Price No Object Amps


Just posting for human interest/curiosity purposes. I wouldn't suppose anyone on AGON has one of these, however, from a sonic performance perspective, which would you choose?
https://www.whathifi.com/features/10-worlds-most-expensive-stereo-amplifiers?utm_medium=EMAIL&ut...

128x128gdhal
All of these amps are VERY ugly and look like a big joke i am poor and only have a $28,000.00 amp oh well ill just have to live with it.If you purchase one of these amps let me know how you like it.Enjoy.
From a sonic performance perspective which would I choose?

I can’t say. I would have to hear them all of them to choose from a sonic performance perspective, and I haven’t heard any of these amps.

I doubt you will find anyone here who has heard any of the amps on that list.
Good luck though. ;^)
I suspect that some did hear Wavac amps. Reasonably priced, I think I would take them unheard. Take up a lot of space, though.
I have heard the Onganku at a show in an all audio note system. System was one of the best I ever heard
Alan
I owned 2 Ongaku's, from the original Kondo-san days. Very colored amp IMHO. Sold both and have never looked back.
Yup, Lamm, VAC, Gryphon, Ypsilon and Wavac are always on my list. Just not top of the line models.
Thought the thread very interesting  don't want to kill messenger was joking.Thanks again
Probably the Ongaku, with the FM Acoustics as a backup in case of tube failure.
Still, those are freightening amounts of dead Washingtons, even to hardcore audiophiles. Besides, you would really need big and well-tuned room to make full use of, say, half a million dollar system.
However, $5 for a cup of good coffee in Manhattan is not fun either, and some have three every day. Do the math, how much would they spend for 25 years?
I can think of a few amps costing a lot less that actually sound better; in two cases having heard them side by side (although that was a few years ago).

say'n
I can think of a few amps costing a lot less that actually sound better; in two cases having heard them side by side (although that was a few years ago).

@atmasphere

And it wouldn’t surprise me if it’s one of yours :)

http://www.atma-sphere.com/Products/#MA-3

We are not talking about better or worse or even different sounding amps. We are talking about ridiculous prices and prices beyond the ridiculous.
I think the Atma-Sphere Amplifiers are world class and should be in the list. Some of these are overated amplifiers and over priced.
Post removed 
Is it even possible to build a 2 million dollar Amp would be my question. How much Engineering knowledge would be put into it to justify such a price tag.
@gdhal 
And it wouldn’t surprise me if it’s one of yours :)
You're right, but it was the S-30, which costs about 2 orders of magnitude less.

Even if gold wire is used, I don't see how a product doing what some of the amps on this list do could cost that much. But there is something called the Veblen Effect, which has to do with the idea that when something costs more, you are also getting a greater value. Which means that they could be priced high to invoke a sense of greater value. Quite often though the 2nd hand market sorts those sorts of things out.
higherfi.com has a $600k turntable for sale. Take a look. It even has an electronic microscope built in.
Billionaires spend their ill-gotten gains on million dollar shit like this. 

Better than on some other things, though.
As for that turntable, if it is indeed objectively enough the very best table by a significant margin, it has the right to cost what it does.

I’m upset my amps did not make the list. :-)

would not trade mine straight across for any of those.

I have heard none of these. I have heard the Ypsilon Set Ultimate 100's and they were amazing.,For $130000 for the pair they would want to be. Another amp I love is The Gryphon Anthillion Evo. Only around $50000.... cheap lol. But it walks the line so well between ultimate speaker control and otherworldly midrange insight. I play at a fair lower level with amps like the Onkyo M608 and Luxman M03 but these are fine. Some ultra fi is getting way beyond a joke in price today really. 
Yeah, but used prices might be within the reach for some. Problem is, besides the price, that they will be very difficult to find used. Still, $50k is not $500k, terrible but not outrageous, and $130k is somewhere in-between. I keep hearing praise of Gryphons and Ypsilons, though. I bet, I would have a hard time choosing between Gryphon Diablo and Ypsilon integrateds if I had to.
the prices of this stuff is just out in space.
I will put my Sunfire sig 600 against these behemoth's (name drop)
any day of the week. Bob KNOWS what he is doing.

class A, spacious air around instruments, the subtle nuance of the distant triangle pinging and its decay is effervescent.... give me a break,
only power is real. :)

any of our normal to above cost gear will be the same, or no sound difference compared to these way overpriced cash grab audio.

