Topic: Presonus Firebox not actually 96khz, some info for you...

[cleantone]

http://www.presonus.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1834

Happened to see this on another forum. Didn't see any discussion here about it and though I should pass the word on.

Check out the thread.

[easy jim]

The last post of the admin./cust. support mgr. seems pretty dismissive to me, and does not in any way address the question more than once asked: when did Presonus know (apparently ~ 1 year ago), and why do they not make that knowledge public and address it publicy versus quietly trying to fix it and meanwhile continuing to sell a product that is not capable of performing as advertised? 

That is false advertising if the alleged can be proven, as it seems likely from the circumstantial evidence, and it is downright shady of them to not own up to that.  To create a firmware fix (apparently a 2nd attempt) is a postive response; to fail to address that they apparently have been and continue to falsely advertise the performance of a product (http://www.presonus.com/firebox.html), however, is cause for heads to roll internally and for - at minimum - an offer to recall the defective units should a customer who was duped be unwilling or no longer desire to wait for a firmware fix for something that was advertised when the unit was purchased.

That the cust. support mgr. closed the thread without addressing that issue indicates a 'sweep it under the rug and hope it does not blow up' mentality that is disturbing.  It seems to me to call for some duped Firebox purchasers to follow up and submit a false advertising claim with the Federal Trade Commission. http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/buspubs/ad-faqs.shtm

I sure am glad I decided to get a MOTU when I bought a firewire interface.

[JackoRoses]

The last post of the admin./cust. support mgr. seems pretty dismissive to me, and does not in any way address the question more than once asked: when did Presonus know (apparanetly ~ 1 year ago), and why do they not make that knowledge public versus fraudulently continuing to sell a product that is not capable of performing as advertised? 

That is false advertising, if the alleged can be proven as it seems likely from the circumstantial evidence, and it is downright shady of them to not own up to that.  To create a firmware fix (apparently a 2nd attempt) is a postive response; to fail to address that they have been and continue to falsely advertise the performance of a product (http://www.presonus.com/firebox.html), however, is cause for heads to roll internally and for - at minimum - an offer to recall the defective units should a customer who was duped be unwilling or no longer desire to wait for a firmware fix for something that was advertised when the unit was purchased.

That the cust. support mgr. colsed the thread without addressing that issue indicates a 'sweep it under the rug and hope it does not blow up' mentality that is disturbing.  It seems to me to call for some duped Firebox purchasers to follow up and submit a false advertising claim with the Federal Trade Commission. http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/buspubs/ad-faqs.shtm

I sure am glad I decided to get a MOTU when I bought a firewire interface.

my thoughts exactly, you just put it down way better than I could of. I'm in shock of the last post myself.
beating a dead horse.. when all anyone wants is an answer.. Sounds like it won't ever do as it was marketed to do or else they would of had a fix a year on..
seems like grounds for a lawsuit at least.

[Will_S]

Bad stuff from Presonus.  I bought my Firebox used, and had/have no intention of ever using the 96khz capabilities, but I'm still pretty pissed.  Mainly because the resale value must have just tanked, right as I was closing in on the funds for a mod 660 too.   

[jerryfreak]

did maudio buy presonus?

this sounds familar!

[ghibliss]

The Presonus forum posts have individuals which state that they do not think that you will hear a difference between 48 and 96 kHZ they must be joking!  I have a 24/96 unit which I use in the field and their is a substantial improvement when going form 16 bit to 24 bit and 96 kHz as you gain 10 db of dynamic range by reducing the noise floor.  Being able to record at lower levels and still maintaining the ability to record every nuance of the high frequency quiet passages makes an incredible difference in sound quality.

[Brian Skalinder]

The Presonus forum posts have individuals which state that they do not think that you will hear a difference between 48 and 96 kHZ they must be joking!  I have a 24/96 unit which I use in the field and their is a substantial improvement when going form 16 bit to 24 bit and 96 kHz as you gain 10 db of dynamic range by reducing the noise floor.  Being able to record at lower levels and still maintaining the ability to record every nuance of the high frequency quiet passages makes an incredible difference in sound quality.

The improvements noted above - increased dynamic range, reduced noise floor, able to record at lower levels - is due primarily to 24-bit (well...~18-bit in actuality) v. 16-bit, not so much 48 kHz v 96 kHz.  So...those Presonus forum individuals may not be crazy, after all. 

[easy jim]

The Presonus forum posts have individuals which state that they do not think that you will hear a difference between 48 and 96 kHZ they must be joking!  I have a 24/96 unit which I use in the field and their is a substantial improvement when going form 16 bit to 24 bit and 96 kHz as you gain 10 db of dynamic range by reducing the noise floor.  Being able to record at lower levels and still maintaining the ability to record every nuance of the high frequency quiet passages makes an incredible difference in sound quality.

The improvements noted above - increased dynamic range, reduced noise floor, able to record at lower levels - is due primarily to 24-bit (well...~18-bit in actuality) v. 16-bit, not so much 48 kHz v 96 kHz.  So...those Presonus forum individuals may not be crazy, after all. 

Granted Brian...I generally do not see any value going above 48k either.  Technical discussion aside, the issue is about truth in advertising (commercial fraud).

What I find irritating when reading the Presonus group thread was that someone in Presonus apparently knew a product they were selling could not perform as claimed, and then the Customer Support Mgr. was dismissive about addressing that issue openly for those customers who were duped and wish some remedy like a refund or a recall.  By not specifically replying to the posts pointing out that an earlier (several months ago) firmware release unsuccesfully attempted to address the A->D problem, I believe the deception is tacitly acknowledged, and that the company continues to falsely advertise one of its products.