$4500 amp beat out the Tenor OTL in the latest TAS

How many times do I need to say it...you have to be insane to spend that much on any one piece of gear and expect to buy value of any kind be it perceived value, shmeeved value, or any other value you want to delude yourself into.As I have stated before the greatness of this hobby is in cleverly cobbling together a great system on the financial sly shall we say or using many years of careful listening to snag the best gear that gets you 99% of the way there without dumping six figures on a system.Bottom line baby is that the intelligence of the consumer is on display vis a vis his expenditure vs. sound.Anyone can with a couple of years experience align his radar toward the best stuff if he has 100,000 dollars to drop but if he has 10,000 then it takes great knowledge and a healthy dose of cynicism to create a great sounding system rivalling the expensive one.The illusion of an elite class of stereos is pure bullshit just a scam to lift your wallet.Do not be suckered.By the by a great amp shouldnt cost 4500 either but at least its moving in the right direction.Here come the jive time justificationists I smell them a-comin.

I hope that now you all know how the subtle and not so subtle linguistics of audio that persuade and dissuade exaggerate and minimize serves to divide all of us into "camps" as well as unite and illuminate.This of course applies to every facet of human behavior and endeavor.The only way to be is wary, and to be discerning without hyperbole enveloping your beliefs.It is very difficult and very individuated work but thus far paradoxically I have found no other task so wearying, so invigorating and so necessary.