Only difference, is the people THINK they are getting some one of a kind, or some super amp, yes they are, it costs 300K, and my (your) amp was only 400$ - 3K, and the sound is no different, only difference is these jamokes drop 300K on them and we only spend 2K, and most of OUR amps will sound the same. 

they sell because of arrogance, and people with nothing better to do spending  their fortunes on the stuff.






enjoy the music. :) don't believe the hype
they do look cool!

those prices.......hahahahah  i would love to meet the people who dump this cash on this stuff
Somehow I feel that anyone serious about purchasing one of these models is probably not primarily motivated to obtain the absolute sound.

   LP

"judge not, yet ye be......."

oh, wait a minute. this is an audiophile website where all we do is mind read.

I'm sure you know the buyers of these amps well enough to judge their primary motivations.



If you guys want to get an idea what market these "toys" are targeted at, take a trip to one of the Gulf states in the Middle East; Qatar Dubai, etc., and browse some of the stores near the luxury hotels. I suspect the Chinese market is not too far behind but I'm guessing that market is a bit more selective and doesn't react quite the same way to shiny objects. No offense is intended, just an observation.

"If you guys want to get an idea what market these "toys" are targeted at, take a trip to one of the Gulf states in the Middle East; Qatar Dubai, etc., and browse some of the stores near the luxury hotels. I suspect the Chinese market is not too far behind but I'm guessing that market is a bit more selective and doesn't react quite the same way to shiny objects. No offense is intended, just an observation."

Have you ever been out of Mississippi?

Mikelavigne,

"I'm sure you know the buyers of these amps well enough to judge their primary motivations"

How many references do you require?  

   LP
....I will put my Sunfire sig 600 against these behemoth's (name drop) any day of the week. Bob KNOWS what he is doing.....

@arcticdeth

I know what you mean about Bob Carver gear. I had an MXR-130 for almost 30 years. While it was no match for the McIntosh MA5200, Krell Vanguard or Musical Fidelity M6si I auditioned, even the dealer commented how good the 30 y/o Carver sounded (I specifically brought it to the dealer for my comparison/audition).

LP,

you are the one that made this claim;

"Somehow I feel that anyone serious about purchasing one of these models is probably not primarily motivated to obtain the absolute sound."

so it’s on you to support it.

how can you know someone’s motivation for buying something? when most/many times they don’t even clearly know it.

and you used the term "anyone".......not....."I know of some people". generalizations are very difficult to support and polarize people.

my point was not to judge.

if you feel you are in a position to judge then help me/us to understand how you know these things about 'anyone'.

mikelavigne,

I was under the impression that this was a lighthearted thread. 

I certainly meant no intention to fuel a deep rooted debate.

My apologies to all who were offended by my comments.

   LP
Hi Mike,

I was going to comment that the closest thing I've heard to those amps would be when I've heard yours! 

It it would be hard for me to believe that any of those would sound much better than your Dart Zeals. Of course, it's all about the "system" not one particular piece. 

Hope me you've been well!

John

hi John,

yes, all is good and i hope the same with you....and thanks.

agree completely that amps are a 'system synergy' type product. they can be a 'trophy' type product too. but at the top of the food chain the right better amps can make all the difference......they are the 'heart' of the system. the rationalization for investing in very expensive amplifiers requires a specific set of priorities.

OTOH there are fine sounding amps at all price points. and not all expensive amps sound that way......and many of them need very particular systems to flourish. the expensive tube amps typically need particular NOS tubes to really shine.

so this whole subject is multi-dimensional.

LP,

no worries, I did not mean to 'wet blanket' the thread either.

have a great day!

I was under the impression that this was a lighthearted thread.

@lpretiring 

Yes, that was my general intent.

"Have you ever been out of Mississippi?"

Not sure what this comment is supposed to imply, but I've actually never been in Mississippi. On the other hand, I've have traveled many places in the world including the locations I referenced in my note. And my remarks were based on first hand experience.

So is there something special I need to know about Mississippi or that was intended to be a very dry joke?

A collection of "Status Amps" Just appeals to the billionaire who wants to fit into the "Ultra-High End Audiophile" circles. Where sound is secondary to cost or the appearance of large elaborate designs as conversation starters. Since most have the appearance of a small fusion plant.  
no flame wars. just goofing about the prices, and aesthetics of some of this stuff, looks crazy.  and costs more than my house, cars and all my belongings, and ice still need another 550K to afford it.

it is funny how the %1 live.  no worries,..

"speakers.....740K, nno prob, credit card ok? "

WOW.  i would not like that much money, only problems are caused.


I'm still saving for Sanders monos' !  those will smoke any amp regardless of price.  but it seems a little overkill for my Energy RC-70's :)
I'm still saving for Sanders monos' !  those will smoke any amp regardless of price.
This statement is clearly false like many generalizations, especially in audio.