What are your thoughts about moving up product line(s) within a Company?

I purchased a VAC Phi 110 because I liked my VAC PA 100 amp and Renaissance pre so much.  I thought moving up the line would be a big improvement.  It didn't work out that way.  Luckily I still had the PA 100 which I still own today.  Just goes to show you, there are no guarantees.

It depends....
for companies that keep relatively stable and defined key principles then yes a move up the line ( assuming you can drive them and or the room is OK acoustic wise in the case of speakers )

so for example Ayre, Vandersteen, ARC, Aesthetix, Basis....
the designers have a pretty strict set of design principles they believe STRONGLY in and as you move up the line it is generally scale and quality of execution - as was pointed out in the story of upgrading within the Vandersteen Line...

I had two very positive experiences moving within manufacturer’s lines:

I had Thiel 1.2, followed by 2 2, and then 3.6.  All had similar signature and each move brought great improvements across the board....still miss the 3.6’s.

likewise, I had Audio Research LS3, SP16 and then LS26.  All three were more alike than different and each change was a terrific move forward.

So, similar products within product lines have been good for me.  That doesn’t mean I would necessarily enjoy Audio Research’s Class D hybrid amps, for example, because I like their line stages, a completely different product line, of course.

I agree that an in-home audition is the only way to know for sure, but having prior experience with a manufacturer, knowing the house sound and design ideals, is very helpful to me in choosing new equipment.

77jovian-


do you still own and listen to Thiel speakers? If so, join us over on the "Thiel Owners" thread. I am interested in reading about your Audio journey over the years. Musical selections/genres as well.
Happy Listening!

jbhiller-

I can attest to Transparent Audio cabling. As one moves up the MM2 series chain, you will be musically rewarded. I suspect other cable companies work this way as well.

Happy Listening!