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Anyone one have issues with Apollon Audio. Issue resolved

When we hear about huge profit margins/markups with dealers and retail channel, it’s easy to get frustrated but scenarios like this are where the classic sales channel offers superior customer service.

I recall posting this in a different thread. If you prepay for customer service, you only break even at best. If you don’t need customer service, you paid extra. Companies like Accuphase, McIntosh, Marantz, Meyer Sound and Pass Labs are all companies famous for their customer service and equally famous for sky high pricing. But money aside, you get great speed and attention to service.

So there is a reasonable rationale for poor customer service at value pricing.

Of course, at the extreme, if the customer service is too lousy, it doesn’t work. Likewise, prepaying for customer service also saves you time and it’s insurance against lost time…

It also gives companies (like Buckeye) a chance to offer value priced goods *and* good customer service…
 
Well even when I go to supermarket and there some audio department, I get pretty good customer service of about for example JBL 400 buck bluetooth speaker. So I do not think product is required to cost many tens of thousands for customer to get some basic level of accurate customer service. Or is the world like that now?
 
They do not always respond to emails either, I noticed. Also if I would start to remind them daily for something that I have already paid and which belongs to me anyway, it is like work for me, and I do not work for free.
Exactly, when a person starts to put up $1000's for a product and a service everything should be pretty seamless.

In my case at $2700 overall when I received my amp I should have been grinning from ear to ear. Not pissed off because I was worried about the amp being damaged in transit and then finding out that I was missing parts I had ordered and needing to deal with that. After that feeling like I was being ripped off for $200 because they wouldn't send me out the parts that I had already paid for.

This was supposed to be my first Class D amplifier and the whole experience has went to sh!t. I now have a bad vibe towards the amp and when you add in the turn off pop I'm about to remove it and put my Bryston back in.

Something that should have been a very enjoyable experience has turned very negative to me and I put up a lot of money for that experience.

You'll get your amp, hang in there but yes it sounds like your time frame is way out of bounds.
 
Many of us are probably spoiled by the sale practices of decades through actual stores,specially for shopping at the low end and above of is called "hi-end" audio.
Not so much for pro companies though despite the similar prices sometimes,those do not do the "feel like a king" stuff,they are just pros and that's it.

The "prepaid" service in such case is not only after sales,etc but pre-sales too,usually the store carries it to your place for you, allows you to have it for a few days (depending on the relationship) and then carry it back to their place.
(I know folks having their dealer on speed-dial :facepalm: ) .
Pricing as if including these kind of services where it's not is unacceptable.

What is acceptable is that premium chopped off,some lead time and medium after sale service if price is lower and that makes sense as these business rely on small risk.
So...
 
Communication is Key. Lack of communication is a fail. Uninformed Customers are left to guess and speculate. A company that doesn’t communicate is always a bad experience and sign. It’s a sign of a lack of respect for the customer. JMHO.
 
Communication is Key. Lack of communication is a fail. Uninformed Customers are left to guess and speculate. A company that doesn’t communicate is always a bad experience and sign. It’s a sign of a lack of respect for the customer. JMHO.
I will admit Tibor did stay in contact with me when I contacted him about the problem but the action part never seem to happen.
 
I googled and found this thread. I ordered Apollon Audio amplifier many months ago, they require to pay it in full in advance to their bank account which I did. The original promised delivery time has now been over doubled perhaps tripled, money sure was accepted immediately and no sign of amplifier still. I asked them in their chat several times(because they do not want to say what is their phone number) when it will be delivered and always promised to be next week, last time they said it should be delivered was the end of last year! If I do not get my amplifier in a few weeks I will report them to the police for fraud, money gone and no amplifier, I also very clearly told them to let me know if there are any delays, but the are just quiet. And yes, the amp cost OVER 5000 dollars!

Also they gave excuse in the chat that they "are busy with black friday orders" Well what kind of a company makes a customer wait who has paid a month before the black friday a full price, and then gives some discount to others which then will be somehow ahead of line even they ordered a month after me? I mean why would they even say that, insanity.
Thank you for sharing your concerns. I truly regret hearing about your dissatisfaction and want to assure you that your feedback is taken very seriously. After carefully reviewing your order and all our communications, I’d like to address your points and provide some clarification.

You placed your order in mid-October, and during our discussions, you requested several customizations for your amplifier. These included specific modifications such as custom CNC programming, machining, unique wiring, and non-standard connectors. While our standard lead time for premium amplifiers is 30 business days (excluding holidays and weekends), custom orders like yours naturally require more time due to the additional complexity. This is standard practice across the industry.

