Schiit Audio post sales experience

[AudioNewbie]

Hey everyone, I'd greatly appreciate hearing about your experiences when it comes to dealing with Schiit Audio after making a purchase. Specifically, I'm interested in knowing how they've managed returns, warranties, and repairs. I've been eyeing their gear as a potential addition to my setup, and your detailed insights would be invaluable in helping me make an informed decision. Your input means a lot! Thanks in advance!

 

[staticV3]

A couple of months ago I purchased a Schiit Magnius, which I received and worked perfectly. Fast forward a few months and it wouldn't turn on. There seemed to be no power reaching the device, and, since I had a couple of Schiit Heresy's, I tried one of their power bricks which was rated for the same voltage and slightly less wattage. The Magnius fired up perfectly so I emailed Schiit last night to see if I could get another brick. I didn't want to have to box up the Magnius and ship it so I even offered to buy a new brick from them.

When I got up this morning I already had a response in my email, checking to see if my address was still the same. I replied it was and a new brick has been shipped to me for free. I got a tracking number and it is in Canada already, in less than 24hrs! It will be here in a couple more days. That service, for a relatively inexpensive device, I find outstanding. Well done Schiit!

I've written the story many times already on this site. You have been around long enough to go find them and read.
I owned a Fulla2, Modi Multibit, Magni 3 and the RCA switcher box. (forgot the name)
Part of how I found this site and the allure of the Topping products started with a huge drama surrounding me on HeadFi after I discovered bugs in their USB implementation literally 7 years ago now. The level of disgusting pathetic unprofessionalism from that company knows no bounds. Go find my full write ups and read about it. Not only do I have plenty to back it up, but there are plenty of other modern examples of them doing the same to other customers after issues were found in their products.
Considering the physically dangerous issues with a couple of their products that have been uncovered on this forum; it is already enough to avoid this company at all costs.
I could go on all day about the issues I have found and experienced with the company, but I've got better things to do then rehash an already old and many times rehashed subject again. Use the search function

 

[Bow_Wazoo]

I only have positive things to say.

 

[AudioNewbie]

Thank you so much

 

[AudioNewbie]

I only have positive things to say.

Just to be clear - Are your positive remarks related to post-sales events, such as experiences with returns, warranty claims, and repairs?

 

[Bow_Wazoo]

Yes sir

 

[AudioNewbie]

Yes sir

Awesome, thanks!

 

[Doodski]

I have not had a return or warranty claim with Schiit. I purchased a headphone amp and it was shipped within hours of purchasing, it was in Canada over a long weekend in a few short days and has worked perfectly.

 

[AudioNewbie]

That's indeed wonderful to hear. Personally, I'm quite meticulous when it comes to evaluating a company using their post-sales support, especially after a challenging encounter with IOTAVX. While their shipping from the UK to the US was impressively swift at just two days, the post-sales experience turned out to be quite the opposite—a nightmarish ordeal, to be precise!

 

[Doodski]

That's indeed wonderful to hear. Personally, I'm quite meticulous when it comes to evaluating a company using their post-sales support, especially after a challenging encounter with IOTAVX. While their shipping from the UK to the US was impressively swift at just two days, the post-sales experience turned out to be quite the opposite—a nightmarish ordeal, to be precise!

Schitt had some issues according to some here but that was some years ago and in recent years they have started offering test units for ASR, offering better spec'd devices and even participate here in the commentary from time to time.

 

[AudioNewbie]

I have not had a return or warranty claim with Schiit. I purchased a headphone amp and it was shipped within hours of purchasing, it was in Canada over a long weekend in a few short days and has worked perfectly.

That's indeed wonderful to hear. Personally, I'm quite meticulous when it comes to evaluating a company using their post-sales support, especially after a challenging encounter with IOTAVX. While their shipping from the UK to the US was impressively swift at just two days, the post-sales experience turned out to be quite the opposite—a nightmarish ordeal, to be precise!

 

[AudioNewbie]

Schitt had some issues according to some here but that was some years ago and in recent years they have started offering test units for ASR, offering better spec'd devices and even participate here in the commentary from time to time.

Sending test units to ASR is indeed impressive! Thanks for sharing that.

 

[bboris77]

I would give them a 9 out of 10 for customer support. I don't think I have ever received a totally DOA product from them or one that died completely within the warranty period. A few times when there were functional issues such as a malfunctioning gain switch on an amp or cosmetic issues such as a scratched up volume knob, they were extremely fast to send in a replacement free of charge to me (and I am in Canada).

