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Changing Amps?? Are you Sure??

All frustrated audiophiles out there,should heed this warning: stay with your amplifier if it sounds right to you.
I have wasted more money in the last 30 years, listening to the advice of the alternative press. You read "This amp is great, it does everything right". Then a year later, its not on the recommended component lists anymore. Listen people, if an amp is great, its great!! The fact is there are not that many good ones around. It has to be that many of the amps they recommended as great, really were not. They did not survive the test of time, not even a year.The Audio Research SP-11 preamp was just such a product.
Funny , when I sold my Audio Research D-150 amp(1976),to upgrade to the newer models, it was never quite right again. On and on went the upgrades into the hybrids, to the all fet input stages, only to finally return to my D-150 22 years later...mated to my quads. 22 years of wasted money. Anyone else go through this sort of thing? or am I from MARS
frap

Showing 2 responses by jacks0395

jacks0395
70 posts
 
Audio magazines make money selling ads. At $5K per page, they need to make sure that the manufacturer can afford to pay their ad. The magazine folks help out by stating that the advertised product is the best, or a close second.

This is sadly done with the automobile press as well. Does anyone remember back in the early 1980's when Car and Driver named the Audi Quatro the Sports car of the year? Was the Audi a better sports car than the other makes made in Germany at that time? You can purchase the Audi for about the same money as a nice evening out with the wife. A similar year Porsche 911, now that's another story ...
jacks0395
70 posts
 
If the new equipment is truly better, then it is worth considering. However, it has seemed that the audio press has had its' "flavor of the month club" for quite some time, overly promoting products that really aren't breakthrough products.

I believe that most of us want and will purchase the best that our budget allows, but it would be great to see some REAL advances along with those high prices. While I'm not one of those who will bury my head in the sand and exist with classic gear, I admit that the component really has to impress me to separate me with my money. (and yes, I too have budget constraints)

Wouldn't it be refreshing to have an audio magazine that wasn't influenced by advertising dollars, like TAS back in the early/mid 70's?
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