Straight out of the box doesn't work.

As far as it being nostalgic re: hi-fi equipment not working out of the box, it’s bad nostalgia if it’s preowned gear, and it’s inexcusable if it’s new and doesn’t work. Never had new tube or solid state gear not work out of the box in 54 yrs. 

Try the Audio Mirror mono blocks. You have Vlad’s DAC. They might surprise you!

How was it sent? UPS? Fedex? The problem may lie there...

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It is NEVER the shipper it is ALWAYS the PACKER. If it was labeled correctly and packaged correctly "THIS" would have never happened.. You NEVER send anything with tube installed UNLESS the have a bonnet (hold down) on the valves. The packing will show if it was handled improperly. The inner box will show contact with the outer box. It CANNOT move inside the boxes. Tight is right. loose is a REPACK... Peanuts are a "Return to sender" at the DOOR.. No exceptions...

IF there are any breaches either way it was tossed to hard. The inside meeting the outside, OR the outside meeting the inside, (forklift blade).

I packed VERY expensive equipment for 45 year to ship overseas.. Never lost another to improper packing (ONE TIME WAS ENOUGH).

The package should be packed as if IT were returning to YOU, not THEM... UNDERSTAND.

I had tubes and a pre sent to me from Schitt. The tube weren’t checked in the unit they sold me.. It almost caught on fire, within the first hour. Cost them a sale... Great customer service though..

Bad packing, bad deal.. BUT let patience prevail.

Regards

In my experience as a dealer, IT HAPPENS.  Period.

The manufacturer will make it right if you speak to him/her.

Sorry for the inconvenience; maybe they will give you a perk or something to make up for their error.  Never hurts to ask, and be polite.  No one WANTS to ship a DOA product...although I don't know that specific manufacturer.

If this is the biggest problem you have in life, you are pretty lucky these days.

Cheers!

If it makes the OP feel any better, I recently received two, yes two, Schiit Freya+ pre-amps that were defective right out of the box.

I had high hopes considering the accolades that have been heaped on this particular unit.

Oh, well.  Back on the hunt...