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Buy a $40,000 10 year old amp for $4,000 or new amp for same money?

Hi. There are bargains to be had on really high-end components that are more than a few years old. DACs change too much and we need the newer technology. How about amps and pre-amps? I know it can depend on the specific amp but in general is a 10 year old amp that was $40,000 in 2009 and now sell for $4,000 a better value than a new amp that sells for $4,000 in 2019?  How much has amplification evolved in the past decade or so? (I posted a similar questions about speakers in that forum). Thanks for all the input and wisdom. 
mcmanus
gdnrbob
4,459 posts
 
Hi,
from 40k to 4k in 10 years time something is not right.
Well, think of Wilson Speakers...
B
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d2girls's avatar
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d2girls
1,029 posts
 
I think there was a pair of wamms for sale for close to 75% off their original pricebut the wamms are probably far inferior to the alexandria xlf'sive also seen some older wilsons sell for about 50% off, but i think the new ones like daw, alexia 2 will retain value a bit better. at least until the daw 2 or alexia 3 comes out.
lhasaguy's avatar
lhasaguy
342 posts
 
I bought a pair of McIntosh MC501 mono block amps 10 years ago for 6K, can sell them for more than that today.  

Care to compare Class D amps from 10 years ago and their resale price today?

Quality will always trump the newest thing.
aberyclark
1,361 posts
 
I think the gist of the Op’s Question was wondering if a super high priced 10 year old amp that is now more affordable a better option than a current new amp at the 10 year old’s current used price. I would say it depends on the amp and condition. Would internals need to be replaced ( caps, etc)? Plus, how old was the design when the amp was sold 10 years ago.

many would argue that current MC275’s are a pale comparison to earlier generations. 
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