Questions About The April Shipments...

T

Tones2

Experienced
So given what happened with the first run shipment of FM3 without headphone jacks, AND without making any judgement on that since it's in the past, the initially unexpected result of all of that is that some of us have and may still get invitations where we have to make a CHOICE between units without headphone jacks now vs waiting for one with the headphone jack in "April". I realize that there are many where they absolutely do NOT need OR absolutely DO need it - these people do not have to contemplate what they want to do and have been the most vocal here with there clear cut choices. But if there are any people like me, some of us really WANT the headphone jack but have to weigh it against waiting until April to get it, and the risks associated with even THAT date being met. So we have to make a choice with very little data other than "April".

As such, can someone from Fractal tell us what "April" really MEANS to them? Are you saying that, based on the information you know right now, the expectation is to actually send out the first invite of units with the headphone jack by April 30? Or does it just mean that you just expect the next shipment to go out from the manufacturer in April? Or just the receipt of that shipment? Knowing that things might come up to delay that (particularly the coronavirus issues), I'm just trying to gauge at least what the Fractal expectation is if everything goes smoothly. I don't think this is unreasonable to ASK, knowing that it might not be answered. :)

I do realize that I may not even have a choice (even though I'm on day 1) as the current stock may never get to me before running out, but if I do I'd like to understand what risks are associated with waiting longer in order to make an educated decision. Yes, I know it's not life or death so no one has to point that out :), but April will be ONE YEAR since the waitlist was formed to get out the first full production run, and about 8 or 9 months after the first estimate of when it was going to be available. I can wait for April certainly, but I just want to know if April really means April - I don't want it to be the end of the summer and I'm still waiting for even the first invite going out, or anything close to what has happened the first 12 months of waiting.

Thanks
 
The date April wasn't announced to the public. Take it as an estimate. I'd wager nobody wants to ship these things as much as fractal does so they can be compensated for all the hard work they put into it. They are at the mercy of their suppliers and shipping vendors. A million factors are at play here, not least of which is corona virus which has hurt some major Asian manufacturing plants. I got tired of waiting and bought a III during this sale. It was more than I maybe should have spent, but no regrets. Once you plug in and start jamming the wait will have been worth it. I'm more than pleased with my purchase.
 
iaresee said:
If you'd like to "directly ask Fractal" then directly ask them: https://support.fractalaudio.com/

Posting on the forum is asking the forum. You don't make a thread and then tell people they can't participate. That's not how this work.
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With all due respect, given everything that has gone on with the shipping delays to date and given the initially unexpected choice people might now have to make regarding the headphone jack-less unit, I thought a public statement giving information on what the "April" shipment means to Fractal at this point in time, fully understanding that unexpected things might happen, would be beneficial to ALL without all the noise associated with a bunch of people stating why I should not ask the question. I guess I was wrong. Never mind then.
 
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We hope to ship the units with headphone jacks in April. However... the units have been manufactured but are in China and there's a lot of uncertainty due to the coronavirus outbreak.

I know a little about what's going on over there and it's scary. If they get the virus under control then things should ship in April. If they don't you're going to have bigger things to worry about than a shiny new toy.
 
FractalAudio said:
We hope to ship the units with headphone jacks in April. However... the units have been manufactured but are in China and there's a lot of uncertainty due to the coronavirus outbreak.

I know a little about what's going on over there and it's scary. If they get the virus under control then things should ship in April. If they don't you're going to have bigger things to worry about than a shiny new toy.
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Well if my name comes up with the headphone-less unit, I guess I should pull the trigger. Thanks for the response. It's good information to know that the units have been manufactured already though, so it's just a matter of when they can get shipped, which understandably may be delayed.
 
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I have my AX8 so, for me. Different for me I guess? When I get the email, then I'll decide.
No biggie for me but I do understand that others have different feelings; as it should be. Only human nature.
 
Tones2 said:
I thought a public statement giving information on what the "April" shipment means to Fractal at this point in time, fully understanding that unexpected things might happen, would be beneficial to ALL without all the noise associated with a bunch of people stating why I should not ask the question.
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If Fractal wants to make public statements they’ll make public statements. Trying to force that through a question post on the forum and then policing the thread participants isn’t good decorum and never effective.
 
iaresee said:
If Fractal wants to make public statements they’ll make public statements. Trying to force that through a question post on the forum and then policing the thread participants isn’t good decorum and never effective.
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Yes I get it. It was wrong of me to try to limit the responses in as public forum. That was dumb of me. Sorry. I just thought if there was a response it might be clearer to all without a lot of posts. But although I blundered the mechanics, I do think the question was still valid, and in fact has been answered above to the extent that it could be answered. I also wasn't trying to "force" an answer, as I have no power to do so, and as I stated I wasn't even sure there would be (or even expected) an answer, but I thought I would just ask the question.

