@smodtactical Only because this is a public forum that many people read and extrapolate conclusions, I want to put this out of here. I’ve heard resale being a concern, however I see the occasional Motherlode II, as well as others of my preamps (when available) selling for right about the same percentage of MSRP as many other brands. Example: New Unlimited II which sold for $1250 two years ago selling for $950. The only things I don’t see selling well are custom pieces that the customer wanted to choose colors to match their system and then wonders why nobody wants a yellow preamp (this is a made up example). I understand it's not as easy of a sale, unless the buyer is familiar with the brand and gear however. Best wishes, Aric
Showing 4 responses by aricaudio
Just to be accurate: The amp on USAudiomart was one the customer was determined to choose each and every part, and it was nowhere near $14K. It’s not a reviewed piece, and is not one I currently offer. I would not spend $200 on an IEC jack if it were my choice. Motherlode II sales (the two I’ve seen) were 30% less than MSRP. The two Transcend PP amps I’ve seen sell recently- 30% off MSRP. Let’s at least keep it factual. Peace out. |
@everyone who's commented based on actual experience with my builds, or myself I want to say Thank you. Word of mouth has been integral in keeping me building these products for the past 15 years and I greatly appreciate it.
@smodtactical No worries, and it's much appreciated! On that amp, I don't know how much of that went to the chassis he had Core Audio custom build for him either. FWIW, we started with my baseline amplifier and the client then chose all of the parts he wanted to upgrade at actual manufacturer's cost per part over stock. He demo'd my stock piece which is what inspired him to go over the top on these amps. In my opinion, there's definitely a point of diminishing returns WRT parts cost versus increased performance, which may be why they have not sold. I'm just guessing here... However I have seen my standard Super 300B SET sell several times, for a decent percentage of MSRP (after not being listed for very long). I'm always forthright with suggesting where to put money as far as component upgrades to gain audible improvements, as there are those components which do not always exceed expectations.
Best regards, Aric |
@smodtactical Just to chime in, the Super, ML II and ML XL (balanced version) are all designed for a neutral and fast sound, with enough warmth to smooth out a solid state amplifier and a couple of mods can be made to provide more of a warm sound. Takman carbon comp resistors, V Cap Odam coupling caps and a slightly lower operating voltage will achieve this. I've had several customers request this to help with taming an apparent stridency or sharpness in their systems. Best regards, Aric |