Ultimate Care Package

Fri May 22 '20 Announcement
almost 4 years ago – Fri, May 22, 2020 at 09:31:07 PM

Dear COVID-19 care package clients,

Thank you for your long-awaited patience as we deal with continuing logistics challenges getting N95 masks through customs. As of May 22nd, we have successfully retained all care packages in our local Pearl office and are ready to ship. 

Around one-third of COVID 19 packages have already been shipped. The remaining clients must email us with your name, order number, and updated address to [email protected]. As soon as we receive your email, we will dispatch your order and respond with a tracking number (if applicable). Please follow these instructions even if you have already filled out the survey. Many addresses are inaccurate and incorrectly formatted in our original survey. We have decided to do this manually for better customer service.

For the delay we are including a special gadget that will allow you to make unlimited hand-sanitizer at home, for free, in the package.

Sincerely,

Pearl Audio

Fri May 22 '20 Announcement
almost 4 years ago – Fri, May 22, 2020 at 04:00:20 PM

Good evening, backers!

As always, we hope you are healthy. We are happy to report on some new manufacturing milestones and provide additional photos and videos from production!

First, we'd just like to clarify that there are no new unexpected obstacles regarding production and our new shipping date is still set for July. The "sound issue" mentioned in the previous post was a miswording of the structural integrity concerns we shared in the update before last.

Second, we are pleased to show you our final solar charging case prototype that is fully functional and now ready for production!

The solar panel is located on the bottom of the case. This is done to optimize space, as many of you shared concerns about the size of the case. By placing the solar panel on the bottom, which already contains the battery and the earbud "beds," we've reduced some bulkiness of the case. With that said, we understand that it may seem counterintuitive that the flat side of the case is the side that needs to point up to the sun. Each unit will ship with a stand like an accessory so that the panel can point upright and the case can stand on a flat surface.

Additionally, we have new images of the completed PCB samples, and the some of the electronic components (surface mounted technology - or SMT) are underway.

Finally, to those of you with concerns about the care packages - please note that our CEO will be posting an additional update today (following this one) with information about the status of the packages and our response. We hear your concerns and want to assure you we have not forgotten about them. Our CEO will elaborate, but we will be in contact with each individual who placed an order.

Thank you all for your continued support!

Best,

Pearl

Sat May 9 '20 Announcement
about 4 years ago – Sat, May 09, 2020 at 11:41:52 AM

Hi backers,

First, we want to extend our solidarity with those of you who have been hit particularly hard by the pandemic. We understand this is an exceptionally hard time and we hope you are all safe and healthy.

Second, we want to express our gratitude for your patience with the production difficulties we've encountered since launching. As with any product, we anticipated some delays along the way, but built those into our original manufacturing timeline. Unfortunately, the coronavirus pandemic has compounded these obstacles by slowing physical manufacturing, delaying production updates, and occupying personnel. We ask that you remember we are a small team of individuals also juggling to deal with the implications of the pandemic, but we affirm our commitment to delivering you a top-notch, luxury earbud. We appreciate your understanding if there are delays in customer service inquiries or holdups in our updates.

So, with that, what have we been up to? We have finished our new earbud layout to compensate for the sound issues described in the previous update. You can watch a video of the new design here!

Ideally, this means we'll soon be able to ramp up production and provide photos of the updated Pearl buds. 

Once again, we appreciate all of your support and patience during this. Please know we are 100% dedicated to delivering each of our backers a professional, sleek, high-quality pair of earbuds. 

Best,

Pearl

Mon Apr 13 '20 Announcement
about 4 years ago – Mon, Apr 13, 2020 at 04:45:39 PM

Dear Supporters,

First and foremost, I hope you are all safe and healthy. During the past month, we've been doing our best at balancing operations and keeping our employees safe at Pearl Audio.

Today, I want to touch on three points that represent our entire team at Pearl Audio in providing for our customers and VIPs: 1) Production of Pearl Earbuds 2) Delivery of COVID-Care Packages 3) Customer Care.

Pearl:

Most backers will not receive their earbuds this month- we are currently only capable of producing a few dozen BETA test units for our internal quality assurance team. We are now beginning production in June, and will begin delivery in July.

The infographic on our page will be updated shortly with these dates.

I understand that this may be upsetting to some, and we are here to explain why this delay is necessary to uphold our values to you, our clients.

