In the mid 90’s I was working on a hotel in playa del coco and almost brought my 38’ sport fish down there to charter but the trip through the canal seemed a bit daunting, kindly wish I did though!
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I had no idea anything like that still existed in the US.
I do know about Audio Hungary. I thought they were the last bastion of actual craftsmanship in industry.
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Ok sorry, another post....
A friend just bought a desireable used 35’ sailboat in excellent condition with a Diesel engine, a good suit of sails, (a pair of the various winches (not wenches!) alone worth 3k) for 15k, the price of that amp, used. He had his choice of 3 or 4 similar boats locally in the SF area. It was built in the ‘80s, and it turns out well made Fiberglass boat really last almost forever! So now there are so many available the are almost free! The previous owner is now older and has health issues, the slip fee needs to be paid monthly, the boat must be maintained, so it’s value is very low. A new boat of that size would be well over 100k these days.
The trap is that parts and maintenance are still what they would be for that 100k new boat, but there are a lot of used and surplus parts around cheap too. Just gotta devote yourself time to maintaining it yourself!
A friend just bought a desireable used 35’ sailboat in excellent condition with a Diesel engine, a good suit of sails, (a pair of the various winches (not wenches!) alone worth 3k) for 15k, the price of that amp, used. He had his choice of 3 or 4 similar boats locally in the SF area. It was built in the ‘80s, and it turns out well made Fiberglass boat really last almost forever! So now there are so many available the are almost free! The previous owner is now older and has health issues, the slip fee needs to be paid monthly, the boat must be maintained, so it’s value is very low. A new boat of that size would be well over 100k these days.
The trap is that parts and maintenance are still what they would be for that 100k new boat, but there are a lot of used and surplus parts around cheap too. Just gotta devote yourself time to maintaining it yourself!
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Can companies like this be profitable? How many $100K amplifiers can you sell? And what I want to know is who buys them?
Don't get me wrong. I think it's cool. I read the other day that people were paying $10K for small batch hand built preamps. I can't imagine paying $10K for a preamp.
A guy asked me if I could build a copy of my preamp for him. I said you don't want to know the price. He said how much and I said probably about $1500. He immediately said OK and I was baffled that someone would pay so much for a product that wasn't made by an actual company that could stand behind it.
My preamp isn't that special. It's just done correctly and very well sorted. It does use some premium components you'd never find in mass marketed audio. It's the best preamp I've ever heard by a long shot but I know I could make one that was way better than this (and with snob appeal to boot) if money were no object. I've got less than $200 in this unit plus a very nice salvaged case.
After thinking about it I realized it would be hard to make money building and selling stuff like this. I'd have to charge a lot and I would never pay the price I would be forced to ask. It's sure worth the $200 it cost me to build though. 🙂 So maybe I just don't know the market.
Ah, my favourite. If I lived in the US I would get Josh to build me an amp. However, as I don't, I have just ordered this. Hand crafted GM70 DHT. Walnut panels. But only 85kg for the 3 boxes.
Amusingly, it has been this thread that inspired me to go for it. So thanks for your inspiration, WOT. 😀
I think you have a good understanding, Fast Eddie D, of the reality of custom audio products. That is why DIY can be so satisfying. You forget how many hours you put into something that you make for yourself, and can live with modified cases, often from other products and projects. It changes when you have to make a custom audio design for someone else. You find that it costs too much in time, and money, to make something at a 'reasonable' price. You find yourself working virtually for nothing if you try, and it is not as much fun to make the same thing, over and over. That is WHY there is mass production, and all of the compromises that comes with the cost effectiveness.
Many here, including Wiseoldtech, have modest requirements associated with their modest interest in hi end audio, that makes them wonder why some of us go over the top with our designs and possessions. Let's just say, hi end audio is usually cheaper than investing in boats, airplanes, etc.
Now what about cars? Well, in 1960 I bought my first new car, a Renault Dauphine. It fit my needs at the time, being a poor college student, who had to pay for the car, it had good gas mileage, and I liked its looks, (compared to the VW). It had 32 HP! How many of you could drive something with 32HP for 95 thousand miles, before selling it for something better? It was sort of equivalent to a 32W/channel amp today, and back in 1960, 32W was more than enough for me as well.
Now, what happens when you extend the need, because of the marketplace expectations have changed, to make a 'statement power amp' to 750W or so? Do you compromise, and just go to Class D? Or do you try to keep the same audio standards with tube technology, making it necessary to parallel a number of output tubes to almost a ridiculous extent? Audio Research, a fundamental and ferocious competitor to me for almost the last 50 years, has chosen to go this route, and I applaud them for it. If you have ever lived with an exceptional AR product, especially with electrostatic headphones, like I have, you understand why they stick with tubes. Personally, I will stick to solid state, but I will be just as 'outrageous' with my best products, including very high power dissipation and very heavy heatsinks that are necessary with solid state.
In comparison to cars, are there any serious 32HP autos out there anymore? Would you settle for one, today? If not, why not?
Many here, including Wiseoldtech, have modest requirements associated with their modest interest in hi end audio, that makes them wonder why some of us go over the top with our designs and possessions. Let's just say, hi end audio is usually cheaper than investing in boats, airplanes, etc.
