A good question for sure. I lusted after a particular brand X amp made by a boutique company until I had the money to purchase one. I also purchased the preamp....then another preamp. I won't disclose the name here but the experience with the quality and performance was poor and the guy who makes the equipment was an arrogant jerk. I ended up losing lots of cash (mind you this is a poor's man's system bought with hard earning money) and I will be much, much more careful in the future. My current system has had no problems, while I see other people buying brand X and still having QC issues. The term still applies "buyer beware" to audio equipment.
BTW I did not immediately regret my decision.... but rather learned that some hyped up brands do not always meet expectations. In the case of poor workmanship, you must determine how much a company will cut corners to sell products.
A good example of this is by Danny Richie at GR research. https://youtu.be/1S-jTJK43t0
BTW I did not immediately regret my decision.... but rather learned that some hyped up brands do not always meet expectations. In the case of poor workmanship, you must determine how much a company will cut corners to sell products.
A good example of this is by Danny Richie at GR research. https://youtu.be/1S-jTJK43t0