"Why should I pay for a modified tube amplifier
rather than just buy a more expensive unit to begin with?".
This is a questions I receive almost on a daily
basis and below is an example of why modified products are sometimes the
best value in audio.
It could easily be argued that using high quality
internal passive components, especially the coupling capacitors, power
supply filter capacitors, rectifying diodes, signal path resistors, etc.,
will have much more impact on the performance of your system than
spending three times the cost of one component on system
"tweaks". How many people do you know that will spend thousands
of dollars on such items as interconnect and speaker cables, isolation
devices, roller bearings, NOS tubes or even a $100 jar of marbles? What
good will all these additional tweaks do if you are not already
working within the full potential of your amplifier in the first place?
It's like putting racing slicks on a Ford Escort.
Buying a new amplifier. The following example is based on
a true story.
Let's say you have a budget of $5,000 for
amplification. What do you do? Okay, you go down to your local audio
dealer and look at amps retailing for about $4,500 - $5,000. They sound
pretty good, they look good and they fall right in your budget. You find
one you like. "Good
enough, I'll take that one". You also need some cables to go along
with the setup. You find a pair of interconnect and speaker cables that
you like so you tack on another $800 to the bill. You pay your dealer, take your amp
and cables home
and hook it up in your system. All's good for a few weeks and you are
loving your new component. One day you are
over at your buddy's house and he wants you to listen to his new tube
amplifier that is similar to yours so you both hang out for a few hours
spinning some of your favorite recordings. At the end of the day you turn
to your buddy and comment, "Nice sounding amp, sounds better than
mine. Bet you paid a fortune for it". He replies, "Yes, it does
sound good, doesn't it. The amp cost me $2,700, cables were $300"........ Your jaw hits the floor.
Turns out your buddy just bought a Reference Jolida
JD801 that uses 6550 power tubes, same as your integrated amp. After talking some
more with your buddy you find out that his amp was a new, modified unit
with only the best internal components and full warranty yet cost
$2,000 less than the stock amp you just bought and his cabling was $500
cheaper also. You think to yourself, "Hhmmm.... think my dealer
will take back my stuff?"
It turns out that there are many high priced
products out there that use mediocre internal parts. They do this to fall
within a target price point. So why are you still paying 5 grand? Usually
because you have to pay for the manufacturer's 12,000 sq. ft. factory and
warehouse, marketing, R&D expenses, dealer markup, etc., etc. This
is not to say you did not buy a great unit but rather there is an
advantage of purchasing a modified product or having your current unit
modified from a reputable company, much more
for your money.
Our products were developed to offer just that, more
for your money. You will be amazed of what hidden potential lays within
most of today's affordable components. Response Audio is dedicated to
bringing it all to the surface. You can surpass the sonic
performances of some of the most expensive gear on the market at a
fraction of their cost leaving more of your cash available for the
important things....... more music!
