[Happy Camper]

We have budgets ranging from $10 to $10,000. At what price range do you get the most performance? Not the last % but the most % for the dollar. I accept that there will be many factors that go into this equation. One is that the current top of the line headphones are used. Two, sources are of mid fi range. Three, dynamic/SE. The rest I leave to your comments. What is your value system?
 

 

[Leny]

I was just talking to my girlfriend about the same thing.
 
For me it's similar for most things in life when it comes to choosing interesting things rather than essentials... I usually ignore the very cheapest and then treat the most expensive with suspicion! I think the very cheapest is likely poorly made mass-market dross, and the most expensive is likely to be sold with an inflated high price to create a false halo of excellence to infer that it is 'the best'.
 
As for choices, I think you really have to go in steps of about x 2 to get any real improvement, and at each level you have to try and weed out the one or two choices that really are over-priced or under-capable. I've currently reached my ceiling for now with a £1600 amp on order. I guess that to get better will require x 2 money and that is simply out of the question for me ( / us ).
 
One value proposition would be a kit of parts from an established designer. That would save the hundreds (and hundreds) of hours that it takes to learn the subject while being reasonably cost effective. The Hagtech kits look quite reasonable.

 

[El_Doug]

sansa clip integrated chipamp
 
 
it's hard to quantify a pricepoint for anything higher, since the quality (both sound and build) vary wildly for any given amount of money you throw at an amp.  the most significant improvements happen earlier, however I would argue that an amp is NEVER a worthwhile investment in the grand scheme of things (in terms of sq/$), since diminishing returns factor in at the first dollar spent. 
 
on the flipside, there are always improvements to be had, and if you desire better sq, you should always be aiming higher.  once you hear something better, it will be hard for you to go back to your "measly" $3000 setup and be satisfied - so in this fashion, the best sq/$ comes at the top, in the sense that you will not feel in any way limited.  this is the definition of consumer whore (the category I belong to)

 

[Mad Max]

 
Quote:

...
 
For me it's similar for most things in life when it comes to choosing interesting things rather than essentials... I usually ignore the very cheapest and then treat the most expensive with suspicion! I think the very cheapest is likely poorly made mass-market dross, and the most expensive is likely to be sold with an inflated high price to create a false halo of excellence to infer that it is 'the best'.
 
As for choices, I think you really have to go in steps of about x 2 to get any real improvement, and at each level you have to try and weed out the one or two choices that really are over-priced or under-capable...

x2
(more or less, close enough)

 

[Ypoknons]

I tried several times to write a response, but it's hard - Uncle Erik has a point, you never know quite what's enough ... Nevertheless I'll try: based on my amp shopping auditions, I like SS amps in the $600-700 range. There are some good new models here, the Burson and the Concerto, plus some great oldies at a lower price - GCHA and Stello HP100 (locally). Most of them, being SS, have a nice low output impedance as well, so they're not limited to high impedance cans. But then I realize there are still way too many cheaper products I haven't tried, the (post-Compass) Audio GDs, the Elekit, some Chinese amps so it's really hard to say. (edit) and then there's DIY, doesn't make where I live but makes a lot of sense where the scene is active... 

 

[Hello]

This is an important question, but one that is almost impossible answer.  Everyone has his or her own personal preferences which make the question very subjective.  It is not just how much you value the amp, but also how much you value the money that you would use to purchase the amp.
 
In the spirit of answering your question more directly, I can say -- based on nothing but my own personal opinion -- I would hesitate purchasing an amp that costs over $1000, and there are some great deals around the $200 mark.   

 

[Ypoknons]

^ even if we are not looking for objective answers or consensus of subjective view, we can have meaningful exchanges of opinion backed up by evidence.
 
So, why $200? 

 

[Vergex2]

Beta 22 / M^3.

 

[Armaegis]

My point of diminishing returns (ie: beyond which I can hear the difference, but don't really feel like it's worth the money)
for headphones ~$100
for speakers (pair) ~$500
 
My point of negligible returns (ie: beyond which where I no longer hear the difference, or have to really really think about it)
for headphones ~$300
for speakers (pair) ~$2k
 
I find that the deeper I get into this hobby though, the further I want to push those limits. My current income and/or discretionary budget for the month also has a lot to do with it. In general, anything that costs more than half a mortgage payment will really make me take pause and reevaluate.

 

[K3cT]

$300 - $500

 

[Leny]

Having thought it through some more, I believe that it's very likely to hinge around one's view of, and access to, disposable income.
 
The OPs question was "What is your value system", well...
 
If you can afford $300, then you will be inclined to find good value there.
If you can afford $1000, then you will be inclined to find good value at that point.
If you can afford $3000, then guess what...
 
I might be wrong, but we seem to be very good at adapting and justifying our choices.
 
I guess the key is to identify the weakest link in what you have and the greatest value in what is available. Then, for me at least, don't get side-tracked by aesthetics or the hype & bluster from magazines and the internet!
 
Good luck.

 

[Jack C]

I've engaged in many many hobbies, and with few exceptions, the point where "good enough quality" equipment typically happens in the low hundreds.
 
Beyond that, people typically spend money to get something very specific, which can get quite costly.  Enthusiasts typically spend $2-4k for the entire "system", while the truly high end spend tens of thousands but are in the minority.
 
From what I've observed, this is true for headphone enthusiasts as well.

 

[MarkJnK]

My current amp is a Woo WA6SE, which I think is a great amp for the money, with excellent quality and superb sound, but to answer your question,  I'll refer back to an amp i had two amps before the Woo.  I paid under $200 for a Meier Corda HeadFive, and the jump in sound quality with the Corda on the headphones I was using (K701 at the time) was very dramatic and noticable.  Every upgrade after this fell into the category of subtle, following the law of diminishing returns.  So yes, I can afford a Woo WA6SE and thoroughly enjoy it, but if I was true to myself and answer your question, I'd say $200 is the point where I heard the greatest sound improvement for dollars spent.
 
Now pair the Headfive with a $240ish DT990/600 and you have a spectacular mid-fi set-up for relatively little outlay.

 

[haloxt]

Imo there's little point going above $500 if you use only stock cables for everything and your headphone cable also happens to be super thin enamel wire and 10 foot long, you may actually prefer the sound of cheaper amps because better amps tend to reveal more weaknesses in cables, dac, and transport. The most important part of the question is what headphones are you using, some mid-hi-fi headphones simply sound good out of anything.

 

[pj_rage]

Aesthetics and features aside, focusing only on performance (SQ), $30-40 shipped (less if you're lucky) for the bravo v2 amp off ebay is the best value IMO.  Not that it's the best SQ, but what you get relative to the price is outstanding and it's cheaper than even most cheap DIY builds.  I can't imagine it can be easily beat for $/SQ, though I guess SQ is subjective.  Beyond that, building your own beta22 with a cheap (free) case is probably the best value for the money spent on an amplifier.  Any answer other than these two (and possibly various other DIY amps), IMHO, is founded on your budget and fitting the best SQ you can afford into it.