I had them build a custom pair of speaker stands/bass traps and the fit/finish was immaculate.

Any word from Mr. K on this one?

I've purchased from both GIK and ATS and there is no doubt that ATS takes more care with packing and shipping including heavier boxes.

I'd consider punting and just going ATS for everything, but ATS doesn't offer anything comparable to the Alpha diffusion panels which both have the worst construction quality of my order (2 - 24x48 1D Alpha, 2 - 24x48 244, 1 - Tri-Trap) and do the most to improve the sound in my room.

Bill

I would just call Glenn on the phone and talk to him about the quality control and the lack of proper packing. Should be able to resolve it.

Yep, will contact them Monday morning.

My initial reason for posting here was not so much as to vent my extreme disappointment as it was to find out of others had the same experience; no sense it going through multiple exchange iterations if the only way to get a "good" set of panels is via pure dumb luck.

Compare to the one ATS panel I own and the many my church has that are completely flawless by comparison.

All of my ATS panels were well packed and flawless too. My Alpha's were not though nowhere near what yours were.

Guess the "boss" hasn't been on this manufacturers forum for a while. I used a local company for my panels, but I've heard nothing but good things about GIK :dunno:

GIK's prices are a lot lower than ASC (for example), and the construction is a lot simpler, as well. In soffit traps, I received some units with uneven gaps between the edges. In tri-traps, the plastic end pieces are hotglued and tend to fall off. I've re-stuck most of mine with double-sided mounting tape. I have to say, I looked hard at the poorly mated seams in my last order before I decided not to send it back.

The GIK stuff works and it does cost less than most of the competition. There are published measurements, which is nice. You pays your money and you takes your choice.

I will add, GIK's service has always been superb -- friendly and professional -- and it's been easy to get what I wanted. I also appreciate that many of the panels come with wires for hanging, unlike some competitors who make you figure out more invasive ways of mounting.

It's hard to tell from your photos of the feet, but I think that is the protective coating. I had a white film over my GIK feet that peeled off to reveal perfect satin finish metal. At least give that a try. As for the other issues I did not experience that. My only quality issue was that one of the fronts of an Alpha panel was loose on one corner. Otherwise, they were perfect. I opted for the Guilford fabric on my free-standing bass panels. It is very nice. I used the GIK standard material on the Alpha panels, and it is decent enough.