The only reason why it would be a 9 and not a perfect 10 is because I have had a few instances where certain non-deal breaking glitches in their products were dismissed/qualified by their customer support as normal. Here are a few examples:
- a Lyr 3 that cut out sometimes and rebooted itself when playing bass-heavy music or games because its protection circuit kicked in
- a Bifrost 2 DAC that had a very low-level coil whine noise in only one of the channels when played at extremely high volumes
- a Modi 3 which had issues with low level RFI interference which is very specific to the location of my house in a close proximity to an airport
- a Bifrost DAC that had glitches when switching between certain sampling rates as the relay did not kick in fast enough resulting in an audible pop through the speakers

Despite these minor problems, I would order from them without hesitation as they are very reasonable and I admit that I am a picky bastard.

 

[AudioNewbie]

I would give them a 9 out of 10 for customer support. I don't think I have ever received a totally DOA product from them or one that died completely within the warranty period. A few times when there were functional issues such as a malfunctioning gain switch on an amp or cosmetic issues such as a scratched up volume knob, they were extremely fast to send in a replacement free of charge to me (and I am in Canada).

The only reason why it would be a 9 and not a perfect 10 is because I have had a few instances where certain non-deal breaking glitches in their products were dismissed/qualified by their customer support as normal. Here are a few examples:
- a Lyr 3 that cut out sometimes and rebooted itself when playing bass-heavy music or games because its protection circuit kicked in
- a Bifrost 2 DAC that had a very low-level coil whine noise in only one of the channels when played at extremely high volumes
- a Modi 3 which had issues with low level RFI interference which is very specific to the location of my house in a close proximity to an airport
- a Bifrost DAC that had glitches when switching between certain sampling rates as the relay did not kick in fast enough resulting in an audible pop through the speakers

Despite these minor problems, I would order from them without hesitation as they are very reasonable and I admit that I am a picky bastard.

Thank you for sharing . Your attention to detail and would make you an excellent Quality Control engineer!

 

[CarbonMakerU]

I had a nine year old Schiit Gungnir Dac that got used daily no issues which has now been passed along. Also an older Magni 2 Uber and Modi 3, all still completely functional and also passed along to family. I try and avoid their more esoteric designs but zero complaints so far for performance or longevity. All items were replaced by newer Shiit designs with the exception of the Gungnir, that became a D90SE due to it's connection capabilities as well as it measurements and it's "used good" price was nearly 40% off.

 

[AudioNewbie]

I had a nine year old Schiit Gungnir Dac that got used daily no issues which has now been passed along. Also an older Magni 2 Uber and Modi 3, all still completely functional and also passed along to family. I try and avoid their more esoteric designs but zero complaints so far for performance or longevity. All items were replaced by newer Shiit designs with the exception of the Gungnir, that became a D90SE due to it's connection capabilities as well as it measurements and it's "used good" price was nearly 40% off.

Nine year old gear is impressive! Did you also have any experience with their handling of returns, warranties or repairs?

 

[anmpr1]

Hey everyone, I'd greatly appreciate hearing about your experiences when it comes to dealing with Schiit Audio after making a purchase. Specifically, I'm interested in knowing how they've managed returns, warranties, and repairs. I've been eyeing their gear as a potential addition to my setup, and your detailed insights would be invaluable in helping me make an informed decision. Your input means a lot! Thanks in advance!

In my closet is one of their headphone amps. I took it out a few months ago, and noticed the little rubber pimple footer had come out. On a lark, I shot them an email asking if they could send a replacement? Maybe just put it in an envelope with a stamp to cover postage. They are about the size of a pencil eraser, and you cram one end through a hole on the bottom chassis.

A nice lady (Laura) in support emailed me back after a couple of days, and said it could be done, but would require a $15.00 credit card charge. I think that was what I was quoted. I thought, why not just tell me they didn't want to do it? Or didn't stock that foot anymore?

It's really silly, and I don't know why I even contacted them in the first place. I think I was just interested to find out what they'd offer. You can tell a lot about a company by the way they 'go the extra mile' for customers. But really, if I actually had a need for the thing, I'd just place a felt 'stick on foot' on the bottom of the chassis. Anyhow, I thought the company's response was a bit over the top.

