Wwwrecords has it right. You can remove most of the anxiety from this whole process by just buying used product judiciously and stair-stepping your way up. It is entirely possible to make money on these exchanges but just avoiding a loss is victory enough.
The definition of vintage will vary from person to person but I would say that any product with a proven track record that has reached the bottom of its depreciation curve qualifies nicely. With products that fit this description, you would be hard pressed to lose money. With new product you can be certain of losing.
The amplifiers I mentioned above (Rowland Model 1 and Ayre V-3) are near classics which will hold their value indefinitely while providing you with a performance level and reliability quotient you are unlikely to find in new Chinese product at anywhere near the price. I'm sure there are many others. I chose these examples because I'm familiar with them.
If you want tubes in the chain, it would be better to have them in the preamp than in the amp for numerous reasons.
You can also go for a tubed CDP although I still maintain you will be shorting yourself by passing on the OPPO 980H.
It provides a big advantage when limited funds are available.
If you bought either amp I named, and the OPPO, you would have enough money left over for a used Modwright SWL 9.0 SE.
and some good wires. The Monster stuff isn't going to play at this level.
The definition of vintage will vary from person to person but I would say that any product with a proven track record that has reached the bottom of its depreciation curve qualifies nicely. With products that fit this description, you would be hard pressed to lose money. With new product you can be certain of losing.
The amplifiers I mentioned above (Rowland Model 1 and Ayre V-3) are near classics which will hold their value indefinitely while providing you with a performance level and reliability quotient you are unlikely to find in new Chinese product at anywhere near the price. I'm sure there are many others. I chose these examples because I'm familiar with them.
If you want tubes in the chain, it would be better to have them in the preamp than in the amp for numerous reasons.
You can also go for a tubed CDP although I still maintain you will be shorting yourself by passing on the OPPO 980H.
It provides a big advantage when limited funds are available.
If you bought either amp I named, and the OPPO, you would have enough money left over for a used Modwright SWL 9.0 SE.
and some good wires. The Monster stuff isn't going to play at this level.