Prices on the 10GB model have dropped from 999 to 699. The rest have all been cut as well.

Sean

Oh CRAP... now i seriously have to consider buying the backup.

UPDATE: I did it. Got the back up. Phew... i've been thinkin' about it for weeks, that just pushed me over the edge. Thanks for the heads up man!


|| loren.cox ||

Edited by loren on 20/10/01 05:23 PM.

Hmm. Looks like SonicBlue wants to liquidate the inventory a little faster. I seriously shouldn't buy another one but I just broke my handle and I'm out of warranty... I think I just..... might..... do it................................................

ARGH!

-Tony
MkII #554

Hey, Rob V, how much time do I have left to make up my mind ?

Dragi "Bonzi" Raos
Zagreb, Croatia
Q#5196, MkII#80000376, 18GB green

Yeah. What he said. How much stock is left?

-Tony
MkII #554

I haden't been on here in several months. My heart sank when I read about the empeg hardware being discontinued. I'm building a custom stereo setup in my NSX centered around my Mk2 along with a wireless basestation. Since it's unlikely there'll be another product with the same features including ethernet in the near future and how I plan to keep my car for a long time, I'll be SOL if my unit breaks. So even though I didn't want to, I took the plunge and ordered a spare unit.

I plan to keep it on the shelf as a backup. Anyone know if it would be better to run the unit a couple times a year or just let it sit on the shelf, unused for years until needed?

Also, several years from now (when all warranty servcie expries), will service still be available? Is empeg in UK planning to keep enough spare parts to fix units for years to come? In a year or so when Sonic Blue US refuses to acknowledge RioCar ever even existed, will we be able to get service and support from the UK empeg guys just like the old days?

Wow - these things should move fast at that price..
-mark
PS - one click away from deciding if I want a spare or not...

This space used in memory of the victims from 09/11/01

I plan to keep it on the shelf as a backup. Anyone know if it would be better to run the unit a couple times a year or just let it sit on the shelf, unused for years until needed?

If kept in sealed package with some moisture absorbent (silica gel or such), I don't think you should periodically 'excersise' your spare. However, have you considered idea of mothballing your old unit and use the new one, to take advantage of warranty in the case something fails? Then again, the new unit will probably be minimum storage one, and upgrade would defeat the idea of using the warranty...

Also, several years from now (when all warranty servcie expries), will service still be available? Is empeg in UK planning to keep enough spare parts to fix units for years to come? In a year or so when Sonic Blue US refuses to acknowledge RioCar ever even existed, will we be able to get service and support from the UK empeg guys just like the old days?

Well, Hugo has kind of promised he and Patrick would demonstrate their soldering iron wielding skills, even as kind of hobby if absolutely necessary, and software development seems to go on anyway.

Which reminds me: according to Croatian law each non-consumable product has to have declared, apart from the warranty period, the expected lifetime. Both have prescribed minima for various classes of products. Manufacturer and distributor are obliged to provide service and spare parts during product lifetime (at cost after warranty period expires, of course). For something like empeg I think that minimal warranty period would be six or twelve months, and lifetime five or six years. Do other countries (USA and EU in particular, obviously) have such consumer protection laws?


Dragi "Bonzi" Raos
Zagreb, Croatia
Q#5196, MkII#80000376, 18GB green

Anyone got any idea as to how much inventory SonicBlue has left to dump before they're all gone? Rob?

Hmm, very tempting to get another one myself. I'm gonna wait a bit more though. I have a feeling they price may drop even more. I was talking to the guys at the local CarToys (they are a RioCar dealer). They've only sold like 3 units since they started carrying it.

Other than selling what's left to people like us who KNOW how cool this thing is...I think it may take them a while to move this inventory. maybe I'm wrong and I'll miss it. Oh well...I'll just use the one I have until it blows up then. But when I can find a backup unit for say...$500.. Then I'll get one. Maybe on Ebay someday or something...

Hey, only American prices have dropped, right!?

Dragi "Bonzi" Raos
Zagreb, Croatia
Q#5196, MkII#80000376, 18GB green

Damn! I noticed that too! The prices ARE going to drop for us European customers too, are they??? (that would only be fair...)

Riocar 58gig (48gig + 10gig IBM travelstar) S/N : 10101747 red

I never noticed it before but 10g model doesn't have a blue screen but the rest of the models say they do. Unfortunately that model 'out of stock' now, too late for me.

