How Soon Do You Realize You Don't Like a Piece of Gear?

Maybe I am missing something or the right decisions were made for my Audio needs many years ago in relation to Power Amp's and Speakers the choice made back in the 90's still remain today.

Since the 90's the TT used as a Source, along with Tonearm, Cart', have changed from Branded 'Off the Shelve products', to substantially modified Bespoke designs.

The Phonostage and Pre Amp's have changed between Branded SS and Valve Designs, through to what can now be called Bespoke Designs.

The latest Pre Amp Design, is to be a version of a loaned design. My one being produced, t I will refer to as a psuedo-Triode Valve (if comparing to a conventional Triode type).  The Design is Balanced and to be Housed in Densified Wood Casing. If all goes to plan, the Power Amps are to be Balanced Converted later during this year. 

I could not settle with what was on offer from Brands at the monies I was willing to Spend, using a commission build route has served me very well.

Hand Wound Transformers, Boutique Components Selected and the option on how much monies I wanted to spend on the aesthetics, all add up to a lot of valuable electronics not able to be offered by a Brand at a certain price.

If a Reverse RIAA is used between the a cheap CDP and the Phon' .

The CDP can be used on repeat, enabling multiple hours of playtime of the best CD maybe heard, through such a CDP and the Styli is not needing to take a beating as a Burn In ancillary. 

My experience as a Long Term user of Phon's in both SS and Valve, is that it will take a very special SS Phon' to Woo one from a well thought out design for a Valve Input / Output Phon' or Valve Hybrid Phon'.

Through experiencing both SS and Valve Phon's at Bake Off's, the comparisons have revealed to me a few SS Phon;s at very reasonable monies, that I am confident have competed extremely well in a Comparison to SS Phon's costing from £8K - £20K. Longer periods of listening to such devices may have increased my confidence, and suggested there is little to be discovered as a separation to the SQ, maybe just a variant of a end sonic?   

I know confidently that if these Phon's were to be welcomed for a Demo' in the Home System, these would be Phon's that would be very attractive and desired to be maintained as a option for replaying Vinyl. 

There would be no sitting on the fence, if a device should be kept or not, maybe Bake Off's and broad experiences of Audio Equipment harden an individual to their sureness of what is attractive to them.

There would be a Burn In put in place, I am a advocate of such a practice. Not using Burn In as a means to convince myself the device is a keeper, a device is usually immediate with a capability of making a good impression. Burn In is my experience is a method for bringing out a coherence and tidy up to the overall end sonic through the exposing the circuit to an intense period of electrical current running through components and Solder Joints.