I think a lot of people confuse the word "change" with the word "upgrade". So, you seek out some of the best equipment designed by the best engineers around, but you are not satisfied or you need a fix.
It is getting to the point that buying used equipment is very scary. Maybe it would be better to have sellers send equipment to the manufacturer. After the manufacturer has given the equipment a clean bill of health payment will be sent to the seller and the manufacturer can forward the equipment to the buyer. |
"Granny is right in that lots of parts choices are compromises by the builder to control cost qand stay within certain price target."
I would say this is true of lower priced products, however, the peramp in question is a Classe CP 700 ($8,000).
"Look at the standard power cords components are shipped with for one example of cost cutting."
IEC sockets and stock power cords were created by reviewers, dealers and the market. Many manufacturers resisted IEC sockets for many years because the socket itself is a compromise compared to a hard wired cord. Audio Research was one company that was not willing to compromise until the pressure became too great. Why should a manufacturer provide an expensive power cord when the user is going to replace it anyway.
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Garebear, I realize it is an umbilical cord. I was responding to a comment made about cost cutting and power cords were used as an example.
I would go with the engineers at Classe Audio and use the original umbilical cord. I think they know what they are doing. If you have any doubts give them a call. |
"Insert any "name" you want i.e. Cardas, Synergistic Research, JPS, Nordost, Transparent etc.."
Can you provide documentation to back up your statement? |
"As Grannyring astutely pointed out, there's is often room for improvement (sometimes significant) as an individual isn't hampered with the same cost constraints for their specific audio system."
Just what cost constraints do you think Classe Audio had when building the OP's $8,000 preamp? I always find it interesting, how many people think they know more than the specialty engineers designing high end audio equipment.
Gbart's post is a good illistration of how the cost of parts is not an indication of their worthyness in a specific application.
I know of at least one company that performed mods on many high end components. Their mods consisted of changing caps from the originals to much more expensive caps. This company destroyed the sound of some of the best equipment ever made. Thankfully they are now out of business. Hopefully never to return.
Grannyring said "Yes it would make a nice improvement" This is bad advice. He has no clue if it will make any improvement at all and there is a good chance it would sound worse at the OP's expense of course.
This appears to be the era of mod happy audiophiles. I can see modifying a Sony CD player if you are not concerned about getting the mod money back, but modifying the best equipment from the best companies is ludicrous. If you don't like it you should buy something else because it will eventually end up on the used market and I don't want to end up with it. |
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"It analogous to why hi-end speaker companies do not include speaker cables with their products."
Speaker cables may not be included, but some speaker manufacturers offer their own brand of speaker cables. Naim, Dunlavy, ProAc to name a few. A little company called Hammer Dynamics also had very specific speaker cable to match their speakers and it just so happens nothing works better.
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"Most manufactures of high priced equipment do not include a named audiophile approved power cord"
LOL, Please tell me what a "named" audiophile approved power cord is. I need to know. |
Atmasphere, Years ago before you made your first preamp aftermarket power cords were not popular. |
"I first became aware of after-market power cords in about 1985."
Who was producing aftermarket power cords in 1985. Many companies were using IEC sockets and other types of detachable cords, but I do not recall the reason was to facilitate the use of aftermarket power cords back then. |
Maybe MAS in the later 1980s. |
Atmasphere, The more I think about this the more it doesn't sound right. Atma-Sphere may have been installing IEC sockets in 1985, but I doubt it was for aftermarket power cords. Even 10 years later aftermarket power cord were not very popular. |
Atmasphere, Cardas may have been doing quite well in 1990, however, it was not with power cords. It was with speaker cables and interconnects. Power cords, to my recollection, did not even start to become popular until the late 1990s. The reason manufacturers were installing IEC sockets in the mid 1980s had more to do with shipping their products to other countries with different types of wall outlets. Even Tandberg had their own 2 prong socket for the purpose of being compatible in any country.
I'm not trying to beat this to death. I'm just trying to remember how it all happened. |
