2. amps-preamps
  3. 1335060111

Amp design logic

I hope you'll excuse my absolute and obvious ignorance...but this is a sincere question.

I don't get why one company is selling a new tube amp for ~$1000, and another is selling one for ~$50,000. What is one paying for? The proprietary circuit design?

Surely if one adds up the cost of the parts, trannies, chassis, etc. it's not worth $50K.

I accept that the more expensive one sounds lots, lots better. But what makes the price so high? Demand?

I think given a circuit diagram from a repair manual, I could eventually build most tube amps from scratch, using the absolute best of each part available. After I learn to solder. For less than $50K, just buying the best cap, resistor, wire, etc. made, for each part, I could slowly build an amp equal to the best in the world. So I don't get it.

What makes an amp worth $50K? It can only be the proprietary tube amp design.

Maybe another factor is the transformers. Each company seems to have their own iron, but that can't be a significant part of $50K?

Thanks, just really wondering about this. And wondering why don't I just make my own? If I buy one part at a time, eventually I can have the best amp there can be.

Jim
river251

Showing 3 responses by river251

river251 OP
154 posts
 
Thank you all for the great discourse.

I don't know that starting an amp from scratch is better than getting something like a CJ MV-55 and trying to make it sound like the way high end.
river251 OP
154 posts
 
Thanks for all the enlightenment everyone. I was really hoping for a discussion of the components in a $1000 amp vs those in a $50,000 amp, and how much they, vs the designer's intellectual property, contribute to the quality (and cost) difference. In other words, can I take a standard amp design, use the best available parts, and get the sound of the $50K amp. If I can't even get close, the sound quality must come from the circuit design.

But I see the way I asked it, isn't exactly like that.

So, besides proprietary circuit and transformer designs, how much of the quality difference between $1000 and $50000 amps can be made up by putting the very best components in?

All the other discussion is pretty enlightening too, thanks.

Jim
river251 OP
154 posts
 
Well. My question about amp design turned into a huge lesson about the hifi business, and I wish I'd posed the question a little differently. I'm certainly in over my head in several ways. There is clearly some heavyweight experience and wisdom in these forums. Thank you for sharing your thoughts.

All I can say is, when I turn out the lights, kick back with my favorite cabernet, and just let the vacuum tube warmth of Diana Krall's impossible voice diminish my daily cares, I'm glad there are people who dedicate themselves to bringing this gear to the world.

Jim
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