DarTZeel Preamp

all, i have been watching TV for the last 4 days. this thread has made me avoid listening to music......as i don't want to be reminded of these issues. i listen to escape the daily stress and look forward to sharing in the audio community.

i accept my share of the blame.

this morning i am back listening.

Mikelavigne, in your post regarding the sonics of the new DarTZeel Preamp you stated that it was the first preamp, compared to 15 other reference level preamps you had auditioned, that was superior to the Placette passive line stage. What a great complement both to Guy Hammel the designer/builder and the piece itself. You are comparing a $1500.00 linestage to a $19000.00 linestage! It BETTER sound MAGNIFICENT and be a qualitative shift for the extra $17500.00. In my system I have a Placette active dual mono linestage which I think is a great bargain at $4500.00. I too auditioned about 10 preamps, both tube/solidstate, and thought the Placette had many virtues and no downside, so it was a keeper. It's all personnal taste and synergy, so their's no right or wrong, so if your affluent enough to spend what ever you want for whats really a slight change or different "flavor" bless you. I'm sure the DarTZeel ranks with some of the best reference preamps out there, it should for $19000.00, however for us not as affluent audiophiles, we try to get the greatest performance for the the least amount of bucks. So, based on quality of construction/performance vs. cost I think I'll be sticking to Mr. Hammel's linestage, unless maybe I win the lottery so cost becomes irrelevant and I can buy anything I want regardless of cost compared to performance. Now, you boys can go back and fight with each other about who's telling the truth and who has the BEST toys in the world.

Fiddler: If you re-read my post, I was talking about those who posted here with no user accounts, just email addresses that were created specifically for this thread. It could be one person, or someone putting others up to it. OTOH, it could be totally innocent, but I doubt it. You and I have not agreed in the past and that is fine. I respect your opinion and if you read the threads that contain arguments that I am involved in, it is usually the same band of users that I tire of and just continue to target me instead of staying on point. They generally make it personal and I take the bait. These people generally make accusations, while having had no dealings with me and their motives are not honorable. With these people I am usually a bit too venemous. Early on, I stated my regret for how I said something. That should have been enough. Frank and I have a history that if I made it public, would explain much of what has taken place here.

Krjr: I am certainly sorry you feel the way you do, but the loss would be yours, not just from the standpoint of the loyalty and service that I provide, but you would really be missing out on an extraordinary line of products from darTZeel.

***Fmpnd: I just realized that most of the people here that are standing up for you and attacking me have email addresses and no user accounts here…I am wondering who is putting them up to it and who these people actually are.***

Dear Mr. Tinn: My bet is you wonder a lot of things. Like if your grocer puts the milk that expires first in front to poison you. Or if the next president of the United States will be an alien puppet from another, much larger planet sent here to destroy you. Mr. Peraino is an attorney right? Shouldn’t you be discussing your paranoid delusions and conspiracy theories with your psychiatrist instead?

Dear Mr. Sommer: I’m with you. I don’t care for the sound of shrill tin(n) but I do like solid-state. For me Krell is the right choice for all the right reasons. Great sound, great products, great company.

Regarding the greed or mark up on pricing, and whether its due to curency movement (can;t explain the whole move up)...I think that is all beside the pt. If the product is very popular and supply is limited, prices will go up. Mfrs, distributors and retailers are all expected to maximize profits and whether they do so excessively to damage long-term relationships is judgement they have to make, just like any economic concern. All we can do as consumers is to decide whether the product is worth it at its new elevated price and/or whether we can afford it and act accordingly. No need to get all worked up about it in my book.