How important is build quality?

Posted by Brian Paulsen [IP: 192.147.65.114] on April 30, 1999 at 15:29:22
Using Mozilla/4.04 [en] (WinNT; U):

In Reply to: How important is build quality? posted by Ron Hastings on April 30, 1999 at 15:14:25:

I think there is a critical difference between a car and a preamp and that's the fact that I would be touching the car every time I used it. Naturally, I would rather have a well-built car when we start looking at well it survives crashes. However, with a preamp, I think once I put it in the rack, I doubt I'll be touching it much after that - so the only thing that may be important is how it looks.

With that being said, I'm certainly not going to argue against aesthetics, and that everyone's taste is going to differ. However, some seem to think that the more the unit weighs, the better it is. It's this kind of thinking that leaves me a little perplexed.

For example, when SGHT reviewed the Theta and Krell units, they mentioned how the things were built like tanks (I'm paraphrasing here). Why should this matter to me unless I'm a G.I. living near a combat zone? Why would a heavier unit be a better thing? I could understand with an amp why weight is somewhat proportional to power capabilities, but I'm a little loss on what difference weight would make to a preamp.

Let me just say that if I wanted to get rich, sometimes I feel I could just construct a preamp with Bose electronics and wrap it up in a sheet metal box which is riveted shut (can't have people looking at the electronics) and then add some lead weights in there. Reviewers would be impressed by the build quality and this would impart the psychological edge that I need that would make them think it sounds better than it does. After all, I think I can rely on most reviewers not to double-blind test the equipment. :)

Brian

Follow Ups:

• How important is build quality? - Philip Brandes 16:18:14 04/30/99 (0)

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