2. amps-preamps
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When someone tells you it's a $40,000 amp, does it sound better?

I've always been a little bit suspicious when gear costs more than $25,000 . At $25,000 all the components should be the finest, and allow room for designer Builder and the dealer to make some money.

I mean that seems fair, these boxes are not volume sellers no one's making a ton of money selling the stuff.

But if I'm listening to a $40,000 amplifier I imagine me Liking it a whole lot more just because it costs $40,000. How many people have actually experienced listening to a $40,000 amplifier.  It doesn't happen that often and usually when you do there's nothing else around to compare it to.  
 

I'm just saying expensive gear is absolutely ridiculous.  It's more of a head game I'm afraid. Some how if you have the money to spend, and a lot of people do, these individuals feel a lot better spending more money for something.  Now you own it, and while listening to it you will always be saying to yourself that thing cost $40,000 and somehow you'll enjoy it more.

 

jumia

Showing 1 response by snowstorm

snowstorm
16 posts
 

I went to RMAF a few years back and brought my wife. She has a healthy amount of skepticism and calls it the way it is. She heads into a room with some vinyl she just purchased in the marketplace and the host throws it on. There was about 500k worth of equipment playing her disc and I knew we just approached the crossroads with the needle drop. It was unlistenable and after two tracks the album was politely returned to her. I found myself making excuses for a half million dollars worth of equipment. The room was crap, the vinyl was poorly recorded, high end systems reveal more of the truth, crap in crap out etc. Her take was she loved the artist and wanted to enjoy the record….. was tired of three days of well recorded jazz. 

Yup a 40k amp should sound better than a 10k amp but often doesn’t. If I bought it I would have auditioned it in my room to see if it met our very subjective definition of better. If I bought it without auditioning there is a good chance I would be cornered into making excuses. Been there done that. 

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