Now taking Smack pre-orders at special pricing

[Doc B.]

In order to get this kit rolling I have decided to offer special pre-production pricing. As the kit evolved we decided to add some extra features that seemed to be in demand like balanced outputs and switch selectable impedance, and that drove the production price up a bit from what I had initially planned, to $549. But we've had so much support from the community about this project that we decided to offer a special pre-production price that is down closer to what we had initially considered when the product was not as refined - $475. We can only hold this price for a couple of weeks until August 12th, 2011 - or we will end up like the doughnut shop that loses a nickel on every sale and hopes to eventually make up for it in volume. So I hope that folks that have expressed interest can take advantage of this offer. In fact to set up a little extra incentive we're going to offer a free Bottlehead power cord kit to the first four customers who order a Smack.

Oh yeah, that picture is just a place holder until we get the production prototype photographed.

On your marks, get set, go!

http://www.bottlehead.com/store.php?crn=224&rn=455&action=show_detail

[Spinifex]

Ordered, but the check-out didn't add shipping costs.

[Doc B.]

Thank you, you are officially number one! The USPS has been changing there calculators lately and our shopping cart is having trouble with the postage calculation. Eileen will contact you with the proper amount.

This means only three free power cord offers left, folks.

[Armaegis]

Ooh, I'm in (sorta). I wouldn't mind an extra cord...

[mrarroyo]

Hi Doc, will you offer built up units? I mean adding the building cost on top of the $475? Thanks.

[Doc B.]

Sure we can build one up for you. I would guess it would be somewhere around $250.

[Doc B.]

As of this posting we have one free power cord offer with a Smack kit pre order available. Thanks!

[Doc B.]

Bump - sale ends tomorrow

[vuntruong]

Is this new amp fully balanced (i.e. 4 channels)?  Hmm, I would love to see this amp and the dAC combined into one box. 

[Doc B.]

I'm afraid fully balanced and four channels doesn't compute to me. If you mean is it fully differential, no, the balanced output is derived from a center tapped output transformer secondary, not an active differential circuit. If you mean does each output have a separate signal hot and a separate signal cold leg that have symmetrical potential with respect to ground, yes, it does.