What am I missing?


Stereophile this month has a review of a new McIntosh preamp set up that has, apparently, all-but-identical digital and tube-based versions of a preamp, controlled by some equally-expensive "control center". All told, the setup is $27K.

The review didn't make any attempt at explaining who this is being marketed to (other than people with a lot of money). Is this for people who just, literally, can't make up their mind? After years of debate, has the audiophile community decided that the answer is to have parallel paths, one with tubes, one with SS, to be able to select as desired betweent the two? The ultimate "they're both right!" answer?

It would seem like the same amount spent on a single box would yield better results, presumably on several fronts.
kthomas
1. Early employees of Google, and pre-IPO Goldman, among others
2. Fun
3. Sounds like enough money to optimize both to me!
Art
Well, Cary makes that CDP with both tube and SS output stages that you can switch between. You could have a real fun time pairing that front end with this preamp.
one of the capabilities often not designed with electronics is flexibility.

tone controls, tube and solid state signal paths and other user controlled options would be a welcome addition to today's purist designs.

part of enjoying the hobby is experimenting and playing.

the more options the better, provided the cost is reasonable, whatever that is.
It actually makes a good deal of sense to me. Is it really any different than a tetrode/triode switch or defeatable upsampling?