AMC out of favor?

Trelja, although I respect your opinions, I don't agree with your list of high-end manufacturers who you claim have "fallen out of favor" and your list of those who have "taken their place". It is true that as audiophiles we have more to choose from these days but I'll argue that the brands in your so-called "fallen out of favor" list have NOT fallen out of favor. Most are still very popular and sought after today!

Brulee, THANKS so much for the kind words!

Maybe I shouldn't post, and take you up on your threat. It would be great to see you out here on the east coast. You may be a California guy, but you definitely have an east coast mentality. Hey, why not come over for the Stereophile NYC HiFi Show in May? And bring that Jcbtubes here with you.

I just know we would get kicked out.

Was great to talk to you last week. I'll be in touch again soon.

I purchased an AMC CVT2100as tube amp from one of the auctions on ebay this past summer for about $675. It sounded excellent for the price, almost equal to much more expensive Quicksilver Mono amps. It sounded fine driving my Vandersteen 2ce's. A few months later I decided to downsize to mini-monitors, and the particular speakers I had did not match up as well-not enough kick in the bass. I tried to sell the amp but didn't get any bites, and then traded it for an Audio Refinement Complete (ARC). If I had to do it all over again, I probably would have kept the AMC and tried different speakers. The ARC had better bass response, typical of a good solid state amp. There are few solid state amps that will match the midrange of the AMC and they all cost multiples of its street price. The only thing I didn't like about the AMC was that setting the bias after a tube replacement seemed tricky and probably should be done by a dealer or repair shop. That said, the amp was fan cooled and the tubes probably would last a few years.

Well said Trelja my friend. We need to hear from you much more. I miss your posts, and I am sure I speak for many others. Keep it coming. We need input from people like you.
Keep em comin'you are of much value to all the Audiogon members. If you don't start posting more often, I'm coming to get ya.
My best to you and your fiance. Congratulations! I am sure this marriage will be as strong as the mighty oak tree.
My best to you and your bride to be.
Keep working on the old man (audio). I am sure he will come around.
All my best dear friend.

AMC has had Q-control problems that have been dicussed on the web before. My own experience is with my old AMC CDP. It still sounds better than a lot of players that cost more, but sometimes the display fails to come on at first and you have to select blind. Sounds good so I keep it as a back-up. They have a new player that features 24bit for peanuts, cant say if its reliable.

Yes, AMC has fallen out of favor.

It's nothing out of the ordinary. Happens to audio brands all the time.

Go back 15 years...

How many brands that you were dreaming of back then do you still dream of now?

As I sit here struggling to remember, my strongest emotion is that I am not even interested in buying most of them today(those still around). Like AMC, many I will mention have fallen out of favor: Accuphase, Audio Research, CAT, Cardas, Classe, Duntech(Dunlavy), Dyanaudio, Fried, Hales, Jadis, Jeff Rowland, JSE, Krell, Linn, Mark Levinson, Martin Logan, Nestorovic, New York Audio Labs, Perreaux, Theta, VAC, Wadia, YBA. And, that doesn't even take into account the equipment that isn't of that status that I used to check out. Adcom, A/D/S, Apature, Apogee, Aragon, Audio Alchemy, AudioQuest, B&K, B&W, Bedini, Boston Acoustics, Bryston, Canton, Carver(Sunfire), Cary, Conrad Johnson, Counterpoint, DCM, Denon, Isis, Kimber, Kinergetics, Legacy, Luxman, MB Quart, MIT, NAD, Nordost, OCM Belles, Onkyo Integra, Mod Squad(McCormack), Paradigm, Proton, PSB, Quicksilver, Spica, StraightWire, Tandberg, Tara Labs, TDL, VMPS, VTL, etc.

Yes, a lot has changed. Lots of brands have fallen out of favor. Yet, many companies have taken their places. Alpha Core Goertz, Analysis Plus, Audio Aero, Audio Note, Audio Physic, Balanced Audio Technology, Bel Canto, Blue Circle, Clearaudio, Coincident, Eggleston, Electrocompaniet, Granite Audio, HomeGrown Audio, Hovland, JMlabs, Joseph Audio, Joule Electra, LFD, Music Hall, Musical Fidelity, Osborn, Piega, Rogue, Roman Audio, Sakura, Silver Audio, Synergistic Research, Totem, Wavelength.

In my opinion, we have never enjoyed such myriad brands and products as we do today. Most of what was available then still is(and still going strong), but there is also so much more. And, so many of the new companies are better. Infusing our hobby with a tremendous amount of new ideas, energy, and ways of looking at things.

Don't feel bad for the likes of AMC(which I am a big fan of), it's still there. And, if you looking to buy it new, you can get it at a good price. Their quality is fine, just that low end of the high end is a rough place to play. Audiophiles are fickle. And, because of the late 90's economy, we have moved upscale, on a grand scale. Wanting to have the best, most attractive, unique, etc.; something different. It's a good thing, as the money has pumped a lot of R&D into the hobby. Things have moved forward a great deal.

Be happy, as we are truly living in the Golden Age!

I have never seen an AMC upclose and know virtually zip about them but they apparently have fallen "out of favor." I am in the market for a small tube amp and have watched the auction stuff here for about 6 weeks now and one guy has put several new AMC pieces through the auction cycle (13/14 days?)several times at about half price and I don't think he has gotten the first bid on any of them. I call that "out of favor!"

Sincerely, I remain