"Rob" wrote in message
...
Andre Jute wrote:
Small is also beautiful. The small is the genesis of the large.


Don't know about that. Schumpeter argued (in an analysis of western
capitalism) that economics measures well-being by the standard of living
(variously, average incomes and consumption). This is best achieved by
maximising production and consumption. Buddhism (his 'foil' and the basis
of the small thesis) does not measure well being as such, but consider
that it is maximised when consumption is minimised. Basically this means
that well being is not dependent on consumption – the ‘given ends’ (a
difficult concept, granted, but take it as live in comfort perhaps) with
the minimum means. An example might be hifi – why do we need all this
stuff?! Large is a sort of antithesis, not genesis.


Indeed, though I'm not sure that can be seen as a reason for using SET
amplifiers. Their output power may be small, but as they are so inefficient
their power consumption isn't. And the permanent dissatisfaction with what
one already has (which is the basis of the audiophile philosophy) is the
antithesis of the Schumpeter ideal. My Quad 405 may be "large", in the sense
that it has an output power significantly greater than I really need, but it
probably draws less energy from the mains than a SET amplifier does.
Furthermore it has powered my main audio system for over 25 years without
needing any replacement parts, so in terms of the energy used in manufacture
and transport it has had a fairly low impact on the planet.

David.