Amp pricing & diminishing returns / what's your take?

pearsall001

I've been looking at a few amps for my system to run in both HT & 2 channel listening. My source is a Consonance Droplet5.0 tube output player, NAD T773 receiver as pre/pro, AADaudio 2001 monitors (8ohm, 86db sensitivity) The amps in question are: Mac MC252, Bryston 4BSST, NuForce ref 9, Rotel RB1090. Prices new are: Mac-$3800, Bry-$2800, NuForce-$2500, Rot-$1800. As you can see that's a pretty big pricing gap. My question is about the sonic qualities between them & if some really warrant the extra coin? For example the diff in price between the Mac & Rot is $2000. Does the Mac bring $2000 more musicality to the table than the Rot or even the others? At what point does the scale start to tip downwards in regards to cost/performance ratio? I haven't included Krell, Classe, ML because I believe the scale really starts to dip downwards with them. Maybe I'm off base here but I am open for suggestions & your comments. Warranties (although important) re-sale pricing, braging rights etc. would not be a deciding factor in my purchase. I really don't like buying used either, I prefer new.
Thanks

heiney9

As Early B said in a very recent post of mine. Prices don't mean a damn thing in Audio.

No one really knows. According to the latest issue of Stereophile the new Outlaw receiver at $500 is excellent when paired with $125,000 worth of speakers and front end equipment.

Listen and look for system synergy regardless of price. I'm sorry there just isn't a concrete answer to your question, IMO.

H9

steveinaz

Buy the Rotel and take your woman to Maui with the money you saved. You'll get a hell of an amp, and "I owe you" sex for years to come...

Early B.

It's hard to say where diminishing returns kick in. I think it depends a lot on your budget, not your ear. For me, diminishing returns for a 2-channel SS amp kick in at around the $350 mark (used). However, if I had more money to spend, I'd set the bar for diminishing returns at a much higher level, not because it necessarily sounds better, but due to other reasons such as brand, looks, bragging rights, cutting edge, rarity, exclusivity, etc. In other words, I'd buy a more expensive amp simply because I could afford to do so.

Don't worry about diminishing returns. First, I come up with a budget, then shop for the best component within that budget.

thehaens@cox.net

Good Points E.B. most of us started with a hand me down, at least I did, and then worked up from there, saved some money, bought up. Eventually everyone will outgrow what they have, and want more. I keep saying, (well I justify it with the wife), that this will be the last amp or pre, that we are going to need. But somehow there is always a "deal" to be had..

Scott

2+2

Early B. wrote:

It's hard to say where diminishing returns kick in. I think it depends a lot on your budget, not your ear.

I think that is right on....for me my sig is where I "perceive" the diminishing returns to occur...my target was the border of what constitutes "midfi" and "hifi"...
You seem to target a bit higher...good for you.
Steve also has a great idea...unless you have disposable income up the wazzoo, you may want to spend it elsewhere to make some lasting memories with your loved ones....(my interpretation of what Steve is saying).

steveinaz

Yep. The Rotel is a hell of an amp, I don't think the increase in cost to the others will justify itself. Once you hit a certain level in amps, differences become minimal very quickly. I personally will never go above $1800 for amp, period. The rest is fluff & fold as far as I'm concerned. I'll be running my $950 Parasound until it smokes...

But that's my opinion.

Hawkeye

I'd think about resale value. Everybody here has the upgrade fever. I bought a Mcintosh MC352 mint from a dealer for $3600.00. I know from research of this piece, that if, actually when I upgrade, I'll get real close to what I paid if not more at trade in or sell time. I can't say that about some of the other amps I've owned.

I have a B&K Ref 220 I paid $1200.00 for which the Mac replaced. I bet nobody here would give me $1200 for the B&K. There is no comparison in the slam in the bottom end, and the highs and mids are awesome with the MAC.

I believe your amp is the heart of a system. You gotta hear em to make the call.

scottyf

I also thought my well engineered, solid state amps were good enough. Until my most recent aquisition, the most I'd spent on a single amp was $800 (I got a Perreau and a Threshold at that price, used of course.)

Then I got my Counterpoint modified (the amp cost $400 on ebay). I have a little over 3k in that bad boy now and it has changed what I thought stereo could sound like. Really amazing.

I'm not saying that you should go out and get one like mine (secretly I do), but rather that there are amps out there that make more of a difference than you can imagine. At least that's what I found. The trick is to listen to them and if you find that kind of amp, you don't mind spending the extra money.

Until you find that amp, Rotel makes a pretty nice one.

Also, if you buy used, your gear will hold it's value much better if you want to turn it.

unc2701

Since you've ruled out a lot of the major things to consider, (resale, warranty, buying used, etc) then the only thing left is for you to listen. Obviously I thought the $1k from rotel to bryston was worth it... but the $1k on up to Mac wasn't. In part, my choice was based on the resale & warranty (I told the woman that if we had a kid, he could take the 4b to college with him), but you gotta decide waht matters to you & hear them.