Jtinn -The real point is if an amp is expensive to produce and it doesn't sound good at its price or below, it is a poor design and it will eventually fail in the market. It may last long enough to be sold to the unwitting deep-pocketed few, that's all. The deep-pocketed discerning music lover will recognize its real value.
As Twl notes above, fewer parts, less tubes and a radically new design can correlate to great sound at less cost, can't it? Better even than the competition and maybe even better than products considerably more. Can't this be true? Does it not ever happen in audio? This is what great design is all about especially when it also offers new levels of convenience, features and dependability.
Since you haven't listened to the zh270 in your reference, how can you be so certain that it isn't better than the run of the mill 4.5K - 5K amp? It doesn't have an output transformer that always gets in the way of the music. Most 5K tube amps have one and they ring, aren't nearly as clear and certainly don't have the bass performance of the Berning. The Berning has the true performance of an OTL. Other than the Atmas-pheres name another that competes? The Wrights are also great but they are specialty amps designed for low powered applications. Have you actually heard the zh270? You haven't made that clear. Since I truly value your opinion, I would be interested in the details.
Why did Harvey Rosenberg and Dick Olsher gush over this amp if it wasn't as good as it is? They didn't qualify it's sound with price. There seems to be a wide-ranging consensus that it has a reference quality midrange. There is greater debate over its performance at the frequency extremes but this seems to vary with the load.
According to one of your competitors in an above post, it gets much better than the Tenors. Well, one thing is for certain, it gets much more expensive. Question - Is the Vandersteen 5, at 11K, a world class speaker or is it just a great speaker at its price? Don't need an answer, I already know that opinions do vary.
As Mike notes above and as you have also noted in other threads, deep pockets allow a greater range of choices. To me the very best designs are the ones that make great sounding products that work in a wide range of applications and compete with the higher priced competition. In addition they are within financial reach of a large group. I believe the Berning is in that category of product. 20K + amplifiers should be easier to design to sound good simply because they have to make less compromises. The fact that some don't means those designers' should find a new line of work because there are many that can and do.
As Twl notes above, fewer parts, less tubes and a radically new design can correlate to great sound at less cost, can't it? Better even than the competition and maybe even better than products considerably more. Can't this be true? Does it not ever happen in audio? This is what great design is all about especially when it also offers new levels of convenience, features and dependability.
Since you haven't listened to the zh270 in your reference, how can you be so certain that it isn't better than the run of the mill 4.5K - 5K amp? It doesn't have an output transformer that always gets in the way of the music. Most 5K tube amps have one and they ring, aren't nearly as clear and certainly don't have the bass performance of the Berning. The Berning has the true performance of an OTL. Other than the Atmas-pheres name another that competes? The Wrights are also great but they are specialty amps designed for low powered applications. Have you actually heard the zh270? You haven't made that clear. Since I truly value your opinion, I would be interested in the details.
Why did Harvey Rosenberg and Dick Olsher gush over this amp if it wasn't as good as it is? They didn't qualify it's sound with price. There seems to be a wide-ranging consensus that it has a reference quality midrange. There is greater debate over its performance at the frequency extremes but this seems to vary with the load.
According to one of your competitors in an above post, it gets much better than the Tenors. Well, one thing is for certain, it gets much more expensive. Question - Is the Vandersteen 5, at 11K, a world class speaker or is it just a great speaker at its price? Don't need an answer, I already know that opinions do vary.
As Mike notes above and as you have also noted in other threads, deep pockets allow a greater range of choices. To me the very best designs are the ones that make great sounding products that work in a wide range of applications and compete with the higher priced competition. In addition they are within financial reach of a large group. I believe the Berning is in that category of product. 20K + amplifiers should be easier to design to sound good simply because they have to make less compromises. The fact that some don't means those designers' should find a new line of work because there are many that can and do.