Maybe this topic can generate a new thread on how our choices (expensive and not so expensive) have been made, and how they might have changed over time
For my part, I'm equal part cudmudgeon, equal part enthusiast, equal part cynic, equal part snob
I run my own business, a small therapy concern amongst a couple of very big players locally
And all this has influenced my audio buying and preferences
For my part, I'm almost irreversibly drawn to boutique brands
I want to feel the designer's ethos in the gear, even if this means not paying for uber neutrality
I actually have more pride of ownership in finding those left field brands and paying full price or the occasional bargain ex demo, than continually trawling the classifieds for hand-me-downs from the upper echelons
So for me, I get a warm glow having bought into Sean Casey's vision at Zu, Dejan Nikic's at NAT, Mark Coles at Sablon, Vic re the Trans Fi Terminator, Peter at Soundsmith, etc etc
In fact if these guys lost their minds and suddenly released a cost no object luxury model not backed up by their original humble engineering ethos, I would seriously go off the company
Now of course, this is somewhat a truism, because I can't afford a top Kharma spkr, or the D'Agostino amp, etc etc
But my choices really are informed by looking for brands with the winning mix of unmistakeable designer ethos, and lack of geometric trajectory pricing
There is a perfectly reasonable and solid engineer who created the tt that broke the hegemony of the Linn Sondek LP12 in the UK who made a totally good product, reasonably priced
He then disappeared to re emerge some years later w gear at the absolute top end pricing and camped in the Far East, and lost all my respect (and yes, I have heard his gear, and it's not significantly better than what I owned at 10x the price)
For my part, I'm equal part cudmudgeon, equal part enthusiast, equal part cynic, equal part snob
I run my own business, a small therapy concern amongst a couple of very big players locally
And all this has influenced my audio buying and preferences
For my part, I'm almost irreversibly drawn to boutique brands
I want to feel the designer's ethos in the gear, even if this means not paying for uber neutrality
I actually have more pride of ownership in finding those left field brands and paying full price or the occasional bargain ex demo, than continually trawling the classifieds for hand-me-downs from the upper echelons
So for me, I get a warm glow having bought into Sean Casey's vision at Zu, Dejan Nikic's at NAT, Mark Coles at Sablon, Vic re the Trans Fi Terminator, Peter at Soundsmith, etc etc
In fact if these guys lost their minds and suddenly released a cost no object luxury model not backed up by their original humble engineering ethos, I would seriously go off the company
Now of course, this is somewhat a truism, because I can't afford a top Kharma spkr, or the D'Agostino amp, etc etc
But my choices really are informed by looking for brands with the winning mix of unmistakeable designer ethos, and lack of geometric trajectory pricing
There is a perfectly reasonable and solid engineer who created the tt that broke the hegemony of the Linn Sondek LP12 in the UK who made a totally good product, reasonably priced
He then disappeared to re emerge some years later w gear at the absolute top end pricing and camped in the Far East, and lost all my respect (and yes, I have heard his gear, and it's not significantly better than what I owned at 10x the price)
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