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

@atmasphere

Abnormal market behavior where consumers purchase the higher-priced goods whereas similar low-priced (but not identical) substitutes are available. It is caused either by the belief that higher price means higher quality, or by the desire for conspicuous consumption (to be seen as buying an expensive, prestige item).

I wish to take exception at the less than precise and loaded wording of this quote from someone writing on Monash University official website. Just for the record, nothing more.

Delete the word abnormal and it becomes a close (but imperfect) explanation to what theoretical micro-economics may offer, where all manner of consumer preferences are carefully investigated. There is no judgement as to what is normal or abnormal.

There is truth in the words 'belief' and 'desire'.  The motives are not so easily conveyed - that is psychology.

Phusis

I think I have A real interest in what you're trying to say. I believe you're trying to distinguish between efficient and less efficient speakers. Whereas higher power amps are used to drive…… and this is where I run into a problem with what I'm trying to read here.  I guess with the higher powered amps maybe they should be less powerful because if speakers were designed better you won't need all these additional watts which are now being used to push the delicate analog signal through all the filters. And while doing so it may be harmful to the overall outcome of getting Beautiful unimpeded Music signals reproduced.

It can get terribly confusing and I just wish your phraseology could've done a better job communicating what you're probably thinking.

@pennfootball71 

10-05-2022 at 02:54am 

"It is not just price it is sound quality I am after. You probably just heard a lot of budget stuff under 25k most of it is trash."

I don't know what to do with this comment.  What does it mean to be, "after price"?  Are you looking to pay more?  And most gear under $25k is "trash".  Wow.  Just wow.  I'll have to tell my friend that his $20,000 pair of Marantz 9 monoblocks don't sound amazing after all.  He will be so disappointed.

It's truly heartbreaking for all of us who can't spend tens of thousands of dollars on audio amplifiers to realize that we are fated to listen to trash all day long.  That totally sucks.

I know it totally sucks! Trust me I was there when I was younger and could only afford Naim gear then only Mola Mola after and it takes time to get better gear than that stuff!

I never set out to buy an amp with an MSRP of $40k, it just happened after decades of putting together systems and deciding I liked Class A amplification. I started by having old vintage gear restored and ended up with a Sumo Gold, a 90lb Class A amp that ran hot as heck and needed two fans to keep it cool. I loved the sound but not the fan noise. Getting that amp up and running cost me a few thousand. I rescued it from a pawn shop on the bay.
 

Later, wanting to ditch the fan noise and hear something else, I looked around the industry to see who was building no holds barred Class A designs and listened to Gryphon and was sold. You can get a $40k amp for around half that on the used market. 
 

I don’t go for $40k power cables. I look for components that will improve the sound quality the most and I think amplifiers do that the most, probably followed by speakers. 

The Gryphon Colosseum did not disappoint me. I love the smoothness of the sound and the ease at which it handles large orchestral music. I think there is no substitute for Class A amplification. 

People immediately think of money but I look at the joy I get out of something I buy. My stereo and my piano, a Yamaha DYUS5 upright, have provided me with many happy hours.