Agoners: Need Advice! Have 3K to spend on an Amp, what do I do with no way to audition?
Ended up purchasing a Parasound A-21 on Saturday, loved the sound, price is great. Loved the rear gain controls for bi-amp adjustments in the future. Great power for jamming out, and low volume listening; had great depth and control. Listed to it on Martin Logans, and KEF Blades. Loved the Martin Logan sound much better. Can't wait to here it on my 802s when it arrives. John Curl did it right... And for a great price! |
Steve, I see this thread hasn't been added to in 2 years, but I figured I would toss in my thoughts &, potentially, resurrect it because there is some stellar info in it! I would like to throw my "chosen path" to nirvana out there for thoughtful consideration. Like most folks, my budget was limited [was not blessed with a golden spoon at birth & my profession required YEARS of education & training - lots of "poor years"], so I adapted by purchasing used equipment, initially from eBay <YUCK!> & now almost exclusively from A-gon. Out of that necessity, I discovered that it is massive fun to buy quality used equipment [that I could have NEVER afforded new], use it and either resell it or keep it, if I fell in love with it. In fact, I even set up a separate checking account for my 'toy fund' - wife fully knowledgeable and very supportive [she has her own expensive hobby- photography]. I actually enjoyed the trade-in/trade-out ability to audition & play with equipment I have lusted for for year to be so much fun, I decided to keep that up. Now that I am years into my profession, I am extremely fortunate to be able to afford much of the new, high-end stuff. But, I grew up poor & that impact is deep. So, I choose to buy/trade/resell/keep high-end used equipment & divert that extra capital towards other things that make my heart smile: charitable support of organizations that support & assist people-in-need & peoples-at-risk. By no means is my musical enjoyment compromised + I am supporting good works to the benefit of others AND I am setting an example on how to conduct yourself as a good citizen of our world & culture to my daughters. Talk about a WIN-WIN-WIN situation! If you truly are dedicated to purchasing something new, instead of the 'big name' brands, google for small-shop craftsmen type vendors/builders. Yes, substantially more challenging, but again my intrinsic frugality speaks, you're supporting individuals at the local level who still treat their work as a personal investment in an art form. Odyssey comes to mine as does Emotiva [not truly in the league of Odyssey, but damned nice bang for the buck], as does ModWright [a bit pricier]. Good luck & I hope whomever reads my lengthy response derives some benefit. http://www.odysseyaudio.com/index.html |
