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Moderately priced audio

So I have been a audiophile for 40 years and in that time I have seen and owned a huge amount of equipment. Lately I have been reading Sterephile magazine and attended the last 2 years of Axpona. My question is what about the people that love the craft and get tremendous joy out of their audio systems that are in the $2-5K price range. Are they to be ignored? I know this hobby holds a lot of enthusiasm by people that have great sounding systems of new and vintage gear that they are proud of and enjoy listening to. While I appreciate the sound and the technology of the systems that cost more than a house I think there is a slice of enthusiast that are silent. Back in the 70s I worked at a stereo store that your average person came in and spent $600-$1000 and got a good sounding system. And we sold a lot of them. Seems a lot less interest today. Could it be the price of what you see in magazines and shows? I am curious to see if you people are out there that love the music and get great joy out of listening to your moderately priced audio equipment. Feel free to share what you have. I know you are out there. 
schmitty1
michaelgreenaudio's avatar
michaelgreenaudio
1,019 posts
 

Ego, arrogance and guilt! Want to get a guy to buy something, one of those 3 will usually work. The HEA magazines knew how to play their audience and that's what they did to a very gullible crowd. The shows followed suit because the magazines were the only kids on the block talking at that time, and a lot of these reviewers were not really great listeners of the sport, but they were convincing and gifted writers.

Have you guys never stopped to ponder why the mom & pop shops mass exited? Did you never ask yourselves how HEA started calling quality by price amounts and not sound?

The ego trips in HEA are enormous. Now that HEA is getting called out, you'll see the moderate priced products getting more praise. The wild part will be watching these guys who have spent truck loads and those pushing truck loads adapt and adopt reality.

Social media is the great equalizer.

Michael Green

yyzsantabarbara
4,605 posts
 
Listed below are some great sounding audio components that I owned or have heard in the recent past. Not the very best but seriously good, especially compared to 20 years ago. Comparably priced products I owned 20 years ago do not come to the level of quality of these new lowish priced items.

- Benchmark DAC3 (analog preamp + DAC)
- Benchmark AHB2 (amp) *
- NAD M12 (analog preamp + DAC)
- NAD M22 (amp)
- Peachtree Nova 150 (integrated with DAC) *
- KEF LS50 (speakers) *

These components are in the range of $1500-$3500. However, they are rather popular and can almost always be found used for close to half the price. The items above with a * listed next to it are items I bought at one time in the used market usually 35%-50% less than MSRP.

That is another point to consider. Back in the early nineties when I started my first system the used market was nothing like it is today. The internet has given visibility to what was an obscure market. Heck I myself have sold a lot of moderate priced gear.

jamman53
3 posts
 
I agree that you can get great systems easily under 10 K . A thousand dollars spent wisely could get alot ! I have 7,000.00 in my current set .
musicloversaudio's avatar
musicloversaudio
44 posts
 
I have a customer absolutely thrilled with his $2500 Rogue Cronus Magnum II. He has upgraded speakers to the $10k Personas and DAC to the $5k Luxman, but the integrated amp still serves. I think the Parasound Hint6 provides good value for solid state only folks. Cabridge Audio CXA 80 is very nice for $1k.
michaelgreenaudio's avatar
michaelgreenaudio
1,019 posts
 

"The internet has given visibility to what was an obscure market."

That's a big statement and so true that I think we should look at how today offers so much, both past and present.

MG

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