Nice one, Harry!
It would appear that tube amps, at least the commercial variety that you are
comparing have not really become overpriced at all. However, there *are*
"boutique" brand - mostly handmade and mostly exoticly packaged - that
do run into higher $$ than the units mentioned... One unit that comes to
mind (although not a boutique brand at all) is the Japanese "Marantz"
845 amp that they came out with a few years back...
I wonder how many readers think that one is also a "rip off"??
I am sure, well pretty sure that someone could build the same circuit using
different components and chassis for about $500-$1000, plus or minus
a bit. (minus the name, of course... :- ) )
Does this make the Marantz amp a "rip-off"?? I wonder what readers of
this esteemed newsgroup think about it?
(Is a Patek Phillip "watch" a rip off?? I can buy a Timex for $19.95)
Hmmm...
_-_-bear
PS. maybe my math is off but when I divided the MkIII: $1203/60w/2ch =
$10.02 not $7.52??
Harry Lavo wrote:
Hi group -
The recurrent discussion here about whether the high-end is a rip off and
the recent discussion about "then and now" output amps led me to do a little
research.
snip
This is as close to an apples-to-apples comparison
that I can come up with.
Herewith the results:
Old Amps (in order of ascending price) in 2002 dollars:
Eico HF89 (50wpc) $839 ($8.39dpw)
Pr. Dynaco Mk III (60wpc) $1203 ($7.52dpw)
Citation II (60wpc) $1504 ($12.53dpw)
McIntosh 240 (58wpc) $1733 ($14.94dpw)
Fisher K1000 (65wpc) $1983 ($15.25dpw)
McIntosh 275 (75wpc) $2671 ($17.81dpw)
ARC Dual 75 (75wpc) $3906 ($26.04dpw)
Marantz 9A (70wpc) $4621 ($33.01dpw)
New Amps (in order of ascending actual 2002 price)
VTL ST-85 (85wpc) $1750 ($10.78)
VAC Auricle (55wpc) $2000 ($18.18)
Sonic Frontiers Power 1 (55wpc) $2499 ($22.78)
Conrad Johnson MV-60 (55wpc) $2795 ($25.41)
ARC VT-50 (50wpc) $3995 ($39.95)
BAT VK75 (75wpc) $6000 ($40.00)
ARC VT100 MkIII (100wpc) $5995 ($29.98)
McIntosh 2102 (100wpc) $6000 ($30.00)
snip
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