[SeaWo|f]

My issue is with him getting very basic technical aspects of things wrong, and using that as a way to either steer people in one direction or another.

Also he reviews stats those interested in stats who listen to him should be warned.

 

[purk]

This discussion of z review offers nothing to this thread

He's funny but I trust my own hearing more.

 

[tigon_ridge]

Corrections! KG Amps are not wallet destroying, even if you buy BHSE. To put them all together this nicely and all the dumb stuff people do......it is still too cheap for the price

KG amps are actually the best price/performances ratio, if you are willing to tackles up challenges. Also great price/performances ratio that can not be find anywhere else if you buy or commissions it built

That may well be true, and I hope it is, but it would be nice if KG and his fellow engineers could design and implement a build that is meant to pair with entry-level Staxes. Pretty sure the SRM-252S and SRM-353 could use some nice competition for people who don't have the income to shell out for the high-end Stax models. Every KG amp offers two orders of magnitude more power than any entry-level Stax requires. How about a lower-power, mini KGSShv that won't break the bank? It would serve as a gateway to the more powerful/pricy KG amps for Stax newbies.

 

[SeaWo|f]

That's not a great option why make something that doesn't work well with all stats.

If you want a cheaper kg amp look at the kgdt or the cheap version of the kgsshv that spritzer has been working on for years.

Or the srx plus, or the current feed back amp that kg did recently.

Not all kg amps break the bank

Edit :: I know the srx plus isn't a kg amp. I just realized that isn't clear in the above post. Credit jiml.

 

[tigon_ridge]

That's not a great option why make something that doesn't work well with all stats.

If you want a cheaper kg amp look at the kgdt or the cheap version of the kgsshv that spritzer has been working on for years.

Or the srx plus, or the current feed back amp that kg did recently.

Not all kg amps break the bank.

The cheap kgsshv, according to Birgir's site, goes for about $2.1k USD (correct me if I'm wrong). Still very expensive for someone who is content with an L300 but is curious about what all this infamous, widely touted KG magic has to offer.

"why make something that doesn't work well with all stats." Because not everyone is interested in all stats, for budgetary reasons. If audio manufacturers only offered high end models, their companies would be a fraction of their current size. It's generally the entry-level stuff that makes for the majority of their revenue. It turns out, most people aren't rich.

 

[SeaWo|f]

Lots of entry level gear is neutered in ways besides power. IDK how much making a lower power amp would reduce cost. Someone like Spritzer, KG or JimL would have to answer that one.

Spritzer has relatively high cost because of the realities of living in Iceland. IDK how much the cheap kgsshv would run if he were building it in the states, but I'm guessing it could knock a not insignificant chunk off.

 

[tigon_ridge]

Yes, it seems the KGSShv designs are labor-intensive, such that even a low-power model with inexpensive components may still have a hefty price due to labor cost alone. Still, I'm curious of what the KG kingpins could manage to pull out of their hats.

 

[purk]

Not only that but KG amps are built at much smaller scale. So his design will not be competitive at least price wise compared to lower-end Stax amps which are mass produced with lesser power supply.

 

[tigon_ridge]

I thought so too, but hey, some people have adamantly claimed that KG amps are the best price/performance ratio, sooo maybe KG or Birgie can design and build an $0.8-1.2k amp that'll compel SRM-252s owners to upgrade to. Actually, I would prefer a DIY option in this regard. It would be a fun project for a starving college EE student like myself.

 

[mulveling]

It turns out, most people aren't rich.

That's not our so much concern, here in SUMMIT-FI. We can try to help out in the sub-2K amp range. It's just that the amps above that line are so good, and that comprises the bulk of our passion around these parts.

As mentioned in prior comments, there are still some very nice options below that $2.1K KGSShv (especially if you stick with good Lambdas for now), but it'll simply take more research and effort on your part. We can't always just tell you "here buy this", like in the other parts of head-fi. Stax the company, and its enthusiast community, has always bucked the trends of the typical audio industry - and you'll probably find that incredibly refreshing, once you jump in.

I've said this before, but the magic and excitement of the nascent high-end headphone community in the early days of head-fi - it mutated and/or dried up in the other parts of head-fi, and that feeling only remains in the Stax community.

 

[Whitigir]

Buy used, or put yourself into it (work harder, make more money, and DIY) or both. Nothing good comes easy.

 

[mulveling]

Buy used, or put yourself into it (work harder, make more money, and DIY) or both. Nothing good comes easy.

This. Preach, brother Whitigir!

 

[tigon_ridge]

I've never found a used KGSShv that is advertised for less than the "cheap" version. There are people up to their heads in debt working part-time jobs while studying full-time and your suggestion is "work harder." That made me giggle.

 

[SeaWo|f]

work smarter?

 

[purk]

I've never found a used KGSShv that is advertised for less than the "cheap" version. There are people up to their heads in debt working part-time jobs while studying full-time and your suggestion is "work harder." That made me giggle.

I saw a KGSS here for around $1100 used, why not just grab this amp and be happy? I saw several used KGST for around $1500 as well...and that's a great price for such amp. Otherwise, just be happy with the 323S or the 717 if you can buy one used for around $800 - 900. Don't forget that casework alone isn't cheap either.