Our highest priority at Pearl has always been quality first, and speed second. We understand that everyone wants to get the product as soon as possible, and we share your excitement for trying Pearl firsthand, however, there are steps in the production process that we cannot rush unless we compromise on product quality. Our manufacturing partner has recently encountered a few issues that we had a choice on: 1) Compromise and deliver earlier or 2) Fix the problem and delay delivery.

High standards are our supreme value, and we chose option two. I'd like to take some time and outline the specific issues posed during research, development, and production for Pearl.

- Final color finish. In the final colors (specifically gold and black) on the earbuds, something happened during the production process that made the color look much cheaper and stiffer than our original prototypes. This finish resembled some sort of cheap plastic, not the premium looking product that we had designed. Our manufacturer told us that during mass production, these new colors would be easier to create as our original product was too strenuos to create at large scale. We rejected this premise and forced them to redesign the process to resemble our original product at large production quantities.

- Construction quality. In the pictures below, you can also see a larger than usual line almost separating the top of the earbuds from the rest of the casing. Our original design was an entirely flush case with minimal disruption, and the production ready model was not up to our standards. This disparity is not just an aesthetic downgrade, but also affects the overall structural integrity of the device. We personally threw the earbuds at varying velocities in our office at Pearl Audio to test the structural integrity and tolerance to damage, and needless to say these did not pass that test. We are redoing the entire mold with increased attention to detail specifically on structural integrity.

The most timestaking part of this process will be redesigning the mold. Rest assured that we will work diligently, with incredible focus on detail, to ensure the quickest possible delivery of a product that we are proud of.

COVID Care Packages:

We understand that there has been a delay with some COVID care package deliveries. All packages are now cleared in US customs and will arrive to your address in one week or less. Thank you for your patience. Any inquiries regarding COVID care packages should go to [email protected] with ATTN: Zelia, the manager of our COVID care shipping.

Customer Care:

We are doing our absolute best keeping up with all requests, but please understand that with more than 3,500 clients, (and more on a daily basis) our team will need time to get back to you. We do not believe in giving out inaccurate information, which is why it takes time for our representatives to confirm with our engineers, manufacturing partners, and others before getting back to you regarding technical questions, delivery questions, and more. Please allow up to 7 business days for a response through email to [email protected].

FAQ:

Why didn't you budget in time for these probable issues during manufacturing?

Great question. We did in fact budget in 45 days for any issues that may occur such as mold incompatibility and supply chain delays, but this buffer time was effectively used up by the COVID-19 crisis forcing factories to close in China. For almost an entire month, our manufacturing partners could make little to no progress on R&D.

Is this new timeline accurate?

We always give the most accurate timeline possible, based on empirical data and personal experience creating and producing products. We strongly believe that our current timeline is feasible based on current conditions in the world, and without any further major issues.

Can I still get my product shipped this month even if it's lower quality?

Unfortunately, no. This goes against our values as a company and we don't believe you would truly enjoy the product, either.

Once again, we ask for your trust and support during these turbulent times. We will work diligently, effectively, and transparently through the next few months to keep you continually updated with our progress.

Thank you,

Ed Zhong

CEO, Pearl Audio.

Sat Mar 21 '20 Announcement
about 4 years ago – Sat, Mar 21, 2020 at 02:57:45 PM

Hi backers!

We hope you are all staying healthy and inside when possible. We know it's been a chaotic and stressful week for almost everyone. We're excited to share some new production updates with you all.

First, we want to remind you all that we've extended the deadline for BackerKit surveys if you could not access yours. You can expect an update from us soon about resolving the issue. We apologize for any confusion this created and appreciate your understanding.

Second, we're excited to announce that since manufacturers in China have reopened, we're able to move forward with production. Now, we're developing our PCBA (printed circuit board assembly) and working on molding our components. These developments come with modifications to our original prototype and minor adjustments to the product based on backer feedback. Unfortunately, because COVID-19 disrupted factory operations, we're slightly behind on our timeline. We still hope to ship at the start of April, but we will keep you all posted with any changes. 

On that note, you can check out some new photos of our prototypes below. We'll be adding more videos to the "story" tab of our campaign and onto our Instagram (@pearl.audio), so look out for that!

Once again, we really appreciate your support in this unprecedented period. We're navigating uncharted territory, so we especially value your patience while we work through this. 

Best,

Pearl