6 months* ago and in short after a couple of initial back and forth testing (took a lot of time as instructions were provided piecemeal), the last reply promised to submit RMA to his production manager.

 

2 weeks since I posted on various forums, the only actions they had taken were to take down my comments from their FB home page and block my access.

 

Since then I picked up an alternative email contact. I got a quick response and the support staff jumped back into action, so presumably I must have reached someone more senior. Anyway, I finally received instructions to send the unit to their repair center located in Shenzhen, China.

 

Believe it or not, 3 weeks later, the package was bounced back because no one at the repair center was available to receive the delivery!

 

This was after emailing them with the tracking number which they had promised to pass it onto the repair center.

 

And once again, no response after repeated attempt to ask for confirmation of delivery.

 

They really need to clean up its operations. The incompetence is simply incredulous at so many levels. This reflects a) poor quality control, and b) poor customer service. Unfortunately I cannot recommend the Geek series except perhaps for those who has got a lot of spare time to deal with testing and returns.

[Lcocozza]

LH Labs does not care anymore, my VI DAC hasn't bricked yet cause I'm still waiting for it.

[maelob]

Knock on wood mine is working great, but agree I would not recommend any LH products to anybody. I still have like over 2k worth of products waiting to be developed Talking about the most hyped fiasco. Too much too soon, at this point I am not expecting anything.. Lesson learned will never fall for hyped crowdfunding again...

[Paul R]

I bought a plain old Pulse a few weeks ago which is doing well. It is constantly on though. Those things break when you turn them off.

 

I am less than impressed with the build quality, but it is adequate to the task.

[Panelhead]

I have had better luck with an Infinity model. They have been responsive to inquiries.

I think the service center is in California. At least for US sales.

[frederick184]

I have been waiting for my Pulse Xfi since 2014. I received the LPS and a cable some time ago, but it's still sitting in its box. At various times I have contacted them to see what the delay is. They always say bad boards, and they're working with a new supplier. After a while the excuses wear thin. I'll see it when I see it, at which point I'll probably turn around and sell it. I've moved on since then.

 

I don't have all the facts, but I find it incredulous that they continue to develop and introduce new product, before satisfying the needs of their current customers. I cannot fathom why it takes so long to source a working PCB, test it, and get it out to customers.

 

Colin

[cktse]

This feels like a classic case of expanding business too fast -- run by brilliant engineers who love to tackle technical problems, but do not have the experience and/or desire to solve the more 'mundane' operational / people issues.

[maelob]

+1

[Manny Torres]

I am sad to hear your experience with customer service isn't up to par. We are working to make this a great service and will take the feedback of this forum as fuel going forward. I have checked your case and will reply with some more detail there. Let us make this right with you.

 

All the best

[Blake]

I am sad to hear your experience with customer service isn't up to par. We are working to make this a great service and will take the feedback of this forum as fuel going forward. I have checked your case and will reply with some more detail there. Let us make this right with you.

 

All the best

 

Hi Manny,

 

Can you please provide an update on the status of the manufacturing and shipping of the Vi Dac (both Tube and SS versions)?

 

The lack in providing meaningful updates on the status of the manufacturing and shipping of the Vi Dac is causing quite a bit of angst with your customers.

 

Thanks.

[maelob]

And Headphone amp,pre amp and amps

[victor]

+1 to the sad stories and -1 to LH Labs. In my case with unacceptable delays for a Geek Wave.

[frederick184]

Ironically, my Pulse Xfi was shipped today.

 

Colin

[master]

I'm surprised most folks are ok with giving them 3 million USD and not receiving anything in return?

 

How does that work?

[tne]

It appears that they are doing everything they can to delay the inevitable death spiral. My best wishes to those who still have something to receive.

My Xfi and LPS are working okay for the past year with only one return so far. Re-sale value is likely close to nothing.

 

As an aside (and I may be an outlier) I think the Vi DAC is rather hideous looking. I am fine with novel design but please place my gear in a rectilinear form factor!

[Lcocozza]

I am sad to hear your experience with customer service isn't up to par. We are working to make this a great service and will take the feedback of this forum as fuel going forward. I have checked your case and will reply with some more detail there. Let us make this right with you.

 

All the best

 

Just browse your own forum and the only thing you gonna find is people complaining either about delays (most of it) or product quality.

[tne]

Just browse your own forum and the only thing you gonna find is people complaining either about delays (most of it) or product quality.

 

That is why they need to censor it so much.

Have a look at, for example, Head-Fi, as well. I have never dealt with this type of shit before LHLabs. It is actually very unfortunate since Larry H. appears to be an excellent audio engineer, and probably a good guy as well. Just got associated with some wrong folks for a while who filled his head wth some get-rich crowdfunding ideas.

 

Oh well. Carry on.

[Paul R]

I'm surprised most folks are ok with giving them 3 million USD and not receiving anything in return?

 

How does that work?

 

It is nothing more than an old cold war propaganda technique, combined with the same force that makes consumers go gaga over what appear to be great sales.

 

Get on the bandwagon! You can get this great shiny new technotoy for over 60% off the retail price! Send us your money now!

 

In some cases, even most cases, crowdfunding is actually pretty much a legitimate thing on places like Kickstarter. However, it is open to abuse.

 

Perhaps in this case, not exactly premeditated abuse. But LH moved from Kickstarter to Indiego I think, mostly because you get the money sooner that way. And they have collected what looks to be several million dollars from all their crowdfunded activities.

 

The problem of course, is the way crowdfunding is structured today, there is zero accountability. It is basically free money with no legal strings attached.

 

And LH does not seem to miss much - I bought a Pulse off Amazon for less than $360- the price on Amazon immediately started climbing, and has reached around $600 now. That was only a few weeks ago. (New, with Prime Shipping, from LHLabs)

[tne]

....

And LH does not seem to miss much - I bought a Pulse off Amazon for less than $360- the price on Amazon immediately started climbing, and has reached around $600 now. That was only a few weeks ago. (New, with Prime Shipping, from LHLabs)

 

You touched on one of their most abusive acts (and that is saying something) - selling items on Amazon for quick delivery while many waited well over a year for items that they had already paid for during the Indiegogo campaign. There was some self-serving rationalization for this but it is basically greed and totally unjustifiable by any ethical standard.

[baddog]

You touched on one of their most abusive acts (and that is saying something) - selling items on Amazon for quick delivery while many waited well over a year for items that they had already paid for during the Indiegogo campaign. There was some self-serving rationalization for this but it is basically greed and totally unjustifiable by any ethical standard.

 

Bingo.

[Paul R]

You touched on one of their most abusive acts (and that is saying something) - selling items on Amazon for quick delivery while many waited well over a year for items that they had already paid for during the Indiegogo campaign. There was some self-serving rationalization for this but it is basically greed and totally unjustifiable by any ethical standard.

 

I just assumed all the kickstarter stuff had been fufilled, else I would never have considered it. Also annoying, the DAC is developing a lot of noise in the output and is at this point, almost unlistenable. I have contacted LH for warranty support, but have received no reply. This does not look good...

[frederick184]

My Pulse X Infinity, the one I've been waiting for since 2014, lasted one day before shutting down. Then, after reboot, it lasted about two hours, and for good measure, the volume spontaneously increased to 100% and almost blew my speakers. I opened a service request with tech support, and went back and forth for a few days, trying to upgrade the firmware via a microSD card. It didn't work.

 

Colin