Quote:
Originally posted by Jeff Mackwood:
Flat, noiseless, distortion-free sound should be found in all gear at all price points. A $1000 pre/pro can (and should) sound nearly identical to a $10,000 pre/pro. Achieving this is probably the easiest thing a manufacturer can do.
You would think so, but I've often found it to not be as true as it could be.

If you take that thinking a step further to a baseline image quality for LCD TVs, (or plasma vs plasma, etc.) all should have a baseline picture that should match other displays of that category. But manufacturers tend to "tweak" their product to set it apart from others on a comparison shelf. I imagine the same can be said for audio equipment.

I personally judge how flat an audio system is by comparing to my old Forté stereo rig, and I'm continuously amazed on how colored some newer "high-end" equipment sounds in comparison. The Outlaw amps and pre/pros have come the closest to matching my old rig than anything I have been able to A/B test.

And that's the main reason I'm here!