2. amps-preamps
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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
mrdecibel
3,063 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.

runwell
279 posts
 

Magic things in hifi field is that money is not always the solution. In most of time, your experience is more important and you know how it will be in the match within different equipments.

I know a lot of people with no very expensive hifi set and they are deen to listen for whole life if it's running well.

I also know at least one of my friends who has 6 set of hi-fi system in his big house, I listen 5 of them and they spend a lot but I am not impressed very much.

terry9
2,333 posts
 

'Best' components? At Parts Connexion, right now, there is a Vishay VAR series 120K 0.6W resistor marked down to $58. One resistor.

larryi
3,959 posts
 

A $58 resistor from Vishay—I hope at that price it doesn’t sound like a Vishay.  I saw listings for film caps that cost more than $1,000 each for the second to the top of the line (for a quote on the top line, you have to call).  I have a headphone amp with a nice potentiometer (Alps RK 50).  My friend wanted one for a build he was planning and called a distributor and was told that the price is $850 each with a minimum order of 50 units.  

Vintage parts can be even crazier.  The input transformers on my amp are now being priced at $6800 each and the output transformers are about $5000 each. I have another amp that has output transformers that cost about $22,000 a pair.  I am really happy I purchased these things before the prices were that crazy.

rbrandt58
3 posts
 

My personal experience is everything makes a difference.You can put a $40,000 amp with a $1,000 preamp, the amp will only produce what the preamp sends it. (cables can make a difference too.) I have tried several different combinations of everything and right now my most expensive parts in my system is preamp, speakers, amp and DAC about the same, and I found Siltech cables sound the best for my ears. You just got to listen to what is best for you and your ears.

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