#695-Mk2/8 colors-12Gig w/Tuner- awaits v2.x & Voice Recog.

So who do I see about a refund?

jwickis: "Unfortunately that model 'out of stock' now, too late for me."

Don't be too sure. DR eStore is so FUBAR that that stuff often bears no relation to reality. I just ordered an "out of stock" 10G unit and got an anti-fraud call 30 minutes later to verify my credit card. I figure it's at least a 50-50 chance a 10G Empeg will show up here next week. Failing that, if they want to send me a 20G unit for the price of a 10G unit, that's cool.

A friend of mine had been talking about ordering an Empeg for months. I have been trying to reach him to let him know that the Empeg is EOL but no luck; I'm think he is on the road. The Rio site says absolutely *zilch* about the Empeg/RioCar being EOL and I'm afraid he'll be quite ticked at me if he orders one based on the price drop and finds out it is a dead product, more or less.

Jim

wow.. in a lapse of sanity, i just orderd a 10gig even tho it says "out of stock"

it's 8pm on a saturday, and i got a call from digital river with confirmation of the order..

wow.. i just looked at the callerID, and it's in my area code.. anyone else notice that?

(btw.. it's 612, in minnesota)

12gig red mk2 -- 080000125

So does a 10g come w/a blue faceplate or not, anyone know?

#695-Mk2/8 colors-12Gig w/Tuner- awaits v2.x & Voice Recog.

they only come in blue

if you want to change the color later you can buy the faceplate kit that includes the other three colors

32Gig MK2 In 2001 VW Golf TDI

Don't worry, I don't think they are anywhere near out of stock. If they were, why cut prices by 300? There will most likely be 1 or maybe 2 rounds of price cuts left before its all over. The only thing that suprises me is that rob didn't leak the price adjustment ahead of time ;-)

Sean

I'll go into the office in a minute and reduce the empeg store prices accordingly. Any orders already placed over the weekend will be adjusted to the new price.

Rob

No, as far as I'm aware there is no such law in the UK or US. The warranty is effectively a contract, though, and in the case of the car player it is 12 months.

Rob

I think there's quite a lot of stock left at the moment, however at these prices the intention is clearly to sell it as quickly as possible. I won't hazard a guess as to how long it will last - if, for example, a distributor decided to buy a large quantity then the situation could change overnight.

Rob

I'm puzzled by the 10Gb out-of-stock situation (which I have had confirmed by the guy who administrates the eStore). I suspect it's simply a case of inventory location, and that the model will be returned to stock soon.

We definitely have 10Gb players at the empeg store.

Rob

hmmm.......unfortunately seeing as I just bought one, less than a month ago, there is no way I can afford another. It would be nice to get a backup unit........
maybe in 1 year or so when someone wants to sell their backup etc...

.

I was already aware of the faceplate kit. I was curious as to why the Rio website says the other models have a blue faceplate while the 10g model doesn't, guess it's just a typo, oh well nevermind.

#695-Mk2/8 colors-12Gig w/Tuner- awaits v2.x & Voice Recog.

Please, also update the EU website. I am considering a spare empeg as well.

Thank you,

Taym
_________________________
MK II BLUE/RED 12GB #923 + RADIO

excelent

and I'm happy to say now that I have 2.0b3 on my player.. i'm just bouncy about empeg stuff.. mass-editing ID3 tags in emplode 2 is just so nice..

tho.. i think the database handling in emplode is a little big unstable.. i had a bunch of files that needed "fixed metadata"
and the empeg kept crashing while doing that.. (and would crash many times over USB)

12gig red mk2 -- 080000125

If Rob says he wil update the website, he is talking about the EU one.

Though I've got my Empeg less than one month now, I'm also thinking about buying a second unit. I NEVER want to be without one anymore!!

Riocar 58gig (48gig + 10gig IBM travelstar) S/N : 10101747 red

I totally understand you.
But spending so much money for a second one... I really have to think about it.
But I am more and more convinced to go ahead and get a second one...

Taym
_________________________
MK II BLUE/RED 12GB #923 + RADIO

aehm, stil no noew prices online !?

bobo

Yeah, just checked....still nothing

Though I'm pretty sure I'll buy one, and I've read that the prices will be adjusted accordingly if you order now, I'd still would like to KNOW what the price will be! (you know, with VAT and such)

So if you could spare a minute Rob....

Riocar 58gig (48gig + 10gig IBM travelstar) S/N : 10101747 red

yeah, that's the thing...

rob !

