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What Does 80 Grand Get You Nowadays?

A system was playing in a shop. I sat down and pretty soon I thought gosh, I’m glad my system sounds better than this.

That system - just preamp, amp, and speakers - cost about $80,000 new.

I didn’t make the speakers at first, because Sabrinas look far better than the usual Wilson house look. They were driven by one of those new high-end Marantz amps, and I don’t think that was a match made in heaven. The Marantz was driven by a Dan D’Agostino pre that looked like a Minion had been crushed in a hydraulic press. Audiophile music was streaming, but I did not catch whence issued those dulcet ones and zeroes.

I suppose that system constitutes high-end for some. Now, it certainly sounded competent, but it also sounded boring. I thought, this is the Audi SUV of audio: competent and boring.

Conversely, I was impressed and pleased to no end that the end sound of my modest system from the last century could play in the same league as an almost-six figure modern system, and do so in a more engaging and fun fashion - to my ears, at least.

I’m biased, of course; and I am certain many high-priced systems out there leave mine in the dust. Still, I would have thought $80,000 guaranteed a better baseline sound.

How about you, have you heard a lot of gear whose sound was way out of whack with its price?

 

devinplombier
vuch's avatar
vuch
207 posts
 

I haven’t read this whole thread, just some of the first page. I can respond to a couple of points made. 

First, the guy who said "buy the speakers first then use matched pre and power amps" is the strategy that I’ve found to pay dividends. 

The second thing is regarding “consumer brands” like Marantz, Yamaha and Denon. Don’t get me wrong, Marantz was high end when they started with tube gear decades ago. Yamaha and Denon were considered more “audiophile grade” in the 70’s and 80’s. 

I started out with a Yamaha A-1000 integrated amp in 1985. It was their flagship integrated. After being out of the hobby for 15 years I bought their new integrated flagship, the A-S3000 in 2019. Then I bought my current speakers, Magico A3’s. Eventually I put in a Dynaco PAS-3X preamplifier with the A-S3000 using it as the power amplifier. I was amazed how much better adding the inexpensive and old PAS-3X made the rig sound! That A-S3000 was retailing for 8K at the time. Thankfully I bought mine new at a substantial discount and only lost 1k selling to the Music Room when I moved on. 

Yamaha makes great products in a lot of different markets. The A-S3000 (silver faceplate) is the most beautiful integrated amp I’ve ever seen. High end it is not.

I also bought a Denon DP-62L turntable in 2019 because I always wanted one but couldn’t afford it in the 80’s. I used it for several years before upgrading to a TriangleArt Maestro. The DP-62L was a great little table but it isn’t in the same league with true hifi components of today. Denon's new stuff is mid fi at best.

parkergetdean
1,096 posts
 

The A-S3000 does look nice. 9K is wild though, I would expect a lot for it. 

toddalin's avatar
toddalin
665 posts
 

Would have gotten you this with enough left over for a nice stereo system.

donavabdear's avatar
donavabdear
523 posts
 

A lot mentioned about synergy and component matching, how do you do that? Is there an app or do you have to buy a car change the suspension change the engine, change the break system then decide if it all works together. Is synergy done basically putting together like status components. There are a few obvious things you don't do like keep your power hungry speakers away from low power tube amps, but that's basic no one is really talking about that.

Powered speakers and system wide design is the future. Right now we should all be embarrassed to pay so much money for components that aren't designed for each other.

devinplombier OP
1,679 posts
 

@toddalin 

Aah, what a beautiful C2...

 

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