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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
lostinseattle
50 posts
 

 

@pennfootball71 

 

"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.

pennfootball71's avatar
pennfootball71
278 posts
 

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!

larrykell
122 posts
 

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. 

 

 

 

ghdprentice
7,139 posts
 

@larrykell

+1 👍 😊

overthemoon
427 posts
 

This weekend I heard PBN reference amps…. The system was awesome and in some way very expensive other way’s priceless. 
 

The cost of something should never be confused with the value of something. 
 

There are many audio equipment options fat a variety of prices.  And what you choose is a bit like the pursuit of life liberty and happiness. Go for it. 

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