"Serge Auckland" wrote in message
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"David Looser" wrote in message
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"Keith G" wrote in message
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No - given that it seems you've got to spend about £3.5K to match a 300
quid Chinese valve amp, it's my pocket that exludes them from casual
investigation...


How on earth can an amplifier cost £3.5K? Unless the chassis is
gold-plated, or it's hand-built by a Swiss craftsman. Neither of which
make any difference to the performance.

David.

I think the answer is that it doesn't *cost* £3.5K, that's the *price*.
The factory cost, excluding marketing expenses, dealer's margin etc will
be a *whole* lot less.


On the nail as usual, Serge....

But my remark was not as facetious as it might have appeared - there's not
much doubt that the normal 'thin-slice' SS amplifiers stand no chance
against an OK valve amp in my book, but once you get up into the
'arc-welder' bracket to the amps which weigh a bit and have serious power
supplies I'm sure (but I don't *know*) that a 3 cwt/3 grand solid state amp
(running as hot as a forge) can probably offer the same 'sonics' as a valve
amp probably weighing a bit less and probably costing a lot less (but
probably still running just as hot) - no?

Anybody got first hand experience of a truly *serious* SS amp?

(Where's Pinky when you need him? :-)