More expensive = better?


Because I have never owned any very high end gear I’m wondering if an $8000 integrated amp will sound jaw dropping better than a $5000 one? Right now my system is Parasound JC2 and SMC Audio DNA1 Gold. 

Thanks in advance,

Ben

honashagen

It seems to be common for people to feel that if you cannot afford something then it cannot be worth the price and anyone that has enough money to afford it is a fool or not very smart. Which of course is not true. While you can add nearly unlimited labor to improve the sound of budget products to far beyond their normal capability (think interconnects, room treatments etc.), but if you take into account personal effort, high end generally products perform in proportion to their price.

I've yet to encounter the viewpoint expressed in the first sentence.

Much depends on how the pricing is done. If done according to a formula, its likely it will be less expensive with the same or better performance. Technics has long had examples of this with their turntables.

When priced according to what the market will bear the price tends to be higher of course. And the performance may or may not be better. This has nothing to do with audio; its true of nearly any high end industry.

 

 

My system is under 500 bucks ~~~~~~~ My speakers are under $1k, staright up, midrange surpasses Wilson's biggest guns, Dali, Sonus Faber, Rockport, none beats my midrange. Under one K bucks

There is a GS-150 for sale 2 hours from here. $8,000. I wish I had the guts to get it. Concerned about buying something used for that kind of money. A whole set of tubes cost at least $1,000.

As others have mentioned there is a law of diminishing returns when purchasing more expensive gear.

When I am evaluating new components I compare what I am shopping for to my reference (my current system)