I noticed that during our initial email exchange, you never inquired about the exact lead time. In fact, you mentioned that we should contact you when the amplifier is ready, as you often travel. There was no mention of an urgent deadline, and I proceeded under the assumption that you understood custom orders take longer to produce.

For reference, I’ve personally ordered custom studio subwoofers from a large and very well known company in the industry, and I had to wait more than six months for them, although 3-4 months of lead time was promised at first. During that time, I received no weekly updates, no live chat support, and no direct contact beyond my initial order confirmation. I experienced many occasions and delays in my life, dealing with the biggest and best companies in the industry, especially when ordering custom studio equipment for my mixing and mastering studio or my home audio system. I bring this up to highlight that custom, high-end audio equipment often comes with longer production timelines due to the precision and craftsmanship required.

You stated that you contacted us several times without receiving proper updates. However, upon reviewing our records, I found only two instances of communication through our live chat system. During these conversations, our team explained that we were experiencing slight delays due to the increased volume of orders from the Black Friday and holiday period. It is worth mentioning that our team members in live chat don’t have direct access to custom order details, as these are handled separately by our production team. To address this, they provided you with our direct email address ([email protected]), where all custom order inquiries are handled.

I must respectfully disagree with your claim that you were not notified about any potential delays. In one of the chats, 21 days ago, our team clearly explained the situation, and we regret if this explanation did not meet your expectations.

Additionally, our team was on holiday leave from December 23, 2024, to January 6, 2025, which impacted production during this period. As of today, January 23, 2025, a total of 65 working days have passed since the production of your order was started on October 10, 2024, excluding weekends and our holiday leave. This is beyond the standard lead time for premium amplifiers but still within a reasonable timeframe for the custom modifications requested.

I understand how frustrating delays can be, but I feel your public comment was unnecessarily harsh and misleading. It creates the impression that we are prioritizing other customers’ orders over yours, which is not true. As a small team of 10 people dedicated to handcrafting high-precision amplifiers, our goal is to deliver the highest-quality products, even during peak times like Black Friday and Christmas. Delays during such periods can happen, especially with custom orders like yours, and I believe this is understandable.

You also mentioned a lack of transparency and accused us of fraudulent practices, which is deeply concerning to me and unfair to my hardworking team. While I respect your frustration, I firmly believe that the way we communicate matters. Approaching us with threats of legal action and accusations of fraud without first reaching out calmly for clarification does a disservice to the hard work we put into every product. However, I want to stress that the customer is always right, and your feedback is an opportunity for us to improve.

It is also important to note that we deal with hundreds of customers each month, and if we were as poor or fraudulent as you have described, there would be negative reviews about us all over the internet. This is not the case, as we work tirelessly to deliver on our promises and ensure our customers are satisfied. Of course, no company is perfect, and while delays may happen especially with custom orders, every one of our customers received the product they paid for, built to the highest standards.

Your amplifier has now been completed and is undergoing our standard 48-hour quality assurance testing to ensure it meets the highest standards. It is scheduled for shipment next week, and our team will contact you directly via email as agreed. However, given your dissatisfaction and the nature of your public comment, I’d like to offer you an alternative: a full refund and withdrawal from the contract if you prefer not to proceed with the order.

Your feedback is valuable, and we will use it to make improvements. Specifically, we will update our website to better communicate that custom orders require longer lead times, so expectations are clearer for future customers. While no company is perfect, we always strive to learn and grow from such experiences.

I hope this response clarifies the situation and demonstrates our commitment to resolving your concerns. If you have further questions or wish to discuss the matter further, please don’t hesitate to contact us directly at ([email protected]). Your satisfaction is important to us, and we hope to restore your trust in Apollon Audio.

Thank you for your patience and understanding.
 
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Well even when I go to supermarket and there some audio department, I get pretty good customer service of about for example JBL 400 buck bluetooth speaker. So I do not think product is required to cost many tens of thousands for customer to get some basic level of accurate customer service. Or is the world like that now?
It's all relative. You'll get better customer service with a $100 JBL speaker than a $10 Temu special.

Not so much for pro companies though despite the similar prices sometimes, those do not do the "feel like a king" stuff,they are just pros and that's it.
Agreed, although they are pros which means prompt replies with clear expectations.