That said, if I ever wanted to buy new from them again, something at their price-point, I would probably just as soon buy from the Full of Schiit guys, as I would buy from half-way around the world.

 

[bboris77]

In my closet is one of their headphone amps. I took it out a few months ago, and noticed the little rubber pimple footer had come out. On a lark, I shot them an email asking if they could send a replacement? Maybe just put it in an envelope with a stamp to cover postage. They are about the size of a pencil eraser, and you cram one end through a hole on the bottom chassis.

A nice lady (Laura) in support emailed me back after a couple of days, and said it could be done, but would require a $15.00 credit card charge. I think that was what I was quoted. I thought, why not just tell me they didn't want to do it? Or didn't stock that foot anymore?

It's really silly, and I don't know why I even contacted them in the first place. I think I was just interested to find out what they'd offer. You can tell a lot about a company by the way they 'go the extra mile' for customers. But really, if I actually had a need for the thing, I'd just place a felt 'stick on foot' on the bottom of the chassis. Anyhow, I thought the company's response was a bit over the top.

That said, if I ever wanted to buy new from them again, something at their price-point, I would probably just as soon buy from the Full of Schiit guys, as I would buy from half-way around the world.

That is an interesting episode - I mean, you did get a response and they offered to send you one, but for a $15 which is probably the cost of shipping it in a smallest box they use. It is a bit strange since it's a very cheap part and you could probably stick it in an envelope like you said.

However, I do agree with you that there are companies that would eat the cost of shipping and just mail it to you free of charge. Schiit does not really bend over backwards for their customers to that extreme. They have a bit more of a business-like attitude when it comes to their customer support, which is fine by me. I guess the logic is that they keep the prices low for their entry-level products by not incurring costs like that unless they have to.

 

[anmpr1]

...but for a $15 which is probably the cost of shipping it in a smallest box they use. It is a bit strange since it's a very cheap part and you could probably stick it in an envelope like you said.

I'm sure that's it. Probably no one had ever asked them for something like that. To be fair, someone would have to go to the stockroom, dig the pimple out from the bin, put it in their standard box, then FedEx it at whatever rate their shipping company charges. I just thought it was a strange thing to even offer to ship an eraser tip for that price. I don't hold it against them. And it was out of warranty period. But if I was running the operation, and as a show of good will, I would have just stuck a couple of spares in an envelope, thrown on a forever stamp, and sent it out.

FWIW, I was building a Dynaco facsimile amp from an outfit called Dynakitparts dot com, and one of the bagged resistors had its outer covering partially stripped. I contacted the owner, Kevin, he said it was probably OK to use, but sent me two same value resistors, along with a branded baseball cap for my trouble. I then ordered two MkIV cages, and with the order he sent me a couple of NOS pre driver tubes, with a note to try them, or keep them for spares.

Didn't have to do any of that, and I'm sure he's a one many show, yet he took some time out of his day to satisfy a customer. If I needed another kit to build, I'd buy it from him, but these things are really one and done (or in the case of a MkIV, two and you're through).

 

[AudioNewbie]

I'm sure that's it. Probably no one had ever asked them for something like that. To be fair, someone would have to go to the stockroom, dig the pimple out from the bin, put it in their standard box, then FedEx it at whatever rate their shipping company charges. I just thought it was a strange thing to even offer to ship an eraser tip for that price. I don't hold it against them. And it was out of warranty period. But if I was running the operation, and as a show of good will, I would have just stuck a couple of spares in an envelope, thrown on a forever stamp, and sent it out.

FWIW, I was building a Dynaco facsimile amp from an outfit called Dynakitparts dot com, and one of the bagged resistors had its outer covering partially stripped. I contacted the owner, Kevin, he said it was probably OK to use, but sent me two same value resistors, along with a branded baseball cap for my trouble. I then ordered two MkIV cages, and with the order he sent me a couple of NOS pre driver tubes, with a note to try them, or keep them for spares.

Didn't have to do any of that, and I'm sure he's a one many show, yet he took some time out of his day to satisfy a customer. If I needed another kit to build, I'd buy it from him, but these things are really one and done (or in the case of a MkIV, two and you're through).

Thank you for sharing. I completely agree that every small detail plays a crucial role in maintaining customer loyalty. It reminds me of the time when a company in China shipped an entire office table set to me just because I mentioned a missing screw in my order—talk about excellent customer service! A similar experience happened with a robot vacuum cleaner as well.