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 That is true of some but not all. I have two customers that were quite surprised by the Nobsound class D amps which are less than $300.00! I’ve not heard one myself. As best I can make out some of these less expensive amps are bass response limited to avoid all their power being gobbled up but otherwise sound pretty decent. |
Ok so $40k sounds better in what system. Everything in the system comes into play. Setup, synergy between components, and room all are factors here. You can’t just pick an amp and drop it in. Most of the time within the same company the more expensive will do something the cheaper one won’t. However it may not be better depending on the application. ie: if the more expensive amp is more expensive because it offers more power and you have very efficient horn speakers then the less expensive low power amp may produce a better sound. So, No! all more expensive amps are necessarily better sounding. Depends on application, too many variables for a single answer. You have to get specific in order to get more solid opinions. |
Something to keep in mind is that a $40,000 amp is likely not going to be playing $200 speakers; its likely to be playing on speakers that have a similar price tag. Some speakers with that sort of price really are wider bandwidth and lower distortion. So it may well be that the $40,000 amp sounds better on that account alone... |
Once we’ve agreed on a suitable, appropriate, and applicable definition of "better" in the context of reproduced music, only then can the dialog proceed. My first questions, and of course they are simply mine, is: "’better than what?". How and why? That question is only answerable when a detailed study/revelation of specific systems, the owner’s hearing acuity, and her/his musical/audio tastes are factored in. And even then..... It’s tough nut. So, I posit that OP has asked a question which is both rhetorical and unanswerable in any meaningful way. Ultimately: word games, at best. FYI/ and full disclosure : as i type this, I’m binging Ahmad Jamal with a modest CJ control tube amp and vintage Franco ( may he RIP,) Serblin speakers. My investment is no where close to $40K for everything. But is sure sounds durn bueno. And I humbly submit that bueno is ultimately preferable to better. |
