rickcr42
Fully Modded
Rest in peace my good friend.
Posts: 4,514
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Post by rickcr42 on Apr 17, 2006 19:43:18 GMT
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xerxes
Been here a while!
Posts: 1,115
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Post by xerxes on Apr 17, 2006 20:16:56 GMT
It's funny, in all the years I've been interested in Hi-Fi I've never yet got round to having a propper listen to valve gear. Partly because, until recently, much of it has cost more than I'm willing to spend. There are other things as well, like the low power output, unless you spend big bucks, which limits your choice of speakers, and the fact that valves need replacing periodically. And lastly, the looks.
I know looks shouldn't put you off, but do valve amps have to look like they belong in a WWII RAF wireless operators room? I imagine a lot of people like the valves sticking out the top of the box, glowing softly and looking like a miniature Manhattan skyline at night, but personally I think it looks rather naff and would rather they were hidden away inside. I know they get warm, but I'm sure they can come up with a way of keeping them cool without them sticking out the top.
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rickcr42
Fully Modded
Rest in peace my good friend.
Posts: 4,514
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Post by rickcr42 on Apr 17, 2006 20:37:19 GMT
that is actually funny because I personally like to enclose and protect my DIY tube gear with either a full cage or open back rack panel (power amps,lots of heat) or inside a vented closed chassis (low level gain stages) and this pisses off my wife who likes to "see the glow".
She is not alone in this and it is a new thing where audio gear has to LOOK GOOD no matter what !
Even if the design is mediocre and/or a flawed one the product will sell and that even if it is very expensive.In fact,take two identical amps.put them in two different chassis
Chassis A : All the bells and whistles,expensive knobs,idiot lights
Chassis B : Plain vanilla wrapper
and you will have folks swear the fancy one actually sounds better.Identical amps,one could be built and sold for cheap yet the "fluff" amp would outsell it even at a 10:1 cost increase.This is not conjecture but watching what passes for "audiophiles" these days which to my mind give the rest of us a bad name at best and causes gear to be overpriced to get the "look" at worst and why the Chinese are kicking our asses in the open market,They know a glowing tube,gold knobs and the right words will sell even if the actual circuitry sucks and the sonics are terrible
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rickcr42
Fully Modded
Rest in peace my good friend.
Posts: 4,514
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Post by rickcr42 on Apr 17, 2006 20:47:54 GMT
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xerxes
Been here a while!
Posts: 1,115
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Post by xerxes on Apr 17, 2006 22:43:59 GMT
Hmmmm. Definately not my cup of tea, in fact I think it's awful, but credit for at least trying something different.
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