Audiozen sounds like he's a dealer. Not a bad thing, but calls into question his passion for Accuphase and his dislike of Mac gear. While I could own a piece, one piece that is, it is not that the Accu brand is over priced but, our pathetic government has pissed away the value of our dollar. Just look at the price of European gear. For a while there they were raising prices faster than I've ever seen prices rise. Mac is not expensive compared to other hi-end makers. Take some of the integrateds they have. Where can anyone get the reliability,resale value and a very musical sound for what nowadays is mid-fi at it's upper end price.
As far as looks go Audiozen, each to his own. I love the look of Accu and Mac gear. Black brushed faceplates, well they just plain suck out loud and they're boring to look at.
If the Jpanese yen wasn't in the tank, the Accu gear would be WAYYY more costly.
NASA grade? Does it really matter the parts quality, as long as reliability isn't sacrificed, it is implementation that is so critical. If parts quality was what made or break a piece of gear, then how would companies with modest pricing be able to come so close and in some cases better the sound of equipment they compete against at much more costly prices. It's execution of the build.
To myself, I have gear to my ears that sounds far more musical than Accu. And too much of what you think is great, along with many other people, can't be found in a live performance. Imaging, soundstage!!! Give me a break. Sounds to me like your more into dissecting the music than enjoying it. Been there done that, and just spent the 'H' out of a lot of money.
May you someday have the capacity to truly 'enjoy the music'.