Sorry again......
 
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Tones2 said:
Yes I get it. It was wrong of me to try to limit the responses in as public forum. That was dumb of me. Sorry. I
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No worries. We're all really excited. Not talking about this unit for the duration of the beta period was always a challenge. As the wraps come off, it's going to be fun watching others find out how wonderful it is.
 
How many units are available now for shipping without the headphone jack? My guess is not very many were made like this which probably explains why no one on the forum has gotten one. And then the next batch is still in China and it has the Corona virus. Do the math....your not getting your fm3 for a long time
 
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jhatem81 said:
How many units are available now for shipping without the headphone jack? My guess is not very many were made like this which probably explains why no one on the forum has gotten one. And then the next batch is still in China and it has the Corona virus. Do the math....your not getting your fm3 for a long time
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You can buy a headphone amp for $40
My advice on this to avoid uncertainty
Take the one available if they call your name
 
Everyone is going to get an FM3 as soon as possible. There are a lot of options out there if people can’t wait.
There is no better option than Fractal , so I’d sit tight , or splurge for the III.
If you take into consideration that the man who invented these units , just gave us a probable timeline , and stated the epidemic to blame for the delay , right here - on the forum , that’s more than you’ll see from any other competitor.
There’s no tricks , or lies , or manipulation. The troubles they’ve had that delayed the release of the FM3 were certainly not expected.
I’m here waiting - like the rest of you. I also got to see , touch , and play thru the first FM3 at the amp show in Boston , months ago. It’s kick- ass. It’s worth the wait , no matter how long.
Fractal is made up of a group of really good guys. They’re decent people ; just like the majority of people here on this forum , so when you make comments , try imagining you’re actually face to face , and be respectful.
 
Tones2 said:
...But although I blundered the mechanics, I do think the question was still valid, and in fact has been answered above to the extent that it could be answered...
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I just wanted to thank you for asking this question on the public forum. I'm too far down on the wait list to have a dog in the fight regarding the headphone jack, but the answer from FAS has given me new perspective on the seriousness of the coronavirus versus the relative frivolity of my desire for an FM3. It's good to be given a reality check every once in a while.
 
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jhatem81 said:
How many units are available now for shipping without the headphone jack? My guess is not very many were made like this which probably explains why no one on the forum has gotten one. And then the next batch is still in China and it has the Corona virus. Do the math....your not getting your fm3 for a long time
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This is not at ALL criticism on anything Fractal has done, NOR of course a demand on my part or expectation that it will be done, but as simply as a suggestion - I'm just wondering what the downside is for releasing one-time (meaning it never get updated after) HIGH LEVEL stats on the waitlist and on inventory? Something like this.

"As of (date) Something like There are (XXXXX) total people on the waitlist - (XXXX) before 4/23 (or 4/19) from the AX-8 waitlist and another (XXXX) that ordered on the first day (4/23). We have (XXXX) units in inventory without headphones jacks and (XXXX) units in China with headphone jacks manufactured but waiting to be shipped." Or something like that.

Again this is purely a SUGGESTION - I understand Fractal does not owe us this information in any way and almost certainly will not give it, but if it was available might quell a lot of the speculation and questions here. I assume there is a spreadsheet of waitlisters that can easily be sorted by date, and a known amount of inventory units, so it probably would take that long to do it just one time on a high level (i.e. not give anyone any individual data on where they are on the waitlist, as that would be time consuming).
 
Tones2 said:
This is not at ALL criticism on anything Fractal has done, NOR of course a demand on my part or expectation that it will be done, but as simply as a suggestion - I'm just wondering what the downside is for releasing one-time (meaning it never get updated after) HIGH LEVEL stats on the waitlist and on inventory? Something like this.

"As of (date) Something like There are (XXXXX) total people on the waitlist - (XXXX) before 4/23 (or 4/19) from the AX-8 waitlist and another (XXXX) that ordered on the first day (4/23). We have (XXXX) units in inventory without headphones jacks and (XXXX) units in China with headphone jacks manufactured but waiting to be shipped." Or something like that.

