Knghifi, I bought my first EAR product brand new. It was Tim's 834 integrated and it retailed for $3,600 17 years ago. In the past I've spent $490 on an Lightspeed passive preamp and $1,150 on a Will Vincent modified Dynaco ST-70. Throw in a pair of interconnects (at a reasonable price), and at under $2,000, that combo smoked the 834 in terms of air, transparency, midrange warmth and bass articulation. The price on the 834 has gone up considerably in 17 years.
