[widds2v]

With the Hornet coming out, at an intro price of $295 (for the first 100, which seem to have been claimed already in the Mall-fi forum) & regular price of $350 it obviously undercuts the SR71. People who have heard it say they cant distinguish the Hornet from Rays other high-end amps which would lead you to believe that it is on par or above the SR71 in sound quality.

The SR71 is known for having great resale value, sometimes used ones in perfect condition going only $10-15 less than "retail" price. Is there any point in buying an SR71 now.... is it time to unload the SR71 at a decent price ($300+) before the Hornet comes along at $350 and no-one will touch a SR71 unless its a killer deal (like $250)?

I'm only interested because I just purchased the SR71. Im going to purchase a Hornet, and kind of debating whether or not attempting to cash out now, or possibly pay the price later.

 

[Teerawit]

Quote:

Originally Posted by widds2v With the Hornet coming out, at an intro price of $295 (for the first 100, which seem to have been claimed already in the Mall-fi forum) & regular price of $350 it obviously undercuts the SR71. People who have heard it say they cant distinguish the Hornet from Rays other high-end amps which would lead you to believe that it is on par or above the SR71 in sound quality. The SR71 is known for having great resale value, sometimes used ones in perfect condition going only $10-15 less than "retail" price. Is there any point in buying an SR71 now.... is it time to unload the SR71 at a decent price ($300+) before the Hornet comes along at $350 and no-one will touch a SR71 unless its a killer deal (like $250)?

I doubt it. The Hornet and SR-71 have different sound signatures, each to match different tastes. People also have trouble distinguishing the SR-71 from Ray's higher offerings as well.

 

[GoRedwings19]

Exactly. This would be a good time for headfiers who wanted a sr71 but couldn't justify the cost expense. With the Hornet coming out the sr71 resale price is going to drop like a proverbial puck in October.

Happy hunting wannabe sr71 owners.

All though I do find one thing confusing though. Some people say they all sound the same as the full sized offerings and some say there is a difference. Now for a newcomer it sounds either like you are buying something which has an inconsistent sound quality, another that the full size rigs are not worth the money, or people are talking out of their asses.

So which is it?

 

[Jahn]

if for any reason i ever see the SR71 fall to 200 bucks used (like i see the SM v.1 doing, which is a shame) i'd pick it up in two seconds then live in the doghouse for a month.

the SR71 is a different animal than the Hornet. I dunno about the rest of the listeners, but to me, the SR71 definitely sounded different than the Hornet. it was more "airy" while the hornet was more forward. the SR71 seemed to present every detail in a lush black environment, while the hornet pummeled the tunes into your cranium (still silent tho!). the hornet cut through the mix, good in a portable walking noisy environment (or a meet environment lol!) but the SR71 was a little more sophisticated sounding to me, like it would be perfectly at home staying in your main home rig dishing out a nice etude or aria, or Miles with a mute busting out 'Round Midnight. hornet's vocals were in your face (mids?) while the vocals in the SR71 seemed to be more in the overall presentation (not a "V" in an eq tho!)

sorry if that doesn't help much, but if I owned a SR71, I wouldn't feel the need to get a Hornet. but if i owned no amp, and only had 300 bucks, i wouldn't mind snagging a hornet at pre-order prices versus waiting for a used SR71 to drop to 300.

 

[gpalmer]

Or it could be considered a collector's item. Personally, I went out and bought one just to make sure I had one before they quit being sold...

 

[deathsharp]

if the amps have different sound signature, I don't see why the resale price of the SR-71 should drop significantly

 

[gpalmer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by deathsharp if the amps have different sound signature, I don't see why the resale price of the SR-71 should drop significantly

That was my feeling on the topic...

 

[bahamaman]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jahn the SR71 is a different animal than the Hornet. I dunno about the rest of the listeners, but to me, the SR71 definitely sounded different than the Hornet. it was more "airy" while the hornet was more forward. the SR71 seemed to present every detail in a lush black environment, while the hornet pummeled the tunes into your cranium (still silent tho!). the hornet cut through the mix, good in a portable walking noisy environment (or a meet environment lol!) but the SR71 was a little more sophisticated sounding to me, like it would be perfectly at home staying in your main home rig dishing out a nice etude or aria, or Miles with a mute busting out 'Round Midnight. hornet's vocals were in your face (mids?) while the vocals in the SR71 seemed to be more in the overall presentation (not a "V" in an eq tho!)

My impressions exactly, based on hearing both at the Ft. Worth meet.

 

[Teerawit]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jahn sorry if that doesn't help much, but if I owned a SR71, I wouldn't feel the need to get a Hornet. but if i owned no amp, and only had 300 bucks, i wouldn't mind snagging a hornet at pre-order prices versus waiting for a used SR71 to drop to 300.

I was considering getting a used SR-71 or XP-7...and I have no amp at the moment...but I'm going to wait for the Hornet cuz it's smaller

 

[Teerawit]

Quote:

Originally Posted by GoRedwings19 All though I do find one thing confusing though. Some people say they all sound the same as the full sized offerings and some say there is a difference. Now for a newcomer it sounds either like you are buying something which has an inconsistent sound quality, another that the full size rigs are not worth the money, or people are talking out of their asses. So which is it?

I'm relatively new at this hobby, ergo I have inexperienced/untrained ears. I cannot tell the differences between these portables and full size rigs at the moment. So why not go easy on the wallet and start the journey lightly?

 

[EdipisReks]

if the hornet really sounds as close to the Raptor as many have reported, will we see a glut of Raptors for sale as people embrace the smaller, less scalding portable without worrying about the perception of reduced sound quality? i know that several members of Head-fi embraced the SR-71 as home amps, so it is a possibility. if the Hornet does sound like early reports suggest it will, the idea of the SR-71, and even other, higher end amps, going down in price on the used market isn't that farfetched.

 

[Teerawit]

Quote:

Originally Posted by EdipisReks if the hornet really sounds as close to the Raptor as many have reported, will we see a glut of Raptors for sale as people embrace smaller, less scalding portables without the perception of reduced sound quality?

I hope so, I want a Raptor

pretty tubes!

 

[tkam]

Obsolete isn't the right word, to me that means something new is completely replacing an older model. While I wouldn't exactly call the designs of either of them "new" they are targeting different markets and at least intially are priced far enough apart. If you like the SR-71 I say hang onto it and skip the Hornet, but if your not happy with the SR-71 and need more battery life than dump the SR-71 and get the Hornet. Simple.

 

[recstar24]

Quote:

Originally Posted by tkam Obsolete isn't the right word, to me that means something new is completely replacing and older model. While I wouldn't exactly call the designs of either of them "new" they are targeting different markets and at least intially are priced far enough apart. If you like the SR-71 I say hang onto it and skip the Hornet, but if your not happy with the SR-71 and need more battery life than dump the SR-71 and get the Hornet. Simple.

I concur - the man speaks with wisdom beyond his years

 

[[AK]Zip]

Quote:

Originally Posted by EdipisReks if the hornet really sounds as close to the Raptor as many have reported, will we see a glut of Raptors for sale as people embrace the smaller, less scalding portable without worrying about the perception of reduced sound quality?

The Raptors have a lot more power and warmth compared to the Hornet. I herd both at the FT. Worth meet with all sort of headphones. The SA5k's love the warm tub amps and the 600/650 do too.

-Alex-