Why expensive integrated amplifiers better than Topping...?

[captainbeefheart]

I see. A different thing as I see it, but the gouging is sure there.

I'll try and be more clear as I don't think I gave a detailed explanation.

Basically he advertises his amp as "$5,500" but that's without tubes. His "upgrades" are misleading in my opinion to customers because he states these are all things that will make the amp better, but they don't. So first tubes, he offers the C3g for $500 without any data of stock vs C3g input, say sensitivity and gain, distortion, etc.... Same with the power tubes. Just make the amp with the best part to begin with, why is it another $500 for this option? The Western Electric 300b option I can understand, those tubes are very expensive, but again show some stock vs WE data and why the upgrade is worth it. OR, just make the amp with the 300b's to begin with!!! I mean come on, $5,500 for that amp? It should have WE 300b's and the C3g already at that price point. Then there is vintage power and output transformer options. I don't get this at all, vintage power transformers IMHO aren't any better than modern ones, if anything they are old and the materials are in question, I doubt he Hi-pot tests them to see if the insulation is any good. It's far better to talk to a reputable transformer winder and have them wind to your specifications. This way you get a discount for quantity and you know all your amps are going to be consistent. He talks about his amps using nothing but the best part so why not just have some high quality bifilar wound double C core output transformers made and be done with it.

My opinion that even pocketing $2,000 profit per amp he has $3,500 for parts. The WE 300b's $1,500 for a pair, C3g $150 for a pair. That leaves 1,850 for transformers, I'm certain he could have two world class output transformers made for $700 each and that's allowing a lot of error in his favor, that leaves $450 for a power transformer and choke.

So yes I completely see his amps as price gauging. He baits people into thinking they need all these "upgrades" for the best performance and it's ridiculous. He could make decent profit per amp and include the best parts possible, best part is all amps are consistent and everyone gets the same amp so secondary market sales are easy, people know what they are getting because all of them are consistently similar in performance.

 

[Dougey_Jones]

Accuphase amplifiers are rather expensive.

I wrote here;
Accuphase provides repair and maintenance services for any of their past and present products sold in the past 50 years. Just one phone call to Accuphase, and they collect the amps (by the specially contracted transfer company having huge Accuphase boxes) at your home and they send it back to you afterwards; usually within one week quick and perfect service (in Japan) in reasonable cost after the warranty period. Of course the service is completely free within the warranty period.

I did it three times on my E-460; Accuphase's own decision to replace one capacitor (after the warranty period but of course free; a kind of gentle/generous preventive recall?), one repair for my mistake (short-circuit at SP terminals while operation) and one full overhaul maintenance.

They have several large storage rooms keeping huge amount of amp parts, including rather old capacitors, resistors, inductors and so on, used in their old products. In case if they cannot find the same parts, sometimes they even handmade it (by themselves or by contract-out) for perfect repair and maintenance, still in reasonable cost for us.

Their comparably high price list includes the cost covering such repair/maintenance policy, operation, human resources and services, I believe.

And I also wrote here;
Accuphase is intentionally restricting their export sales less than 30 % of their total business revenue in order to keep existing as an pure Japanese independent sustainable company;
http://www.accuphase.com/company_profile/a2_management_policies_2.pdf

Makes me want an Accuphase integrated even more than I already do

 

[Powerbench]

Sweet! That’s where price matches service and quality. Thanks for posting.

 

[DudleyDuoflush]

On the question of quality from China it totally depends on the time and effort you're prepared to put into quality control or the amount you're willing to pay. I've been responsible for a factory in China and visited many others. You genuinely get what you pay for. It took us a long time to get the quality right from our Chinese factory but once accomplished it was no different to any other manufacturing location. The savings are becoming less and less but China has built an impressive manufacturing infrastructure which makes it an easy place to manufacture (Covid aside).