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Re: When does a better mouse trap turn distasteful carboncopy cloning?

I've owned a real Gaincard for several years, and have seen/heard the AMP-1 that was reviewed.

Despite the obvious ripoff of and similarities to the Gaincard, and even at half the price, it still fails in my eyes. Here's why:

1) It's NOT a gaincard. There are those for whom only the original will do. The item is more than the sum of it's parts.

2) the ripoff of styling elements is not even well done. The proportions are all wrong. Feet are too big, knobs are too small. Powersupply has no elegance of form. Colors/metal treatment is garish in comparison. (intead of anodized black, it's silver and polished brass (gold?)... reminds me of the ugly Musical Fidelity stuff).

3) the people who would pay 1/2 the price of a Gaincard for a fake one, are few and far between I think. It seems the Gaincard syndrome(?) appeals to 2 types. Those who like and want the Gaincard and will throw down the $ to have one. And those who are too cheap to do so/think they can do better, and will build their own for a couple hundred bucks and be happy with it. There doesn't seem to be a middle ground.

IMNSHO, I'd think Peter (the builder of AMP-1) would be better served by coming up with a more original case design, something small and elegant that wasn't such a big ripoff of the gaincard case design. He had some one-offs he had posted pics of on DIYaudio.com forums I think.. those looked much more interesting/better/unique than the AMp-1. (the acrylic/heatsink/copper pipe one in particular).

BTW, the retail on the 50w Gaincard is $4000, not $4800. (www.sakurasystems.com). Also, the regular gaincard puts out more than 25W, measured at something over 40w from what I had read in various places.

Ironically, I wonder if this review will help or hurt the Amp-1's chances in the marketplace. Could certainly go either way I think.

-Ed Sawyer

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