Thank you for sharing your concerns.
...
Your feedback is valuable, and we will use it to make improvements. Specifically, we will update our website to better communicate that custom orders require longer lead times, so expectations are clearer for future customers. While no company is perfect, we always strive to learn and grow from such experiences.
Thanks for taking the time to respond to the customer with specifics. One suggestion would be to have an initial deposit of 50-75% with final payment before shipping for custom orders if it's going to take more than 30 days. Psychologically, this incentives Apollon to complete the amplifier and also gives reassurance to the customer that they still have some "power" over the purchase. Alternatively, when you custom order something like a BMW, you often get told when you are slated for production. For a custom order that's not just part of inventory, you can say that your unit is slated for production the 2nd week of March 2025. If you think the lead time is 60 days, you can schedule production start 75 days from the day of order which lets you complete the product ahead of schedule rather than behind schedule (the under promise, over deliver strategy) and have a bit of buffer if there is something unexpected that comes up.
 
Despite some aggravation and some irritation over my ordeal I am mostly satisfied with my amplifier.

PS my Op Amps showed up today.

Thank you Tibor
 
It's all relative. You'll get better customer service with a $100 JBL speaker than a $10 Temu special.


Agreed, although they are pros which means prompt replies with clear expectations.


Thanks for taking the time to respond to the customer with specifics. One suggestion would be to have an initial deposit of 50-75% with final payment before shipping for custom orders if it's going to take more than 30 days. Psychologically, this incentives Apollon to complete the amplifier and also gives reassurance to the customer that they still have some "power" over the purchase. Alternatively, when you custom order something like a BMW, you often get told when you are slated for production. For a custom order that's not just part of inventory, you can say that your unit is slated for production the 2nd week of March 2025. If you think the lead time is 60 days, you can schedule production start 75 days from the day of order which lets you complete the product ahead of schedule rather than behind schedule (the under promise, over deliver strategy) and have a bit of buffer if there is something unexpected that comes up.

It's all relative. You'll get better customer service with a $100 JBL speaker than a $10 Temu special.


Agreed, although they are pros which means prompt replies with clear expectations.


Thanks for taking the time to respond to the customer with specifics. One suggestion would be to have an initial deposit of 50-75% with final payment before shipping for custom orders if it's going to take more than 30 days. Psychologically, this incentives Apollon to complete the amplifier and also gives reassurance to the customer that they still have some "power" over the purchase. Alternatively, when you custom order something like a BMW, you often get told when you are slated for production. For a custom order that's not just part of inventory, you can say that your unit is slated for production the 2nd week of March 2025. If you think the lead time is 60 days, you can schedule production start 75 days from the day of order which lets you complete the product ahead of schedule rather than behind schedule (the under promise, over deliver strategy) and have a bit of buffer if there is something unexpected that comes up.
Thank you for your thoughtful suggestions about the deposit system and production scheduling. Feedback like this is incredibly valuable, and we’re always open to improving our processes.

Since BMW came up, I thought I’d share a story. My friend ordered a custom BMW M4 with an individual color and equipment. Typically, BMW production takes 2–3 months, and individual orders add another 3–6 weeks, so they confidently promised him a lead time of around 5 months. But the car didn’t arrive until nine months later. By the end of it, he was joking that he started wondering if they were actually hand-painting the car with a single brush for maximum precision. :)

And, because perfection doesn’t exist (even with a brand like BMW), the transmission decided to introduce itself with some “special features” shortly after delivery. But credit where it’s due: BMW handled the issue professionally, and he’s been happily driving it ever since, without feeling the need to share his experience all over the internet.

The lesson here? Even in the world of high-end precision, whether it’s audio equipment or automobiles, delays and hiccups can happen. What truly matters is how those situations are resolved.

To address your thoughtful points.

Your suggestion about taking an initial deposit of 50–75% for custom orders and the balance before shipment is certainly something we will consider. It could indeed help create a better sense of balance and reassurance for both parties, especially for orders requiring longer lead times.

Your idea of providing customers with a more precise production timeline, such as “your amplifier is slated for production the second week of March” is something worth considering. Combining this with a buffer (under-promise, over-deliver) could improve the customer experience significantly, and we’ll discuss implementing something similar.

At Apollon Audio, we’re always striving to refine our processes and provide the best possible experience. While we may be a small team, we work tirelessly to meet the expectations of our customers, and feedback like yours is invaluable to help us grow.

Thank you again for sharing your perspective and for engaging constructively.
 
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I noticed that during our initial email exchange, you never inquired about the exact lead time. In fact, you mentioned that we should contact you when the amplifier is ready, as you often travel. There was no mention of an urgent deadline, and I proceeded under the assumption that you understood custom orders take longer to produce.

