There's a lot of great vintage stuff. There's also a lot of great inexpensive 'entry level' stuff out there. I think the bottom end of the market is booming due to the current state of the economy. With all that being said...
There's definitely an exponential law of diminishing returns in this hobby. Sound quality isn't the only determining factor of cost. Actually, I think it isn't related at all except for one small detail - better quality (read more expensive) parts generally sound better. What we're truly paying for is labor and customer support.
A product being made in Canada by Canadians earning an honest wage for honest work isn't cheap. A 20 year no-bullshit warranty isn't cheap. A company that'll fix and/or upgrade a component for pretty much cost adds to the overall cost of a new item.
I'm pretty sure a component made with the same parts and using the same manufacturing techniques, only this time made in a 3rd world country and carrying a severely limited 3 year warranty would cost quite a bit less. Perhaps 1/3 of what Bryston charges.
We pay for quality. Build quality, warranty quality, customer service quality, etc. if it doesn't sound good, then all that is irrevelant. However, what a component sounds like doesn't (hopefully) solely determine the cost.
A lot of the vintage stuff was made at a time when people and companies took pride in their product. Do you think Pioneer or Marantz has the same standards today as they did when my father's 2220B was built? Do you think their current receivers will be as sought after in 30 years as today's 30 year old receivers are?
Also...
Be careful of new and exciting gear, regardless of its age. Sometimes new to your ears sounds great for a little while. Then, as BB King sang, the thrill is gone.
Stu, I agree with you on all these points. I hope that you didn't take my OP as a complaint about the high cost of high end equipment. That certainly wasn't miy intent. I recognize and accept the higher cost of my gear, especially Bryston, because of the factors you describe. And, I have to confess I like owning well-designed and crafted products. There is, for me, some joy in the look feel and operation of very good stuff, like my Bryston equipment, my car, and, yes, my iPad, which, although mass produced, has all the attributes of a a fine Swiss watch.
And I also agree about the vintage equipment, some of which, like my recently acquired Pioneer SX980, also was designed and built by people who cared about getting it right.
Incidentally, my story about that Pioneer unit took a turn today. I discovered a problem with it, and the dealer from who I bought it, under warranty, took it back for inspection and repair. He thinks it is a capacitor going bad.
The interesting news, however, is this. While waiting for that repair, I pulled out my equally old Technics SU-V303 integrated amp to use in the interim. This piece is not finished as well as the Pioneer, and it shows. Purchased new nearly 30 years ago for very little money, and seldom used since then, it seems to be in perfect working and sounds very good. Called a New Class A, at 40 watts it seems to have a lot of heft to it, albeit not quite as smooth a sound as the Pioneer. In any case, it lacks the gem-like look and feel of the Pioneer. We'll see, however, which one ends up being the more reliable in its old age.
I can't speak of newer Marantz and Pioneer equipment, although it seems that Marantz and Pioneer Elite models have pretty good reputations. As for the down market newer gear, I would agree, it isn't what it used to be. For example, there is Sony gear aimed at the high end of the market that I bought in more recent years that is excellent and has been reliable. On the other hand, a few years back I bought a downscale Sony receiver to use with my TV that is terrible - hard to use, major hum, not worth fixing.
Dave
