Who will buy Astra

[Rocketmannequin]

I have the Expert Pro 220 since 2016 and have been very happy using it with Roon along with the CI board upgrade. I also feel somewhat duped as regards the many promises of further upgrades and features. However, for a novice audiophile like me, this was always silly money to spend on an amplifier and if it didn't look as great in the chrome pizza-box as it does, I may have gone for something else. So the aesthetics and design were not unimportant along with the audio quality. In this vein, is the new Astra even aimed at me/us and should we be disappointed at the cost? It's the same form, the specs seem similar and there is no real new killer functionality. With so many brands seeking to differentiate their products, there is now a Opéra de Paris gold leaf version. While I like it, it seems gimmicky and I wonder what other audiophiles would think of us spending cash on gold leafing! (I do see this hanging on the wall of am exclusive villa in Dubai) Regardless, my point is that I am very happy with what I have, I am lucky to have no technical glitches and should perhaps not have expected a niche company to be able to offer any real upgrades for a niche product for any length of time. Whoever does decide to buy the new Astra, welcome to the Devialet club and enjoy your new and shiny pizza box. I'm not really feeling left behind.