If you read it all I have been pretty darn consistent. I mean the name of my post is asking for feedback on these 2 preamps and with in a week I just purchased one of the two? What is confusing there? I asked for help and then got help and then bought one of the preamps. Not much out of line there?
I am not on here to waste time and i am here to get help and share to the best of my ability and enjoy my hobby. If I confuse you then just move on and bother someone else and if you are interested in what i have to say then stay. I am a pretty bad writer and most of it is done on my phone while multi-tasking so can't say I blame you. Some people say they enjoy what I write so I write but if other people are like you and don't then i won't.
I mean I am asking for feedback and trying to share the best I can but in the end I am going to make the decision i think is best for me and my system. I try to write what I feel but not saying I am good at it but you don't have to be rude or mean either.
I just switched speakers from Rethm Saadhana V3 Speakers that were run fully by tubes to Magico S5 Speakers that are run fully by solid state and I love my new system more than anything I have ever owned but I wanted people to know I loved tubes forever before this system. i also want to make my system better than it is now is why I want a preamp.
Maybe it works maybe it doesn't but it doesn't really cost anything to try and I am just starting to share so this is sort of new to me but the hobby isn't.
I have always loved tubes and really thought they were needed for me to enjoy the music the way i wanted but with my new system I have learned that SS is even better imo and much better than I have ever owned so I tried to explain the best I could.
I have owned many of the top brand speakers, amps, preamp and some dacs but no where near as many as other people on here. My systems is actually pretty modest compared to so many others on here but I still want to share.
I am not rich or have all this extra money either but I am smart enough that this hobby is basically a free hobby for me because I understand how to buy used and sell used so i get to try a ton of gear without really costing me anything?
Yes I need the initial outlay of cash which was mostly spent in 2008 when I was making decent money and I have flipped all that money forward to today and have lost on some but not many.
I got pretty serious in the last 5 years I would say. i wanted the best darn system I could get while learning both what I liked and what the different products where. I have read a ton and bought a lot of stuff and had a decent handle on it until I switched from tubes to ss and now sort of starting from scratch again and thought to ask for help on here and share it back. Well not from scratch but its so different than tubes and I am learning.
Over the last 5 years I have probably gone through $400,000 to $700,000 worth of retail price gear. I would say my total out of pocket cost is around $10k but maybe less. $10k over 5 years is about $2k per year which is a pretty reasonable hobby. Before I hurt my back I spent wayyy more on golf so this hobby has actually been pretty reasonable overall when looked at properly.
What do I mean? If I sold everything i own today retail myself and got as much as I could in the retail market and then look at how much money i put out of pocket I bet I am out around $10k under. Maybe add another $5k to $7k when you add in shipping charges.
I mean just look at it. Buy $35k speakers for $14,000 and use for 6 months and sell for $14,300. Not a super expensive proposition and if we are being honest then I got to use an amazing pair of $35k speakers for 6 months for free. You say switching gear is expensive and I disagree. i would say if you keep them too long they depreciate too much. Also, buy the MKI right after the MKII comes out and there is a bunch out there and they are cheaper and almost as good. I've done this so many times and you do real well this way.
If I was rich I would just go to dealers and buy new but I am not. I do ok like most people in this insane hobby do but I have bills, kids and all the stuff we all must take care of.
That first drop at the model MKII change is good for a good year and you get all or most your money back. This is how I have owned Wilson, Revel, Focal, B&W, Ascendo, Merlin, Martin Logan, Magico, Sonus Faber, Magnapan, Harbeth, Avalon, KEF, Audio Physic, Verity, Kharma, Tannoy and plenty others and the scary part is a whole bunch of different models of many of these. I think I have owned like 6 or 7 different pairs of Martin Logans, 3 - 4 Wilsons, 2 - 3 B&W. 2 pairs of Watt Puppy's 5s / 6s and them Sophia 2's and I can go on and on and it looks kind of scary when i put it in print but have pics of them all and trust me I have owned them all. I have 2 virtual systems with many pics of them and tons of other pics from other sites and i can share if you like. These are just the speakers there were many amps and preamp by BAT, CJ, ARC, CAT, AYRE, VAC, VTL, PASS, Manley, Canary, Cary, Krell, Parasound and a bunch of each. 4 - Krells. 3 - CJ's, 3 - Manleys, DACS, Wyred 4 Sound 1 and 2, PS Audio Perfe-twave 1 then 2, Ayre QB9 then 192 then DSD then DirectStream, then Bricasti and there were a bunch of others. Not bragging at all just saying this is stuff I have owned but honestly who cares it has always been about learning and trying to figure it all out. Cables Full looms and bunch of mixes of AudioQuest, Nordost, HiDiamond, Cardas, Kubula-Sosan and many different models of many here as well etc etc.Bottom line is I have tried a bunch of gear with ittle actual total cost as everything has been turned into something else. Buy a $1500 cable and try it sell it for $1,500 and it did not cost you a whole bunch. Again kind of scary in print but these are all products I have owned and had in my system, many at same time and many at other times and actually 98% of these have been free.
The 35k speakers that you buy for $14k used yes you need to be able to put up the $14k cash so as anything in life you need to pay to play but if you take $14k out of the bank and then 6 months later you put it back $14300 not real costly other than what that money would have done in the market during that time but we all could liquidate our systems and put the money in the market and then we could not enjoy this incredible hobby and all this amazing world class music. My children have grown up with hearing the greats and enjoying them. Nothing is free but not nearly as costly as your remarks would imply. Not even close!
I have done probably $50k just this month alone. I am not bragging but you statement is incorrect and just because you don't do it or understand it that doesn't mean its hard to do. Many on here totally agree with what i am saying. I am not the only raging audiophile on audiogon but maybe the only one that takes the time to share and not sure that is even a good idea yet.
Look at this post in the last week there was $20k of equipment I went through just with this preamp swap.
Case and point. Paid $3,100 for a $10,500 BAT got it and hated it.
Traded it and $500 cash got $10,000 Mark Levinson preamp. When bought the BAT traded $1,750 worth of cables that did not cost me $1,750 but more like $1,200 and then paid $1,350 cash plus and add in the extra $500 cash for the Levinson 326s and i now own the 326s for around $3,200. I should get all my money back for it if i don't like it.
Might even make a ham sandwich but that's not the point. When buying used and smart you can go through gear and have it not cost much if anything and I only point this out to state that just because I have got to own and try so much gear its not because I am some rich guys. Anyone of the wanted could do this if they have the initial outlay of cash. I mean you have to buy the system and i was always trying to evolve mine while learning.
I have also built a few very strong relationships with numerous good size dealers where they have done good and have I. It has to work for both. I don't buy the item they just got in but work with them on stuff they have had for a while and many times it is very good stuff. Something they took on trade they want to turn into cash and I get a nice piece and they get to move an items. I am not walking in saying gee what do you have for full retail. Not my thing. I also treat everyone i work with like gold. I go over and above so they think - that was a good guys to work with an many have come back to me over and over to buy my gear from me. i built a little cottage industry around my system but it has helped me a great deal to try new stuff.
Please don't give me a hard time I enjoy this hobby and people like you ruin it for me. I don't bother anyone ever and if my sharing bothers others then i will just stop sharing but some of people seem to appreciate it so as long as that is the case i will share and if not i won't. Just like buying and then selling used audio gear pretty simple.
