Author Topic: How does everybody feel about spending 2K on a stereo?  (Read 19590 times)

chesebert

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Re: How does everybody feel about spending 2K on a stereo?
« Reply #50 on: December 12, 2012, 07:18:08 PM »
What does a $2000 tube amp do for you that a $100 setup wouldn't? It's not cost of listening per minute, it's the cost premium per minute. $.41/minute of listening doesn't sound terrible until you compare it to $.02/minute.

$200 - you are listening to a system

$2000 - you are experiencing an event through a window and sitting 10 feet back

$20000 - you are experiencing an event as it happens in front of you; you can feel the performance and if you reach out with your hands, you can touch the musician

I nominate this post for antimustachian hall of shame.
Only if you are actually paying for the experience. Become good friends with your local audio dealer and you can experience the $20k, $80k sytem at any time for free (may be some chips and beer for the friend). Sitting in front of a $50k+ system certainly beats sitting in the last/odd row at a concert. You can't do this everyday, but I am sure you know all about the hedonic treadmill.

iamlindoro

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Re: How does everybody feel about spending 2K on a stereo?
« Reply #51 on: December 12, 2012, 09:32:43 PM »
As referenced elsewhere in the thread:

http://tom-morrow-land.com/tests/ampchall/index.htm

In a blind test, with $10,0000 as the reward, nobody has yet successfully been able to perceive the difference between *any* two modern amplifiers, properly calibrated and within their respective linear ranges, including comparisons between tube and class D amplifiers of widely differing price range.

The notion that cost equates to quality is verifiably false.  The results of this test confirm that it is perception bias, and perception bias only.
« Last Edit: December 12, 2012, 09:35:21 PM by iamlindoro »

Paul der Krake

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Re: How does everybody feel about spending 2K on a stereo?
« Reply #52 on: December 12, 2012, 10:09:30 PM »
What does a $2000 tube amp do for you that a $100 setup wouldn't? It's not cost of listening per minute, it's the cost premium per minute. $.41/minute of listening doesn't sound terrible until you compare it to $.02/minute.

$200 - you are listening to a system

$2000 - you are experiencing an event through a window and sitting 10 feet back

$20000 - you are experiencing an event as it happens in front of you; you can feel the performance and if you reach out with your hands, you can touch the musician

I nominate this post for antimustachian hall of shame.
Yup, for $2000 I buy enough cocaine to bring Hendrix back to life.
« Last Edit: December 12, 2012, 10:11:37 PM by Paul der Krake »

patocaster

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Re: How does everybody feel about spending 2K on a stereo?
« Reply #53 on: December 14, 2012, 10:57:56 AM »
Mr PoP - I personally feel quite ill about spending $2k on a stereo.

Have you built an amp before? A tube amp? There are plenty of kits around online in the <$100 range to get your feet wet. Mono would likely be a simpler and more affordable starting point. I would hate to drop $2k to learn I was in over my head.

I got a SS stereo power amp for FREE.99 when someone tossed it out after it stopped working during a gig. A few well placed hits from my trusty soldering iron and it's been back in business ever since as a bass amp/pre-amp(carefully)/headphone amp(very carefully)/guitar-stompbox-cabinet amp/ mp3 player party amp/whatever the hell I want amplified amp.

Perhaps the local craigslist will have some similarly unwanted "broken" items that could be repaired for fun or profit. Good practice too if you're planning on building an amp from the ground up.

James

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Re: How does everybody feel about spending 2K on a stereo?
« Reply #54 on: December 14, 2012, 12:14:07 PM »
The notion that cost equates to quality is verifiably false.  The results of this test confirm that it is perception bias, and perception bias only.

Perception bias needs to be factored into a decision, but knowing something is "only" perception bias does not negate the perceived benefit.  If someone found that an aspirin each day made them feel super happy, I'd tell them to realize the aspirin wasn't causing their happiness, but also to keep taking the aspirin.

If the OP perceives a benefit from having a custom crafted tube system for his listening enjoyment, and is comfortable knowing it is not superior in audio and realizes his own perception bias, then I see no problem in him allowing that perception bias to influence the decision.

I consider it no different than most hobbies which I would see as perception biases toward a particular activity.

iamlindoro

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Re: How does everybody feel about spending 2K on a stereo?
« Reply #55 on: December 14, 2012, 12:36:08 PM »
The notion that cost equates to quality is verifiably false.  The results of this test confirm that it is perception bias, and perception bias only.

Perception bias needs to be factored into a decision, but knowing something is "only" perception bias does not negate the perceived benefit.  If someone found that an aspirin each day made them feel super happy, I'd tell them to realize the aspirin wasn't causing their happiness, but also to keep taking the aspirin.

If the OP perceives a benefit from having a custom crafted tube system for his listening enjoyment, and is comfortable knowing it is not superior in audio and realizes his own perception bias, then I see no problem in him allowing that perception bias to influence the decision.

I consider it no different than most hobbies which I would see as perception biases toward a particular activity.

I'm not sure I can agree here.  If you have two cars, one $2000 and one $20,000, which equivalent features, gas mileage, and safety ratings, but you really, really wanted the more expensive vehicle because it was a "luxury" brand name, how would that purchase be justifiable?

I have a hard time understanding how condoning a similar purchase based purely on a false perception that something is "better" can be considered in line with the message of this site/forum.  Cognizance of the bias isn't an end unto itself-- it's a means of correcting the bias so that the meaningless expense can no longer be justified.  Then you can be happy *and* richer.

Blindsquirrel

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Re: How does everybody feel about spending 2K on a stereo?
« Reply #56 on: December 15, 2012, 09:04:14 AM »
   No! Do not take 2000 of your little employees and buy a tube amp. CL a decent one for $200 if you must but 2 grand is a decent car.

Dynasty

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Re: How does everybody feel about spending 2K on a stereo?
« Reply #57 on: December 20, 2012, 12:37:55 PM »
I registered just to reply to this post about the 2K tube amp.

First things first, I'm a tightwad. But I also like nice things.  And I have a tube amp for my home stereo and I absolutely love it.

But I paid no where near $2000 for it.  That seems like a lot for one you need to assemble yourself.

My recommendation would be to RESEARCH and find a vintage 1960s tube stereo on ebay or craigslist maybe. Your target should be less than $1000 including any reconditioning one of these units might need such as replacing old capacitors, new tubes, or replacement of the germanium power supplies with a silicon inverter.

That is what I did years back. And the one I bought is selling for quite a bit more now than when I purchased.






StarswirlTheMustached

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Re: How does everybody feel about spending 2K on a stereo?
« Reply #58 on: December 22, 2012, 10:31:01 AM »
I have a box of tubes from a retired TV repairman taking up space. Some of them, I am sure, are from audio amplifiers-- and I don't see why you couldn't use a properly rated triode from the video circuit for a tube amp. If anyone is badass enough to DIY an amp based on that, I'll send them the box for shipping.
(I am really not audio nut enough to care, but I hate to see such things go to waste)

TomTX

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Re: How does everybody feel about spending 2K on a stereo?
« Reply #59 on: December 25, 2012, 06:49:23 AM »
I have a box of tubes from a retired TV repairman taking up space. Some of them, I am sure, are from audio amplifiers-- and I don't see why you couldn't use a properly rated triode from the video circuit for a tube amp. If anyone is badass enough to DIY an amp based on that, I'll send them the box for shipping.
(I am really not audio nut enough to care, but I hate to see such things go to waste)

A perfect answer.

Scavenge the parts for free/cheap and build your own tube amp from scratch instead of spending $2k on a kit.