What are your favorite 'giant killer' pieces of audio equipment?

Sweet, does it come with an 8 track player?

 

Of course.

 

Yeah...that justifies the extra $9200!

 

Those who can afford $10,000 audio components can justify it and those who can't afford it can't.

 

The Ayre cd player is around $3K

 

Woops, typo.

The RP3/P3-24 comparison will be up on our site by the weekend. There aren't any reviews because we're the only ones in North America that have the table for review. The dealers just started getting their stock this week.

We compared the RP3 to the P3-24, both tables equipped with an Exact cartridge and a handful of MoFi LP's that are only one pressing number apart.

Made it very easy to hear the diff between the two. Might even have some video by the end of the weekend as well, so stay tuned.

 

Wonder how it'd sound with the new 24v motor upgrade (and then power supply). Would it beat the P3/24 (by virtue of tonearm?)

 

It's not as black and white as that I suspect. I can afford it but haven't heard anything of that value that would persuade me to part with the money and I've heard plenty of higher end stuff that carry similar high price tickets. Each to their own I think!

 

Exploding gas tank is standard equipment!!

 

'giant killer' pieces of audio equipment

At least the sound will be too real. BOOM! Nice bass!

 

I think every piece of gear in my system are "giant killers" ! My BOSE 901's that people LOVE to badmouth or Delete or close threads on all forums To my Maestro ac outlets that people also love to badmouth or Delete or close threads on all forums too

 

You're right, of course. What I really mean is, an audio component's price of $10,000 is not necessarily unjustified, even if it has an Oppo transport in it. It's all about what people will pay for it. If someone can't pay for it, they won't. Your example adds that some people who can pay for it won't.

 

Exactly, I didn't want to bring it up to make my point, but I could easily triple or quadruple the cost of most my system without batting an eye, but I just don't see the return on the investment. The audio gear industry usually adheres to the "law of diminishing returns" so the higher the price increase, the lower relative performance increase is gained. The higher you go in price, it gets harder to justify.

 

heheh.

 

http://www.avrev.com/forum/blu-ray-players/4294-ayre-dx-5-10-000-rebadged-500-oppo.html

 

...and some people have more money than brains.

 

No doubt about it.

 

My favorite killer audio piece comes from 1978. I was a poor student, and had just put a UKP45 (!) Hadcock arm on my home built turntable. I went cartridge shopping, at Graham's in North London.

I thought I might want a Supex MC, since they were all the rage. Imagine my surprise when I came out, after an audition, with a Decca London Gold Export at UKP75 (Supex was UKP 112). In all respects the Decca is wider, deeper and more dynamic. Bit more surface noise, slightly worse tracking. But when it sings, it's wonderful. I still have it in storage.. superb clear diamond tip never wore out. Several thousand hours on it.

Prices for cartridges haven't followed the sensible rules of other electronics, and the London Gold is now a lot of money. Where a $120 low output MC is probably better than the Supex of that day.

 

Yamaha MCR-040 micro system. A pal just got one, and I was blown away with the sound. Better even than the Bose Wave, for about half the money.

 

It wouldn't be hard for anything out there to beat Bose. This is not giant killing. The thread is about modest prices equipment (usualy mid-fi) that may equal or embarrass some ultra expensive high end products. I think this is likely only to be achieved with a system costing several thousands of dollars which has excellent synergy and probably including some used high quality classic products.

 

I'll bet I have the best $400 speakers ever: B&W 803 Series II. Of course, the auctioneer had no idea what they were.

 

Gentlemen and Ladies

There is a saying, "You Get What You Pay For". NAD, Adcom, Hafler, Yamaha, Pioneer can and have made good gear. But see how many of them will even support a 5 or a 10 year old item, let alone one which is 40 years old. McIntosh supports me better as a used customer than you get with any of the above when it is new. And used in nice order is more affordable than you think. There is good but cheap, and there is a lifetime heirloom investment. Your choice, your mileage may vary. My own McIntosh gear is 40 years of age at newest, the oldest is 1967. And to some degree, I still get parts and service support out there.

 

Qualifier!