Agreed, they're some of the worst, it's my preferred format but each to their own, whatever works for you is king
Does this audiophile snobbery still exist? I think these products deserve greater respect than they get.
B&O, beautiful looking. I’m curious about the comment that The BL50 and BL90 are at the top of the pack. Which pack?
There's no doubt that the big mainstream brands usually offer the best value for money. I guess you can't escape the economies of scale.
Thinking more specifically, I'm going to keep to the subject of CD players since that's where I've had most experience....
What REALLY bugs me is the dishonesty of some of the premium exotic brands! When I look inside a more exotic CD player what I quite often find is a cheap mech and main board taken from a low/mid range big commercial branded player which has then simply been plonked into a fancy alloy case and the price massively inflated.
In terms of build quality the vintage top end machines from Sony, Denon, Marantz, Philips, Pioneer etc are the pinnacle and way ahead of most/all modern expensive machines.
Where I don’t agree with Lampizator is his obsession with sticking a valve in everything.
803 is a hidden gem . I run these with Xavian Bonbonus ver1.There are reviews for 803 from Poland hifi review that mention people may ignore this as its under the receiver category.The volume in this rx/amp can be increased in a very incremental manner.Its a higher end as701/801 amp with all the other features packed in properly.Many prefer to use it in direct mode.As you may be aware from a few posts of mine, I am an admirer of the Yamaha sound and looks. Ever since feasting my eyes on the Yamaha CT 7000, I’ve had a fondness for this particular brand. As one contributor recently posted, it is a mass market brand. But does mass market mean reduction in quality or design?
When I had to sell on my original Naim gear, I had little money to purchase a quality system that would tide me over until better times. I chose a Yamaha AS 501 that also included Dac inputs. I got it o a Black Friday so even better value at under £200. It gave me great sound and service for a couple of years and I really enjoyed it. I suppose I’d describe its presentation as clean and detailed with a touch of warmth so it gave me the detail I like and leavened this with a touch of bloom in a sound that was non-fatiguing and suitable to a range of genres.
I now own a Yamaha 803D which adds a good deal more and powers my Maggie LRS speakers which produces the best sound I have ever had. The 803 is a remarkably well featured receiver with a great amp section that is great vfm.Still can’t quite believe they can do this for the money!
My main reason for posting is that I have noticed that there is a reluctance by some reviewers and listeners to recognise the merits of gear like Yamaha due to its mass market identity. It is mass market therefore not serious. I read a Stereophile review of a top end Yamaha amp recently and it felt as though the reviewer was reluctant to sing the praises of the Yamaha in case his colleagues may snigger at his audacity. He sat it in a system where the accompanying gear was way more expensive/high end and it still acquitted itself very well. I wondered how it would do with gear that was more in line with its own value and aspirations. It was clearly impressive but the review was muted. And there was a kind of surprise that this mass market product could do so well? Correct me if I’m wrong but Yamaha has been in the Hi fi game a long time and has produced memorable gear. It’s pedigree exceeds that of many other more local escoteric brands so why would it be treated in this way?
The point I make refers to many other brands as well, like Marantz, Denon etc. I listened to a Marantz 60O6 UK CD player recently. I thought it was great for the money. It bettered my recent Rega Apollo for detail and soundstage and was definitely giving my Rotel 965BX a run for its money, which surprised and disappointed me.
I run a Pi as a server/player. I’d be surprised if anything up to £1000 could better the sound.
Is it just me?Does this audiophile snobbery still exist? I think these products deserve greater respect than they get.
I have been lucky and owned some nice gear over the years and bought a pair of Focal Utopias this week, and am questioning my sanity. On the other end of the spectrum I loved my little Denon DM-41 that was my only hi fi piece a couple of years ago. I see more fun/value in the cheaper items than the more sophisticated (expensive) items.
I personally find the biggest snobs in this hobby are those who think they are some Uber audio engineers, DIY gods, and those who have just got to have every aspect of there system made in the UK; In others words, the right-wing and deluded
With very few exceptions, Brit-fi is not what it used to be. There is a close parallel to the automotive world. Most of the British brands are made by another company elsewhere. Not sure if there is much snob value in that.I personally find the biggest snobs in this hobby are those who think they are some Uber audio engineers, DIY gods, and those who have just got to have every aspect of there [sic] system made in the UK; In others words, the right-wing and deluded
I guess that depends on how gullible they are....because no one seeking high quality will take those lower-priced products seriously.
Good point, I revised my phrasing slightly to clarify a bit.I guess that depends on how gullible they are.
Once people accept the axiom “you get what you pay for,” the results are entirely predictable. People believe the more something costs, the better it is. This opens up huge opportunities for exploitatively high prices, and more depressing, it actively discourages companies from developing high-quality products for reasonable prices...because many people seeking high quality won’t take those lower-priced products seriously.