As others have hinted at, it depends. I agree with Ric that at the less expensive end of the market there has been considerable improvement, but they do tend to sound very similar, competent in both senses of that word. For DACs, it can be a bit 'cookie cutter' with a nice box, latest ESS chip, set of op amps and a switch mode power supply. Better than some of the older DACs, but much of a muchness. And a few come from the same Chinese factory. But there are some Chinese factories who want to make the best, not the cheapest.
Having spoken to a few dealers recently and a few companies, the hot product is the integrated box. People are getting cheesed off with the mad excess boxes that do not represent good value for money with enormous price increases. With price barriers removed some just go mad and although slightly better at what cost? B&W went mad with their new diamond tweeter. They boosted the HF to show how good it was and things got brighter and brighter. ARC replaced £14K amplifiers with £21K amps. But we are seeing changes, an Audionote all-in-one Cobra. And Unison Research's S6, an oldish design, still sounds superb. But some new speakers have lots of detail but sound thin and unreal. Give me the music, man.
I am in the middle of trying out expensive stuff at the moment, no names no pack drill yet, but hell the musically most satisfying amp is a little Luxman Class A amplifier. It sounds much better than a £20K behemoth and a £13K valve integrated. And as for the speakers....don't ask. No price barriers, no restraint, all excess. And yes I have carefully moved them and measured them and still......
I can't deny the improvements being made but they are musically small and do these significant changes occur every 18 months?
But there are some really, really good companies doing the right thing. No huge detail shot at you, thin sounding 'stuff' but human beings making music that you want to listen to for hours and hours. But they are getting rarer as companies go off the straight and narrow. Hence, the attraction in older equipment where the music was the key issue not a new USP, market hook, or market speak.
There is also a lot of dross old equipment that should remain forgotten. Maybe we need a thread with the really good used equipment highlighted? Get a good example and pitch it against some well reviewed new stuff.
Having spoken to a few dealers recently and a few companies, the hot product is the integrated box. People are getting cheesed off with the mad excess boxes that do not represent good value for money with enormous price increases. With price barriers removed some just go mad and although slightly better at what cost? B&W went mad with their new diamond tweeter. They boosted the HF to show how good it was and things got brighter and brighter. ARC replaced £14K amplifiers with £21K amps. But we are seeing changes, an Audionote all-in-one Cobra. And Unison Research's S6, an oldish design, still sounds superb. But some new speakers have lots of detail but sound thin and unreal. Give me the music, man.
I am in the middle of trying out expensive stuff at the moment, no names no pack drill yet, but hell the musically most satisfying amp is a little Luxman Class A amplifier. It sounds much better than a £20K behemoth and a £13K valve integrated. And as for the speakers....don't ask. No price barriers, no restraint, all excess. And yes I have carefully moved them and measured them and still......
I can't deny the improvements being made but they are musically small and do these significant changes occur every 18 months?
But there are some really, really good companies doing the right thing. No huge detail shot at you, thin sounding 'stuff' but human beings making music that you want to listen to for hours and hours. But they are getting rarer as companies go off the straight and narrow. Hence, the attraction in older equipment where the music was the key issue not a new USP, market hook, or market speak.
There is also a lot of dross old equipment that should remain forgotten. Maybe we need a thread with the really good used equipment highlighted? Get a good example and pitch it against some well reviewed new stuff.