:-)

bobo

Well we did have record rainfall and flooding - somehow I couldn't motivate to walk to the office yesterday. The prices will be updated in about half an hour.

Rob

How ironic that only now has the empeg reached the price point it probably needed all along to make some headway in the mass market. (I understand the reasons why. No need to explain.)

A friend of mine was very interested in my empeg when I bought it but at $1299 it was out of the question. When the 10 gig dropped to $999 he gave it serious consideration but decided that it was still not worth it to him. Now at $699 he is probably going to buy one.

It's such a shame that it wasn't possible to get it down to this price a year ago.

-Dylan

This blows. I haven't even had my player two weeks and the price goes down by $300. I haven't even been able to use mine yet as I am waiting on a replacement wiring loom. Anyone know if there is any way to get a refund for the difference?

You said it man. I've ordered mine on 18/09/01. (still got the order form) Three or four days before the EOL announcement.

AND I'm already considering a second one, go figure. If Empeg was to make a small gesture it would really be appreciated.

Also, I've compared the US and UK prices of the unit, and the unit is still about £20 cheaper in the US!! Wassupwithat?? (it's not that I'm cheap or anything, but I was just wondering)

Riocar 58gig (48gig + 10gig IBM travelstar) S/N : 10101747 red

Hmmm... In your case I think it would be a good show of class if SonicBlue did give you a refund. You've got a defective part and the price just changed.. It's not like you've benefitted from getting your Empeg a couple weeks before the price drop...

Hopefully someone in support or customer service will notice this and help you out.

-Tony
MkII #554

Hmm on second thought it looks like they have a plan in place for those who bought earlier... Doesn't look like a plan that's going to make you happy though...

-Tony
MkII #554

Archeon: "You said it man. I've ordered mine on 18/09/01. (still got the order form) Three or four days before the EOL announcement."

I just ordered a 10G yesterday. Since I'm *knowingly* buying an EOL product from a finite inventory, if the price drops another $200 in a few weeks, that will be my tough luck, I suppose. Under the circumstances, you just have to take your chances as to the right time to buy. At some point in the price-drop process, if SB still has a lot of inventory, it will no longer be worth having an agonal RioCar presence on the web site and eStore inventory. A liquidator will take 'em all at $225 each and you can look for them in other nooks and crannies.

I think it's a different story for folks who purchased just prior to the EOL announcement or for anyone who purchased recently after stumbling across the RioCar web site (which still makes no mention of EOL from what I can see.). There is some small consideration in the offical announcement for recent buyers, FWIW. (If you qualify, does it necessarily follow that you will have been fleeced?!?!)

Jim

Dylan: "It's such a shame that it wasn't possible to get it down to this price a year ago. "

Problem is, with the current product's manufacturing volumes and configuration, I believe that they are losing money on each one sold at this point. It's just that the $699 I just paid is way more than they'll get from a liquidator.

When somebody like Panasonic or Pioneer manufactures quantity 20,000 of an Empeg-based unit with dumbed-down features and simpler manufacturing, maybe they can make money at $700 each.

Jim

There is some small consideration in the offical announcement for recent buyers, FWIW. (If you qualify, does it necessarily follow that you will have been fleeced?!?!)

There is? Could you provide me with a link to that ? Because this is the first I've ever heard of it.

Thx!



Riocar 58gig (48gig + 10gig IBM travelstar) S/N : 10101747 red

Returning to the main index of this BBS helps you see the official announcement here.

­­______________
Edwin de Vaan

Thanks Edwin. And it does look like I don't qualify! TWO DAYS too late! This stinks!

I think I'll mail Rob anyway.

Riocar 58gig (48gig + 10gig IBM travelstar) S/N : 10101747 red

Sorry to hear that!

­­______________
Edwin de Vaan

Edited by edwin on 22/10/01 10:00 PM.

I've changed the above post. After reading the post Rob made more thoroughly I found out that it's only valid for people who bought one 30days before the announced price drop, thus from 20/09/01. I bought mine 18/09/01. Again, this stinks!

Riocar 58gig (48gig + 10gig IBM travelstar) S/N : 10101747 red

Changed my post also cause it looked like I was picking at you!

­­______________
Edwin de Vaan

Well, I've sent a mail to Rob anyway, I don't believe all hope is lost yet. I've had very good experiences dealing with Rob in the past and I know that if there is any chance he can help me, he will.

