Audio research REF 5 SE / REF 40th Ann compared ?

Not too sure if you have read this review. Although this review concentrates on the Ref 10 - it would appear this particular reviewer has heard the Ref5SE, the 40th Anniversay & the Ref 10. In a paragraph in this review he talks about just how close the Ref5SE is to the 40th Anniversary model that he understands why a "new" Reference model would be sought after - which was to become the Ref10 model.

http://www.celestialsounds.co.za/the-reference-10-short-review/

It makes one wonder - given that the Ref5SE came out AFTER the 40th Anniversary model whether or not the Ref5SE is just a one box version of the 40th? From the reviews I have read - they read like the 5SE and 40th are very similar but then there is a bit of a leap in SQ to the Ref10 - that is to say the 40th Anniversary and Ref5SE are more alike than the 40th Anniversary and Ref10 are.

Just adding to my previous thread.

I discovered this review where the reviewer has heard both the Ref40 & Ref5SE

Quite a few times he does mention how close the Ref5SE is to the 40th - but each time he always indicates that the 40th does have the last word in most - if not all - of the attributes he describes

theabsolutesound.com

Quite a few times he does mention how close the Ref5SE is to the 40th - but each time he always indicates that the 40th does have the last word in most - if not all - of the attributes he describes

As usual, the more expensive unit is ALWAYS better than the cheaper one, especially for those who make money with it and a reviewer is not paid for his ears, he is paid to support the sales of the magazine he writes for. And a magazine survives from what? Probably from Air and Love and a few subscribers...
Never forget the most important rule in audio:
The more YOU can afford, the better will be your System.
Some may have doubts about that rule, but they are a minority :-)

I totally disagree with the whole "The more you spend, the better your system will be" ethos-

I believe the art of being an audiophile encompasses the skill of how to get excellent sound at a reasonable price...

That includes learning how to shop for forgotten gems of yesteryear, learning to embrace dated technology, and possibly building a piece or two of your own gear every now and then!

You folks who are always buying the latest and greatest- thank you so much!

My system is built of top quality gear that you no longer wanted.

I agree with Theduker, and attribute much of the price bubble of high-end to this myth that price buys sonic superiority. The price trajectory of AR preamps tracks the Dutch Tulip bubble.

The myth is not harmless. The shows are still being held and attended, but the pricing has made more of us Audio Tourists, even if we have the funds. Pride of ownership, faith in the vendor, love of music, and the illusive sense of quality, begin to collapse when the price is 4X common sense.

I am an unbeliever that any stereo component deservedly costs more than a Toyota.

curmudgeon_off