I thought it's the LFD Zero mk3 that looked very bare internally. The NCSE looks a lot better but perhaps not up to the high build of say Pass Labs, Luxman or Accuphase standards. In the end it's the sound that counts but it can be amazing that an amp with bare looking internals can sound stellar in comparison to one that's packed to the brim.
LFD NCSE MK3
I don’t know anything about electronics, so I would just like for someone to explain to me, based on its internal pictures, what exactly justifies this integrated amplifier’s price tag of $7,350! The parts inside don’t seem to cost more than $1200-1300 combined. Casework is nothing special. I understand that makers have to charge more than what it costs them to produce, but what am I missing here? Everyone raves about it, so its price is justified because it sounds good?
I tried to compare internal pictures of LFD NCSE MK3(https://img.usaudiomart.com/uploads/large/2144793-1dcbef2f-lfd-ncse-mk3-integrated-amplifier.jpg) to those of Belles Aria integrated(https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.powermodules.com%2FewExternalFiles%2FHFC_41...) and Valvet E2SE(https://positive-feedback.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Valvet-Open.jpg). One is a little more than $2,000, and the other is $4,000. Parts-wise, the other two seem to have more parts inside (and quality parts, based on reviews), yet they cost less.
Don’t get me wrong, everyone is free to charge whatever they want. And if I were to audition and like it, I’d probably buy it as well. I just think that I might be overlooking something here, that I’m not experienced yet to be paying attention to, and I don’t wanna dismiss something good in the future because of the same mistake.
On a side note, has anybody compared LFD NCSE MK3 to Belles Aria or Valvet E2SE? On another side note, how do First Watt amps compare to those?
I tried to compare internal pictures of LFD NCSE MK3(https://img.usaudiomart.com/uploads/large/2144793-1dcbef2f-lfd-ncse-mk3-integrated-amplifier.jpg) to those of Belles Aria integrated(https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.powermodules.com%2FewExternalFiles%2FHFC_41...) and Valvet E2SE(https://positive-feedback.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Valvet-Open.jpg). One is a little more than $2,000, and the other is $4,000. Parts-wise, the other two seem to have more parts inside (and quality parts, based on reviews), yet they cost less.
Don’t get me wrong, everyone is free to charge whatever they want. And if I were to audition and like it, I’d probably buy it as well. I just think that I might be overlooking something here, that I’m not experienced yet to be paying attention to, and I don’t wanna dismiss something good in the future because of the same mistake.
On a side note, has anybody compared LFD NCSE MK3 to Belles Aria or Valvet E2SE? On another side note, how do First Watt amps compare to those?