[mark2410]

well i think we can all aggree that personal preference has notihng to do with actually being superior, i mean there are plenty of people that eat mcdonalds food and they like it.  it however is a mass  produced, standardised product and i suspect they dont have someone like Grahm but for food, labouring over everything component choice.
 
sure if you pick anything and produce it in massive quantities you can hammer down the cost of each one but thats not always the point.  once you reach a certain point it becomes all abotu the sound and the price stops matttering so much.

 

[Sonic Defender]

  well i think we can all aggree that personal preference has notihng to do with actually being superior, i mean there are plenty of people that eat mcdonalds food and they like it.  it however is a mass  produced, standardised product and i suspect they dont have someone like Grahm but for food, labouring over everything component choice.
 
sure if you pick anything and produce it in massive quantities you can hammer down the cost of each one but thats not always the point.  once you reach a certain point it becomes all abotu the sound and the price stops matttering so much.

You are making an error to an extent in proposing that there is an absolute standard by which universal superiority is determined. Ultimately that comes down to each individual so it is just as much subjective as objective. There is no guarantee that slow hand production yields any audible quality gains, it might, but it might not, in fact they could be worse. I think there is only a very modest degree of relevance in your food analogy. The quality and taste difference in a finely crafted meal is almost certainly so obvious to the vast majority of people (assuming they like the flavours - subjective component) as compared with say McDonalds.
 
That is not likely to hold true in electronics anywhere near as much. There are amazing sounding mass produced Chinese components that in blind listening tests that listeners would have a hard time telling apart from say small scale, boutique components (beyond subjective preferences of course). You may be making an attribution error if you are assuming that the process of hand assembly could possibly yield any sonic gains. I can't imagine for the life of me what principles of physics could support any audible changes due to a quickly soldered joint versus a slowly soldered joint. It isn't the hand assembly of Graham Slee products providing the sonic values, it is his tuning skills that matter so mass production versus small scale production isn't likely a factor in the least.

 

[mark2410]

sigh
 
you do realise that an analogy is never the exact same situation.  at this point im tring to decide if your actively trying to be obtuse or are in some way challenged.
 
so lets put this as clearly as i possibly can.
 
Graham Slee, they make nice things, in small amounts and they are expensive.
 
if they made the exact same thing, by machine, in vast numbers, it would sound the exact same but by stint of mass production and shared apportioned costs would be much cheaper per unit.
 
 
however.........
 
to make in a mass produced fashion would require someone to plonk down a bunch of capital (money) to get it mass produced.  the danger is big cost upfront, if sales dont go as hoped, co goes **** up.
 
therefore, you want Graham Slee amps to be cheaper, then contact Graham and tell him you wish to order 20 thousand and i am absolutly sure he will be able to significantly reduce the cost per unit for you.

 

[Sonic Defender]

  sigh
 
you do realise that an analogy is never the exact same situation.  at this point im tring to decide if your actively trying to be obtuse or are in some way challenged.
 
so lets put this as clearly as i possibly can.
 
 

While I think you were being rude by suggesting that I'm challenged, I still have to admit that after re-reading your post again I may have misinterpreted things a tad, not to the level of being obtuse, but I do think I misunderstood where the thrust of your argument was being aimed. So for my part I think I should have taken a second read through your post before responding as it is evident that I was a little off in my assessment of what you were saying. That said, you didn't need to get personal like that mate, and I have indeed managed over an A average throughout university, been awarded scholarships and made the Dean's List on a few occasions so evidence would suggest I'm not challenged.

 

[Sonic Defender]

Deleted

 

[swannie007]

Hell, if you want to pay more for a product that was hand assembled, go ahead but don't be disparaging toward those of us who choose not to exercise this form of financial outlay. If I can hear a sonic difference that is appealing to me, I will pay the asking price but I won't pay above "market value" because it was hand assembled. It is all about the sound, isn't it? My 2c worth.  

 

[506638]

A competent amp..... much better amps exist (IMO). I used to own one......

Much better amps at the same price (when VAT removed, $737 including a top class power supply) ? May be you're right but I'd really be interesting in knowing which as I plan to buy another

I agree with everything in this is deep review but I'd add a con : no XLR input not output (which made me change my phono amp). This is certainly because made in Great Britain and there"s a few tremendouus creators who have worked with the BBC and like better single line than XLR.

 

[mark2410]

well no XLR is gonna be an issue for some but for me then i would detract from it being such a nicely compact amp adding the extra bits that many dont use. Swings and roundabouts.

 

[Nitreb]

well no XLR is gonna be an issue for some but for me then i would detract from it being such a nicely compact amp adding the extra bits that many dont use. Swings and roundabouts.

I tried the Solo ULDE last year through the loan program for about a month. It's a great amp that paired very well with my Grado GS2000e and LCD-XC. It was connected to the pre-out of my integrated amp.

 

[Serge Bernamej]

This amp is a MASTERPIECE. I can’t believe how clean, musical and non offensive it is, super resolving yet absolutely balanced across the frequency. I’m in love !!!!!

 

[volly]

This amp is a MASTERPIECE. I can’t believe how clean, musical and non offensive it is, super resolving yet absolutely balanced across the frequency. I’m in love !!!!!

I have the Novo for a long while now and I love that little thing, I've always been on the look out for the Solo/Ultralinear! I love the house sound! Great Prat!

 

[Sonic Defender]

I have the Novo for a long while now and I love that little thing, I've always been on the look out for the Solo/Ultralinear! I love the house sound! Great Prat!

I have to agree, the Novo which I had on hand for about 4 months really impressed me. I could not believe how such a diminutive thing could produce such an articulate sound. I know that there is no need to have big heavy cases to have great sound, but even knowing that the little Novo still shocked me. I guess like most I have internalized the belief that a bigger, heavy box chock full of components is inherently "better" than a tiny little box with just what is needed to pull off the discrete design. I have no doubt Mr. Slee is exceptionally talented.

 

[Serge Bernamej]

A genius my friend !!!! All the glare, harshness and artefacts are gone ! And my rig is not cheap ! My sources are clean. I might have to buy another one in case it goes out of production...

 

[TooFrank]

I have the Novo for a long while now and I love that little thing, I've always been on the look out for the Solo/Ultralinear! I love the house sound! Great Prat!

I have enjoyed this combo for a while. And while expensive, the Solo ULDE is so nice, not least with the Grado’s

 

[Serge Bernamej]

Nice !!!! This thread diserves way more attention and activity.