Me possibly travelling does not mean you can just delay my order any way you want, I told you that fact only, so I would not miss your delivery day if it comes suddenly. In other words, imagine if your customers would have to many months just sit at home waiting for the amp to be delivered or you would think "its not urgent, he even dares to go on a trip" Also you are saying that Apollon Audio does NOT deliver amplifiers on time, if customer does not realize at the order phase separately tell you that it is urgent? That makes no sense to me since you did not tell me to ask for urgency to meet the deadline , advertised lead time is the promised lead time, just like the money I paid for the amp, it is 100% of the amount, no tricks. I filled my part of the agreement. Your side is to deliver the amplifier in the advertised lead time. Or what do others here think, it this now normal and the best way to handle customer orders. Likely not.
 
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You stated that you contacted us several times without receiving proper updates. However, upon reviewing our records, I found only two instances of communication through our live chat system. During these conversations, our team explained that we were experiencing slight delays due to the increased volume of orders from the Black Friday and holiday period. It is worth mentioning that our team members in live chat don’t have direct access to custom order details, as these are handled separately by our production team. To address this, they provided you with our direct email address ([email protected]), where all custom order inquiries are handled.

I must respectfully disagree with your claim that you were not notified about any potential delays. In one of the chats, 21 days ago, our team clearly explained the situation, and we regret if this explanation did not meet your expectations.
So when I talked to you in the first place, made the order and paid then that is the first time you must be aware you have to deliver the amplifier on time, even I would be silent after that, everything should be clear. However then I contacted you two times after that like you said, that means that you are THREE times aware that you must delivere the amplifier on time. How many more timed do you need? Like I already wrote, I cannot work for anyone for free as a "reminder boy". I have already paid a full price for the product and the delivery. You must be aware of the task at hand. Again, was this an example of good customer service?

"our team clearly explained the situation, and we regret if this explanation did not meet your expectations."

It is not only that explanation did not meet my expectations, it did not meet the reality of what was said. The second time I talked to them in chat I was told, this is a direct copy paste, luckily I saved the conversation:

Apollon Audio chat 20.12.2024 "You will receive a shipping confirmation to your email once the package leaves our factory next week"
I answered: "ok, sounds good."

So you see, I was clearly told next week from 20.12. that is the week before new year. My opinion is, I have not made any mistake anywhere, about the delivery time. Also note that even at the time of chat, 20.12. the delivery was already late.

However I feel this is now enough of this, I do not want to focus on negativity, everything is now said, so we are on the same page. I would like to think that at least some of the things I have said, you can take as tips how to further improve the customer experience. I want to thank you for taking time to explain your side of things. I am still looking forward for the amplifier once it is finished. I have heard nice things about the sound quality of your products.
 
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Communication is Key. Lack of communication is a fail. Uninformed Customers are left to guess and speculate. A company that doesn’t communicate is always a bad experience and sign. It’s a sign of a lack of respect for the customer. JMHO.
Yep, 100% this.
I noticed that during our initial email exchange, you never inquired about the exact lead time. In fact, you mentioned that we should contact you when the amplifier is ready, as you often travel. There was no mention of an urgent deadline, and I proceeded under the assumption that you understood custom orders take longer to produce.
Fair enough and good of you to respond here with detail. Without being an ass here... never assume though. :)
two instances of communication through our live chat system
I suppose it may have been an idea to keep in contact with the customer directly rather than the customer having to reach out via this channel, providing regular updates on status, so they're not left wondering "what's going on?".

That said, I completely understand regarding custom builds etc.


JSmith
 
Just an observation from a disinterested observer here. @Apollon Audio is taking some heat and handling it, from my perspective, with aplomb. Certainly well enough to tone down the rhetoric aimed his way.
Now that you red my reply, perhaps you see why some heat was offered. I would also point out one universal problem here, when customer pays in advance to any company bank account, he is not protected by credit card companies or Paypal. In other words, if something would go wrong, with the company meanwhile customer waits, he would likely lose all the prepaid money which is 100% in this case. So waiting many extra months is not your friend here.
 
Now that you red my reply, perhaps you see why some heat was offered. I would also point out one universal problem here, when customer pays in advance to any company bank account, he is not protected by credit card companies or Paypal. In other words, if something would go wrong, with the company meanwhile customer waits, he would likely lose all the prepaid money which is 100% in this case. So waiting many extra months is not your friend here.
I hear you. I guess if I was still so frustrated after all this I'd take him up on his offer of full refund and move on with life.

It sucks when you're the table the restaurant screws up but it's impossible to get service right 100% of the time. Happens even at the best of places.

Cheers.
 
I hear you. I guess if I was still so frustrated after all this I'd take him up on his offer of full refund and move on with life.

It sucks when you're the table the restaurant screws up but it's impossible to get service right 100% of the time. Happens even at the best of places.

Cheers.
Well like I said I want to think positive now and I certainly want the amplifier and not a refund, since I have a firm belief that the amp will be a high performance machine.
 
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