Riocar 58gig (48gig + 10gig IBM travelstar) S/N : 10101747 red

Okay! Good luck then!

­­______________
Edwin de Vaan

how do you people complaining about having just bought one and then they lower the price ever buy anything. how did you get computers. or cars

32Gig MK2 In 2001 VW Golf TDI

I was kind of upset too at first. Then I saw how much a Rio 800 retails for. I know they aren't worth $250 to S|B, but that's still way close to the $300 refund I'd have asked for.

I wonder if they'd take that $250 towards another Mk2?

_~= Dearing =~_
"WAY too happy about having #99."

I wonder if they'd take that $250 towards another Mk2?

Sure they would... as long as you were willing to buy the Mk2 at the price it was before the price drop.

tanstaafl.

"There Ain't No Such Thing As A Free Lunch"

Hello All

Well, I'm not too happy either, I bought mine six months ago for full price and then shelled out another $300 to get the VFD repaired (busted during a courier shipment)...If only I had been able to foretell the future.....oh well, such is life in the big city :)

Technoweenie
12 GB Blue / Grey MK II

wouldnt the couier company have to shell out the $300 (insurance) or so?
they busted it during shipping, it's their responsibility to deliver the package undamaged.

..depends if he chose the insurance option, and what value/type of goods it covered.

Everything we ship is insured (although not by the courier - their rates are usually very expensive and the claims procedure can be long winded).

Rob

Well, I never chose the insurance (my bad) and it was my poor choice of packing position that caused the bust..the player was positioned in the box in such a way that the packing material, if hit hard enough in one spot would push against the VFD, and that's exactly what happened...one note though, the differences in the first empeg box (crushed and so soft you could wipe your bottom with it) and the replacement box provided after the repair was night and day..I will never use Purolator here in Canada again for the poor job they did of handling my initial shipment....I'm just so glad that my player has always worked fine despite the rough treatment it went through getting to me....:)

Technoweenie
12 GB Blue / Grey MK II

Arrh! The Reo Store doesn't exactly inspire confidence. As mentioned above, I ordered a 10GB unit on Saturday while it still said "In Stock". It's now late Tuesday and I've still yet to recieve a "Shipped" confirmation. The status web page for my order says "Pending shippment". And now the status of the 10GB units has changed to "Out of Stock". This ranks down near the bottom of my many on-line buying experiences (i.e. saying product is in stock then after you order saying it isn't-- that's really lame).

Yet, other users here ordered later than me and they get a shipping confirmation? Hmmmm... Hey Rob, if the U.S. estore runs out of product permanently and the UK store still has stock, willl us people in the US be allowed to order from the UK store?

Regarding the idea that "they must have tons of these things left, otherwise why the price drop?" Did anyone ever think that there could be so few left that Sonic Blue decided to just clear out the last few and be done with it for good? I have seen retail stores do that before when they decide they no longer wish to carry a particular model. Not to be overly paraniod, but it's just a thought...

You have to order stuff from the SonicBlue store when it is "out of stock"! Haven't you been reading the other posts here

(list 6284, Mk1 S/N 00299 4GB blue [for sale]. Mk2 S/N 080000094 26GB blue)

Get this... if you purchased your unit within 30 days of the price drop you CAN get a refund for the difference!!!! I emailed the customer service, they told me to call Customer service to set it all up. I called up their department and it is all set. My Visa should be seeing a $300 credit in a few days!!!!! I am serious about this. I don't know why this information wasn't made public, but they are going to get an influx of refund requests now...

ahem

PS. a good tip is to subscribe to the announcements forum so you don't miss details like this

Murray
dust me selecta

Darn, I just sent in a request for my free Rio 800. I'm glad you mentioned the monetary credit, I think I'll email them back and request that instead!

I was able to cancel my request for a Rio800, which I really didn't need and was able to get the cold hard cash. For people in the US if you call 1-800-468-5846, they will be more than happy to help you.

They did say though, it will take a couple of weeks to process the credit.

I had also ordered a Rio 800 yesterday.
I've just wrote them an e-mail in which I state that I would rather not receive the Rio 800, but get the $300 and put it to good use. In my case that's using the $300 for a "discount" on getting a backup Empeg unit then. I sure hope they will agree with that. After all, it's not like I will put the money in my pockets and run, I will spend another $399!

Riocar 58gig (48gig + 10gig IBM travelstar) S/N : 10101747 red