Audiophiles vs DIY-o-philes

Components in the "bread basket" of the marketplace(say up to $10K) are good for modifiers, insofar as they can be well engineered while compromised in the parts bin. Sometimes fairly simple parts upgrades can take them to a much higher level.

This is not to say that components above $10K are not compromised. It's just that in the view of most owners, modifying them is tanamount to drawing a moustache on the Mona Lisa.

DIY'ers always say their stuff is superior to the stuff from the mainstream manufacturers. This is very annoying!

Chris

Chris, I distinguish modifiers from general DIYers in this regard. A modifier has the opportunity to start with a stock component & control variables by making small incremental changes. After 10 or so such changes to a component the ear has received an education as a test instrument. The non-DIYer audiophile has only the opportunity to swap whole components. This brings in a wider range of variables between models & manufacturers to complicate comparisons. It is more difficult to evaluate component A relative to component B, than it is to evaluate component A relative to component A with mod B. The modifier is simply extending the R&D of the original designer, freed from the constraints of development cycles & costs.

When Is a DIY'er classified as a mainstream manufacturer? when he has 1, 4 or twenty under his employ?

I would also be annoyed If I'd spent 40k on a pair of speakers purchased from a 'mainstream manufacturer', when a professional DIY'er could make me something that sounds as good or better for a quarter of the price. Money to tight to throw away lightly out of my wallet. Not having a dig at those who take the 'pro speaker manufacturer' route. I have done that In the past.

+++ DIY'ers always say their stuff is superior to the stuff from the mainstream manufacturers. +++

And more than often they are correct.

I have ‘tweaked’ a few components for friends and they were all amazed at the difference. I once spent less $10 on a $300 DVD and it was transformed - $2,40 on BG electrolytics (times 2) for output coupling caps and about $1 for 4 UF4007 diodes. (the balance on beers and solder)

+++ This is very annoying! +++

Not half as annoyed as I am when find I spent over a $1,000 on an audio component that consists of electronics that at wholesale would cost less than $100. Or how about a pre amp that retails for close to $4K that uses coupling caps that cost no more than $1-$2 a piece?

Personally I rather build my own (from one of the hundreds of good designs available on the net) and use the very best components. I wager anything I end up with the better product and spend considerably less doing so.

Regards
Paul