Posted by Wayne Parham [ 70.234.159.209 ] on January 27, 2009 at 13:56:13:

In Reply to: Dynaco st-70 tube amp by triode elec? posted by wayne-o on January 26, 2009 at 21:32:22:

I haven't listened to that amp for any length of time, just occasionally at meetings. It sounds good and is well regarded. However, to me, audio gear is best evaluated over a period of time. I can always measure something to quantify its performance but there is another metric that is much harder to quantify. I find some pieces just grow on me and I like them more than others, and this is probably more true with amplifiers than any other component.

I can usually tell whether I like a speaker driver fairly quickly, even long term fatigue can be evaluated in a weekend. I can judge a CD player pretty quickly too. But amps have to be lived with for a while. I find myself drawn to certain systems, and a lot of times that has to do with the amp. The trouble is, that makes it hard to really evaluate an amplifier before I own it.

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