Hi gdhal,
Glad to see that you have decided to pursue a fine DAC. I don’t have answers to your questions and I doubt anyone else does (outside of Schiit themselves and maybe they don’t either).
I have extensive first-hand experience with procurement in the electronics industry and can tell you that when critical parts become unavailable, the small guys get the shaft. They often have to buy from distributors due to low volumes and these distributors are one mouth to feed on a long list of large corporations with direct contractual agreements specifying their supply priority with the component’s manufacturer. This process is known as "allocation".
If the shortage is a crystal/oscillator, the wait can be extensive as these must be cultured, tested, and sorted. This can take a very long time. The common practice is for an engineer to identify an alternate manufacturer, but if it is an unusual frequency, then everyone is up Schiit creek.
It is likely that Schiit does not have a firm delivery commitment from their source at this point. I assure you that they want this shortage cleared even more than you do.
As insensitive as this may sound, either buckle in for a possible long and bumpy ride or cancel your order and select another DAC from a long list of fine alternative brands that have product in stock.
Dave
Glad to see that you have decided to pursue a fine DAC. I don’t have answers to your questions and I doubt anyone else does (outside of Schiit themselves and maybe they don’t either).
I have extensive first-hand experience with procurement in the electronics industry and can tell you that when critical parts become unavailable, the small guys get the shaft. They often have to buy from distributors due to low volumes and these distributors are one mouth to feed on a long list of large corporations with direct contractual agreements specifying their supply priority with the component’s manufacturer. This process is known as "allocation".
If the shortage is a crystal/oscillator, the wait can be extensive as these must be cultured, tested, and sorted. This can take a very long time. The common practice is for an engineer to identify an alternate manufacturer, but if it is an unusual frequency, then everyone is up Schiit creek.
It is likely that Schiit does not have a firm delivery commitment from their source at this point. I assure you that they want this shortage cleared even more than you do.
As insensitive as this may sound, either buckle in for a possible long and bumpy ride or cancel your order and select another DAC from a long list of fine alternative brands that have product in stock.
Dave