I've got some time so let me address these "facts":
- The power supply: The power supply is an off-the-shelf Cincon 40W, triple-output supply. Cincon is a good manufacturer and makes an excellent product. They've been around for a long time. They are carried by Mouser and DigiKey. Those distributors do not sell inferior products.
- The "Keystone" DSP is the most powerful DSP currently available (not was, IS). It was COPYRIGHTED in 2012. Production quantities were't readily available until 2014 which just so happens to be when the Axe-Fx III development started. Tony, despite being a self-proclaimed expert, doesn't understand that the development cycle on a product like the Axe-Fx III takes years.
- The power switch has some glue around it to prevent it from sliding around in the opening. It's an additional step that's unnecessary but improves the perceived quality of the product.
- "Cheap" Aluminum can capacitors. Those capacitors aren't cheap. We use Panasonic FK series which are high-temperature, long-life series. For many applications aluminum electrolytic capacitors are the capacitor-of-choice. For power supply filtering they are unequaled in voltage-capacitance product for a given volume. Yes, MLCCs now offer competing capacitance per volume but don't offer the voltage rating. Also MLCCs are more expensive. You don't simply use something more expensive if that doesn't offer any tangible benefit. For audio coupling applications it's hard to beat aluminum caps. MLCCs have a far worse voltage coefficient for those high-capacitance dielectrics.
- MC7805CT regulator obsolete. No it is not. We use the MC7805CTG which is the RoHS version. The package says MC7805CT. The ordering code is MC7805CTG. Anyone with even a smattering of electronic component knowledge is aware of this. This is just ignorance on parade.
- You can apply the above to the rest of the video. It's all basically lies. Open up a Helix and I'm sure you'll find aluminum capacitors and MC7805CT voltage regulators.
Tony has a grudge against Fractal Audio and this is nothing but a hit-piece. He tried to blackmail us for the rights to
www.fractalaudio.uk and I told him to pound sand. He's an angry, evil little man with an inflated ego and little real knowledge of electronics.