Now what about cars? Well, in 1960 I bought my first new car, a Renault Dauphine. It fit my needs at the time, being a poor college student, who had to pay for the car, it had good gas mileage, and I liked its looks, (compared to the VW). It had 32 HP! How many of you could drive something with 32HP for 95 thousand miles, before selling it for something better? It was sort of equivalent to a 32W/channel amp today, and back in 1960, 32W was more than enough for me as well.
Now, what happens when you extend the need, because of the marketplace expectations have changed, to make a 'statement power amp' to 750W or so? Do you compromise, and just go to Class D? Or do you try to keep the same audio standards with tube technology, making it necessary to parallel a number of output tubes to almost a ridiculous extent? Audio Research, a fundamental and ferocious competitor to me for almost the last 50 years, has chosen to go this route, and I applaud them for it. If you have ever lived with an exceptional AR product, especially with electrostatic headphones, like I have, you understand why they stick with tubes. Personally, I will stick to solid state, but I will be just as 'outrageous' with my best products, including very high power dissipation and very heavy heatsinks that are necessary with solid state.
In comparison to cars, are there any serious 32HP autos out there anymore? Would you settle for one, today? If not, why not?
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It's certainly true that the London Gherkin was constructed with ventilation in mind! 😎
It looks a little like Tung-Sol may have obtained their inspiration for the design of the KT150 from the design of the London Gherkin.
Let's see them side by side:
Attachments
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Actually I’m building an amplifier with KT150’s. Do I need the power? Don’t I have a heater in my room? The looks? Not really, but is it a challenge? Yes, I think that’s what it is!
Regards, Gerrit
Regards, Gerrit
i suppose when everything else has been turned into a commodity there is something to be said for something different.
There once was a time when I could but when you've seen behind the curtain a certain something is lost but I can still build stuff.
I wouldn't even settle for a 32 HP bike! BTW, I just sold my A21. Sorry.
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Thank you Bob. I personally don't 'get' sport fishing but I wouldn't tell anyone they were wrong to do it as long as it's sustainable and you eat what you catch. But as you surmise, can end up a damned expensive fish supper (albeit the stuff you are fishing for does more than a few meals 🙂 ).
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It’s quite a challenge to do it correctly, there is something exhilarating about the chase,the fight, and ultimately the consumption of trophy size fish. The camaraderie, being one with Mother nature, the excitement in finding the flying fish or a blue water weed line (in other words bigger fish!)the overwhelming peacefulness of watching a 400 lb sea turtle swimming along ....it’s hard to explain to someone who doesn’t get it.
Think Ernest Hemingway 😀
Edit.....and we never (Ok....rarely!) take more than we need.
Think Ernest Hemingway 😀
Edit.....and we never (Ok....rarely!) take more than we need.
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Amazing creatures, as are the manatees. Both were quite common along the shores of Ft. Lauderdale beach, and in the cooling channel leading to the power plant. Both like the warm water.
Me too.
I knew how to sail, and how to fix things. I spent the years from age 15 to 24 sailing all over south Floridas shoreline, the keys and the western Bahamas.....on other peoples boats, 34 and 42 feet......I also rebuilt the Universal Atomic Four's in two of those boats.
My only experience with boat ownership was NOT the norm. I bought a well used 14 foot Hobie Cat for $700. Kept it for 10 years and was zooming up and down Ft. Lauderdale beach just about every chance I could get. Then sold it for $800. My only expense during that time was to replace one of the steel lines because it had been dragged down the street on a trip to the beach.
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And just think!....You could use those 15K monster amps for boat anchors! Impress your friends!
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Jan was that incredibly valuable pick up crew that actually knows how to helm a boat.
A lot of people,are owners Because they want to steer but I actually like to scurry about on the boat to get everything tuned right.
That boat in the photo is an Olson 30 which was a breakthrough “ultralight. racer in the 80’s
It was one of the various “ultralight” sailboats developed to the south of San Francisco, in Santa Cruz. It was one of the earliest foam core vacuum bagged fiberglass boats, because Santa Cruz has a well known surf break so surfboard construction merged with sailboats. The real breakthrough was that they discovered that if the boat was light enough and had a flat area in the right place on the bottom, it would surf down the huge Pacific ocean swells all the way to Hawaii in the Transpac race.
I never got out on the ocean much, mostly enjoying the fierce summer winds in the bay, so never got the surfing experience. But we went fast! As I explained, it’s another awesome boat you can pick up for under 20k
A lot of people,are owners Because they want to steer but I actually like to scurry about on the boat to get everything tuned right.
That boat in the photo is an Olson 30 which was a breakthrough “ultralight. racer in the 80’s
It was one of the various “ultralight” sailboats developed to the south of San Francisco, in Santa Cruz. It was one of the earliest foam core vacuum bagged fiberglass boats, because Santa Cruz has a well known surf break so surfboard construction merged with sailboats. The real breakthrough was that they discovered that if the boat was light enough and had a flat area in the right place on the bottom, it would surf down the huge Pacific ocean swells all the way to Hawaii in the Transpac race.
I never got out on the ocean much, mostly enjoying the fierce summer winds in the bay, so never got the surfing experience. But we went fast! As I explained, it’s another awesome boat you can pick up for under 20k
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