Again this is purely a SUGGESTION - I understand Fractal does not owe us this information in any way and almost certainly will not give it, but if it was available might quell a lot of the speculation and questions here. I assume there is a spreadsheet of waitlisters that can easily be sorted by date, and a known amount of inventory units, so it probably would take that long to do it just one time on a high level (i.e. not give anyone any individual data on where they are on the waitlist, as that would be time consuming).
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Even if FAS has 1000s of email responses for reservations for a spot to eventually purchase a FM3 unit, it still doesn't translate into a 1:1 of profits guaranteed going forward. And, as we have all witnessed lately there tends to be a sweeping ripple effect across social media outlets (specifically forums) if news or info is released that doesn't serve even just one soul's interests/desires/agenda 100% and the rumor mill flies off the handle like the old telephone game. Point is, why risk turning off future sales even if your goal is to be transparent or honest or sympathetic to your current customers or would-be customers?
If you told an 18-year-old you wouldn't find love or the right person until after your THIRD marriage do you think they would even pursue finding love to begin with? I don't think I would.
 
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phillyred79 said:
Even if FAS has 1000s of email responses for reservations for a spot to eventually purchase a FM3 unit, it still doesn't translate into a 1:1 of profits guaranteed going forward. And, as we have all witnessed lately there tends to be a sweeping ripple effect across social media outlets (specifically forums) if news or info is released that doesn't serve even just one soul's interests/desires/agenda 100% and the rumor mill flies off the handle like the old telephone game. Point is, why risk turning off future sales even if your goal is to be transparent or honest or sympathetic to your current customers or would-be customers?
If you told an 18-year-old you wouldn't find love or the right person until after your THIRD marriage do you think they would even pursue finding love to begin with? I don't think I would.
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Yes I can see your point here.
 
Tones2 said:
As such, can someone from Fractal tell us what "April" really MEANS to them?
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A light-hearted treatment of this question follows.

It always surprises me how little curiosity people seem to have about the meanings of words. I am pleased to see some interest here, albeit off-topic in this subforum.

In fact, no one knows the real meaning of the word April. As an actual living form, its meaning is plebeian: April is the fourth month in our Gregorian calendar. Examining the word's history adds some points of interest but ultimately leads to unknown origins in the shadowed past. One possibility is that the month's name stems from the Latin ap(e)rilis, meaning "second," thus indicating its position within the pre-Julian calendar. I personally like this idea as it would put April in the list with four other number-name months. Others (like the "Farmer's Almanac", "Quora" and many more) propound a derivation from the Latin aperire (to open), because April is indeed the month during which many plants and flowers open. Wikipedia even lists this idea first among possibilities, but I'm with those who consider it to be a "folk etymology." (You can find comically bad false-cognate linkages of "April" to "Aperture" and "Opportunity," two "opening" words with completely unrelated roots.) Another suggestion is that the month's name evokes love, as in Aphrodite. Only those interested solely in waitlist politics and policies would miss the implications of this tempting suggestion, as love certainly is in the air in the springtime, but alas there's no real proof for this theory either. The Online Etymology Dictionary shares my personal view that this month's name is "from a stem of uncertain origin and meaning". It definitely came to English from the Romans, and although a pre-12th C. Germanic name for the period probably persists as "Easter," the changeover has already filtered down to the middle classes by the time Chaucer enshrined "Aprille's" name in the opening couplet of his iconic Canterbury Tales. The Oxford English dictionary offers a detailed entry for April, with many more nicely descriptive examples.

On a personal level, I'm sure we would each answer the question, "What does April mean to me?" in a different way. In present circumstances this seems a rather insipid exercise, but you asked. For me, April means some family birthdays and a few anniversaries of the milestones of my life. This April, I'll probably open the windows and doors wide and use an electric leaf blower and fan to remove dust from my studio office. I don't attach very special significance to any of any of this.

In terms of the FM3, "April" is the month named in the text of the current Fractal Audio FM3 Waitlist Invitation to provide a sense to customers of when they might expect FM3 units with a headphones jack to begin to be available through waitlist invitations. This means that "some time during the month of April" we're expecting to change what's on offer through the invitation(s)*. If you purchase a first-run unit, we'll remove your name from the waitlist at that time (though you could conceivably add yourself again to the end of the list). Meanwhile, we cannot and will not: estimate when you'll get an invitation, tell you how many people are on the list (a lot), or tell you what your position in line is. Entries on the list are serviced in the order in which they are received.

As was pointed out in the comment above by @FractalAudio, this week we learned that factors beyond our control are also in play. Namely, the coronavirus has caused some chaos in a global electronics industry already rocked by shortages. Whatever the effects of this turn out to be, responses to the news should be accompanied by a little empathy among those of us lucky not to be affected by this true crisis. Meanwhile, do the best you can with life's little uncertainties and try to keep things in perspective.

*Here is the picture I made to explain how we'll send invitations in two different transition scenarios:

GPU Preview) 2020-02-16 12-58-50.png
 
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