Here let me correct that
You should NEVER pre-order
The video game industry was the first place that normalized this behavior and it is rare that it works out well for the consumer. I am still shocked that crowd funding has become as big as it is, since most of it is a scam.
I think pre-orders have different degrees that make it more or less acceptable.
Video games and movies/tv that deliver a digital product on a set date are (IMO) not the same thing as this. Now a discussion about games being âfinishedâ on day one and not needing patching is different
A pre-order like Night Oblivion Butastur where it is clearly stated that they have acquired the resources to make X amount of sets and it will be done on Y lede time is acceptable, if you are willing to take on that risk. Itâs no different than a contractor remodeling your kitchen. You pay (in part) upfront on the agreement that the results will be produced
There are times where pre-ordering and âgood faithâ payments upfront are a fair part of business practices
IMO, when you pre-order an item you should consider it an investment that comes with risk and that you may never see the product or your money again. With that in mind, I would never pre-order something for an amount that Iâm not okay losing.
That said, Bob used Trinity as a piggy bank and cheated his customers. Even if his intentions were to âgo straightâ with IMR, it was always highly likely (IMO) that heâd go back to lying if things got tough. As someone who has some experience with reforming personal behavior, I can say that it is very difficult to change your default behavioral pattern and, given that he never acknowledged anything wrong with the Trinity mess, it has always seemed highly unlikely that Bob did the fundamental work necessary to change over the long term.
The only IMR product I own was secondhand and Iâm proud to say that when the whole Trinity thing went down and IMR opened, I decided that they would never get any of my money and, despite the popularity some of their models have enjoyed, I stuck to that. I hate seeing companies defraud the audio enthusiast community.
I never realised that IMR & Trinity were operated by the same person. I used to follow Trinity and do actually own one of the smaller sets (Techne).
100% with you on IMR 
But just wanted to clarify something as perhaps this is a UK/EU v US thing but here there is a distinction between preorders/presales and crowdfunding. They are treated completely differently legally and should also be the case internally within the companiesâ operations. A presale should only be handled by a more mature company and it is a full guarantee of a future sale or time delivered refund. The consumer here is committing money to a fully resourced project and the money is in direct exchange for a product which is to be delivered at an agreed date as it is being worked on. If any preorder/presale is not delivered as promised - it is at the mercy of consumer protection and company laws. This allows the law to stand on the side of the consumer over a company that acts in bad faith regardless of track record and the consumers awareness of said record. It provides for more than just the return of monies but also for fines / criminal proceedings against the company and itâs directors, whereby the advertisement itself will be treated as fraudulent misrepresentation at best and the sale as fraud at worst - both allow for loss damages where it may be pragmatic to look at these.
What both yourself and @GooberBM seem to be speaking to is crowdfunding whereby you are a supporter in a project finance mould. Therefore there is no guarantee of delivery as there is no existing product and these are only cost and time estimates to produce. You are backing a project here with benefits if it succeeds and potential loses if it fails - but this equally should not be seen as an investment as this is only a possible future asset (you have no ownership) that at the point in the transaction neither exists nor can appreciate - it actually would be viewed in finance as a liability until the product is in your hands. Here consumer protection laws do not apply neither do certain ownership or company laws as the funding is made on a utility not security basis. The burden to take these projects to court on suspected wrongdoing is high but that also necessitates the company installing a legal framework for the crowdfunding itself that is specific in nature - that is why Hidisz is using Kickstarter as its crowdfunding platform and why it is ethically wrong for a existing successful company to use a crowdfunding platform for a product that has not been legally separated from the parent company - itâs risk mitigation for the company without the usual corresponding consumer protections.
Here IMR I believe only installed a framework for preorder/presale so they should be held to account as such and for me personally in such a circumstance I do not think it is correct to shift the view to the consumer should have known better or been prepared for a loss since the company has not set the sale/funding up to align with that view and give those protections. It is the good faith arguement in law that applies within the UK/EU for the preorder/presale not the caveat emptor concept. Not sure if the difference in UK/EU/US consumer attitudes to this is enshrined in law in the US (I donât believe so but then again I am not US qualified) or if it is a cultural thing or even just uneven pro business reporting.
Bring it on yet another all BA mid price sets 
âŚ
Their design with the graceful contours of whales appeals to me, if they sound good it will be even better
What really grinds my gears is that folk have parted with their 
for over a year, sitting in IMRâs bank account making interest, even if you do receive anything then IMR has already wonâŚwhy do folks still fall for this BS especially with Bobs record 
fucking crazy 
Tldr =
Preorder/presale = Long waiting time for a product that actually exists.
Crowdfunding= gambling, gl hf. 
I feel bad for novice buyers who got scammed by IMR because they didnât know any better. The long time buyers who got/will get scammed? Less sympathy. Bob has repeatedly told us who he is. The time has long passed to believe him.
Also, an extra âscrew youâ to the (astro turfâed?) customers on head-fi who have shilled and defended IMR. Itâs one thing to assume the risk for yourself, but to excuse away crappy practices simply because it worked out for YOU, well, so much for community, huh? Just a microcosm of the larger world. Itâs all about me, me, me. As long as I get mine, screw everyone else.
I am in. Stay to get the Super Early Bird. The best IEMs i should get so far. I actually do the comparison so far, Timeless 7Hz, S12 pro, moondrop stellaris⌠Why choose Hidizs MP145 as my first planar IEMs, because lots of first impression attract me a lot on Facebook. check Eric CHI-FI LOVE: Reviews, Bargains and News | Exciting Mail call
Now I understand some unsympathetic half-words (by some) I had read on HF when I said I got the BC-2023s (which, by the way, I like).
There are pasts.
I ask a stupid question: but why does he do it?
I mean: lies have short legs.
And how do you deal with PPal disputes for goods not received?
I am in same boat, bought from Bob the BC2023. Never knew about the backstory.
Still enjoy the set very much, even if I know its coming from a dodgy company.
I ask the question of the century.
What would you get from the following (never mind the price):
Sound Rhyme SR7
Sound Rhyme SR8
Sound Rhyme DTE500
Sound Rhyme DTE900
ISN Audio EST50
I tend to like the warm sound, full of sub-bass and mid-bass, but still with mids and highs present and not recessed.
(for example I like the S12 and Z12).
Can you wait 2-3 days for me to reveal the answer?
Yes, of course Iâm not in a hurry.
I have a century to wait before I have the money.
I understand the animosity to IMR but to be fair Bob always refunds if asked when a pre order is late the money is returned next day. And the last time this happened he sent everyone who didnât cancel a free set of Ozar iems as a sorry.
I own trinity iems and 18 sets of IMR iems Iâm not saying they are perfect in the way they run the company and donât miss deadlines by huge margins but thatâs not a scam if you either get a refund or the product eventually.
Well thatâs just it isnât, thereâs way too many IEM companies out there with great customer service, producing amazing sounding products at super low prices today to be putting up with all that BS and hassle, add in the dodgy past youâd need to be bat shit crazy to go anywhere near him or his company 
Sorry man, but this just isnât true. I know dudes that never got their IEMs and never got their money back from Trinity orders more than a decade ago so saying that Bob always refunds isnât fair to them or even accurate, IMO.