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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
cleeds
6,246 posts
 
roxy54

... this is a man who just got into audio a few years ago, and now considers himself to be an authority whose advice is worth paying for ... he immediately got defensive and came off like the bully on the playground. If I was peddling that nonsense, I might do the same thing.

It's one of the strangest threads on A'gon. Not only is he defensive, but so are his minions. It's really a fan club. The guy promotes the uber-expensive Stromtank battery system, but attacks those who point out problems with his electrical system. He's a wannabe guru and it looks like there are quite a few of them on Youtube. "Jay" charges top-tier "members" $600 a year for benefits like private "raw" zoom meetings. Weird.

ps
769 posts
 

Cults and their members are where one finds them. This is simply a general observation based on keen observation of human behavior. All in a historical context of course.  :)

roxy54's avatar
roxy54
8,202 posts
 

@cleeds 

No matter what level you subscribe to on his site, all you're really getting it to see this very expensive gear; you can't hear it in any real way because it is replayed over inexpensive computer speakers. So, it's like a type of voyeurism, with the addition of his opinion of this or that being "this year's model"; and of course, that always changes.

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mrdecibel
3,151 posts
 

Getting back to amplifiers. For 50 years I have changed power cords on products to heavier gauge, and in one or two instances, converted to iec inlet ( not an easy thing to do with metal work ). Anyway, huge improvements every time. I am also very much into chassis damping ( some people refer to this as dampening, which is wrong, as this involves wetness and moisture of some kind ). Again, this is huge, to my ears, and many others ( clients, friends, and not to forget, ricevs as an example ). Heat sinks ring like crazy, on many amps, and isolating the transformer ( s ) from the chassis, is another area of achieving greatness. Take the lid ( top cover ) off of your amp, and while holding it with one hand, flick it with a finger from your other hand. It will likely " ring " in most cases. The chassis parts are important, and if a 40K amp includes much of this....great. But my experience has been, all amp chassis’s have a sound ( not different with preamps, dacs etc. Anyway, till next time. My best, MrD.

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