Modern Linestages

It's the increasing complexity of the products that seems to be driving the cost upwards. Implicit in my comments is a belief that linestages really shouldn't be that complex a device.

I don't necessarily think it's the increasing complexity of the products that drives the cost up. After all an Audio Consulting Silver Rock is at minimum $13k, and no one is going to convince me the passive Silver Rock is a complex linestage.

However, I'm in complete agreement with the second sentence. It's the reason I now favor passive linestages. To me simpler is better and passive linestages are among the simplest designs. In comparisons I've done with my Slagle autoformer and Lightspeed attenuator (which I have compared to the Silver Rock), both hold up very well against more complex and/or costlier designs.

Is it only a matter of time before someone releases an 8 chassis linestage weighing 300 lbs. and costings $150,000. And I'm sure some will say that's progress.

So what, it's not your $$. As long the seller and buyer are satisfied with the transaction, why do you care??

The idea that the manufacturers of these products are charging "what the market will bear" is somewhat insulting to the people who buy these products.

No, it's personal responsibility. CAVEAT EMPTOR!! Noone is forcing anyone to make the purchase. If they are satisfied with the purchase, then it's not insulting to them.

Onhwy61, I think you just don't understand free market and capitalism and is stuck in the weeds. We just go round and round in these same old threads periodically.

Swampwalker, I agree with you the preamp is the heart of a system. I was playing around with different combinations of components and found the common denominator to magic is when my preamp in the chain.

Yeah, well, a whole lot of wind but the answer is obvious, $20k for a preamp and watch this hobby die.

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This hobby isn't going anywhere. Just like car enthusiasts, you have guys that tinker around with old Fords and Chevy's, then you have the Porche & Ferrari crowd. Audio hobbyists will find their level and keep chugging along. Periodically you will find a mfg that will create a giant-killer. There's lots of good stuff between the high and low end of this hobby. There's something for everyone that wants to be an audiophile, regardless of financial situation.

Someone wrote in a thread here years ago that audiophiles are as crazy as they can afford to be. That certainly applies to me. I have good stuff, but the ONLY reason I don't have better stuff is because I can't afford it.
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"Make everything as simple as possible, but not simpler". Albert Einstein