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In Reply to: Didn' realize they were $6000 posted by Jon L on July 19, 2010 at 09:58:11:
I suppose you're right, it's the nature of semantics. But I really didn't mean to imply there's anything WRONG with the Stratos, using phrases like 'already excellent' etc. In fact, lest anyone think I'm damning them with faint praise, I'll go further and say that the Stratos monoblocs, regular or Extreme, are probably THE biggest bargain in conventional SS amps today. Why? Because they probably give about 80-85% of what the Kismets give, maybe more, for about a third the price (mine were closer to $7300 new, in full nick. I got them for a cash outlay of less than 2K, after subtracting what I got for my monoblocs). That last 15% makes a huge dif, but it's not cost effective, point of diminishing returns, and all that. In fact, the gentleman I bought the Kismets from replaced them with a pair of WaveStream V8's. A 50K pair of tube amps that he got for 25K. He said they are indeed better than the Kismets, but not THAT much better.
And I KNOW everyone wants to know how they compare to other giant slayers in their price range, ie the Pass Labs, the Ayres, etc. I'd like to know also, but am unlikely to. Neither my wallet or my back can take moving amps like these in and out of my upstairs condo on a regular basis. These were the deal of a lifetime for me. My point being, the Kismets are good enough that I no longer CARE.
Just like my Teres. There's a point where the ear says "OK, THIS is what I've been holding out for!" The Kismets are that point.
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Follow Ups
- Actually mine were a bit over 7k, new.... - Marc Bratton 20:02:14 07/19/10 (0)
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