Denafrips Support - No Such Thing

Both Alvin and Todd helped me out tremendously with a problem purchase of a used Denafrips DAC several years ago.  It’s too bad Alvin no longer represents them.  Glad to see Todd still does.  

@ kmcong I’m sorry, I just don’t remember it that way at all. In fact below here is what I had replied to you in mid Feb, copied direct (along with 3 attachments). May the forum reader decide for themselves. Unfortunately I didn’t see any reply back.

And there seems to be a tendency for some to pile on negatively, but the fact is we are here to support what we sell and that is what we will always do as best we can. And as we said, we respond to all inquiries that we see. 

Hello xx, below is the link to the Hermes v1.8fw. Can you get to
it? In that is the FUT (.bat file) referred to in the guide. Also
attached is the update guide. It’s missing a Hermes related text for
Step 5:
For DDC
Hermes / Gaia DDC: Press Setup button once, thereafter, press USB button twice

You may find the USB fw update guide version more readable/useful,
also attached. Same procedure as the fw update basically.

As mentioned you could just run BCDEDIT CMD (Admin) to allow the host
to install unsigned drivers:
The command bcdedit /set TESTSIGNING OFF turns off test signing mode
in Windows. This removes the "Test Mode" message from the desktop.
Steps
Press the Windows key and then the X key
Right-click Command Prompt or Terminal
Select Run as administrator
Type bcdedit /set TESTSIGNING OFF
Press Enter
Restart the computer

In sum basically:
you need to get the config mode driver installed onto your host.
Put the USB attached DAC or DDC into update mode.
Execute the FUT.

Thanks, TK

 Here is the link to the V1.8
firmware:yy

@kmcong It seems that you were not very truthful in describing your experience with TEK Audio.

Perhaps a bit abbreviated, but certainly not untruthful!! Read the string of instructions on how to update (actually in this case, back date) the firmware. I am not a computer person, so a lot of it just does not register with me. And I was warned that if done incorrectly, the unit would be bricked!! So I did not want to attempt it myself, and since it came from the factory unusable do to the unstable firmware THEY installed, I wanted them to send me a RMI so I could send it to TEK specialties for them to do it. This they absolutely refused to do, and just kept sending me emails telling me to "update firmware". TEK specialties did try to help, as noted in his reply, but was not willing to take on the task of updating the firmware, since he was not the one who sold the product,without an RMI from the factory. I purchased the unit from Audioman58, who was just as frustrated with the factory as was I. My knock is not on TEKspecialties, it is on the complete lack of support and cooperation from Denafrips, and their unwillingness to make a flawed product correct, and instead putting the onus on the customer. So the bottom line is this: I have a $1400 DDC sitting on my desk being a very expensive paperweight. 

In short, I was not being dishonest at all!!

Hello @kmcong, you can absolutely send the unit here and we'll update it for you :) Thanks, TK