2. amps-preamps
  3. 180000-155632

When someone tells you it's a $40,000 amp, does it sound better?

I've always been a little bit suspicious when gear costs more than $25,000 . At $25,000 all the components should be the finest, and allow room for designer Builder and the dealer to make some money.

I mean that seems fair, these boxes are not volume sellers no one's making a ton of money selling the stuff.

But if I'm listening to a $40,000 amplifier I imagine me Liking it a whole lot more just because it costs $40,000. How many people have actually experienced listening to a $40,000 amplifier.  It doesn't happen that often and usually when you do there's nothing else around to compare it to.  
 

I'm just saying expensive gear is absolutely ridiculous.  It's more of a head game I'm afraid. Some how if you have the money to spend, and a lot of people do, these individuals feel a lot better spending more money for something.  Now you own it, and while listening to it you will always be saying to yourself that thing cost $40,000 and somehow you'll enjoy it more.

 

jumia
gpixels
6 posts
 

$40k is a dollar amount, not a sonic experience. There's so much placebo products out in the industry just because someone can afford it. I've seen a $30k power cable.

I understand the difference between good, great and spectacular. I understand why a $25k pair of speakers can be objectively better than a $10k pair of speakers. I can't wrap my head around a $30k power cable.

jumia OP
528 posts
 

I doubt many $40,000 amplifiers are sold.  Ie. $80,000 for a pair.

I'm wondering what parts or part makes this amplifier really nice.  Yes it has a very expensive parts I hope but are we talking about merely craftsmanship and R&D that makes it what it is? That's very thin.  It's an amplifier.

Preamplifiers at least have volume controls and source selectors and a remote control which makes it a little bit complicated.  

roxy54's avatar
roxy54
8,040 posts
 

@jumia 

Not to be unkind, but I think that the factors that make such an amplifier cost what it does have been explained in detail multiple times within this thread. If you still don't understand, I doubt that you ever will.

ghdprentice
7,173 posts
 

@roxy54 

 

+1

crouse99
44 posts
 

I recently heard a system with huge Pass mono blocks, Magico M3 speakers, Techdas tt, ARC preamp and ARC phono amp. High end cabling and lots of room treatments.  It sounded pretty darn impressive.  But, it wasn't "tuned" to my taste. The bass was overpowering.  My point is, it's all subjective.  Ultimately, I liked my comparatively low priced system better than the hugely expensive one even though the expensive one was surely better by most audiophile criteria.

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