For some hobbyists, sound quality is not always the highest ideal; they must have the visual experience to be satisfied. To pursue the best sound regardless of peripheral features, one must be ready to accept different appearance of equipment than preferred.
So much has been made in this community about "snake oil," in regard to cables, and yet the pre/amplification sector puts completely unnecessary meters on gear as though it's important. It's a sales gimmick, a nice thing to look at and feel as though the product is performing oh, so fantastically. It works, as amps with meters sell well.
I have found no correlation between a product having any particular meter and it's having superior sound quality. The audiophile needs to be sensible enough to accept that they may actually be purchasing a lesser performing component in favor of the appearance. A reputation for attractiveness does little to make a component actually perform in a superior fashion.
Now, if that discussion does nothing to make you pause and consider, then stop the banter and go buy it. Just beware, the blue meters do nothing to make it a better or worse amp. They are eye candy to sell them. If you can't live without a sense of importance associated with the meters, then buy it - and hope you can get the sound you want out of it.
So much has been made in this community about "snake oil," in regard to cables, and yet the pre/amplification sector puts completely unnecessary meters on gear as though it's important. It's a sales gimmick, a nice thing to look at and feel as though the product is performing oh, so fantastically. It works, as amps with meters sell well.
I have found no correlation between a product having any particular meter and it's having superior sound quality. The audiophile needs to be sensible enough to accept that they may actually be purchasing a lesser performing component in favor of the appearance. A reputation for attractiveness does little to make a component actually perform in a superior fashion.
Now, if that discussion does nothing to make you pause and consider, then stop the banter and go buy it. Just beware, the blue meters do nothing to make it a better or worse amp. They are eye candy to sell them. If you can't live without a sense of importance associated with the meters, then buy it - and hope you can get the sound you want out of it.