@Pim You make some good points. I should clarify on one that I didn't.
The Devialet L’Original d’Atelier is a GORGEOUS piece of kit and worth every penny, period! I LOVE the Od'A. But that love has little to do with its prowess. I deliberately left the Od'A out of the equation because it is neither Expert nor Expert Pro but rather Expert Prototype. Because it's a mixed breed it's not as easy to categorize and therefore I kept it out of the discussion. But seeing as you brought it up I will digress a little.
Perhaps foolish was a bit harsh? Lets see...
If a man walks across a street fully clothed would that be foolish? No. If a man walks across the street bare naked would that be foolish? Of course. Why? It's the same man walking across the same street and to his mind he doesn't think it's foolish, after all he's the one doing it right? Regardless it's foolish.
Obviously spending more money than you need to is foolish. While I personally don't have a problem with it that doesn't change the facts. However, in your case it isn't so foolish because the Od'A is special and to get something as special as the Od'A is you need to spend the money. This is all provided you know what you are really spending the money on. Making an upfront investment, as you state, for future plans (even of they don't pan out) is not only okay but forward thinking. Again, I have no problem with this.
The exception that I take with people that upgrade to more power is the largely misguided rational that it will sound better. It won't unless some of the conditions have changed, like the load of the speakers, the damping of the room, the health of your ears, to name a few, thus potentially pushing the lesser amp beyonds its limits.
You don't mention the conditions of your analysis but you do make one thing perfectly clear. You wanted the Od'A, badly. Enough to justify the means necessary to keep it like observing an improvement in low volume clarity and bass performance. Perhaps there was an genuine observable improvement, the Od'A is after all a unique blend of technologies. Regardless which it is, you cannot discount the bias factor that forms the basis of your conclusion.
(On a side note, the placebo effect did come to mind when I read half way through your post and just before you noted it.)
The Devialet L’Original d’Atelier is a GORGEOUS piece of kit and worth every penny, period! I LOVE the Od'A. But that love has little to do with its prowess. I deliberately left the Od'A out of the equation because it is neither Expert nor Expert Pro but rather Expert Prototype. Because it's a mixed breed it's not as easy to categorize and therefore I kept it out of the discussion. But seeing as you brought it up I will digress a little.
Perhaps foolish was a bit harsh? Lets see...
If a man walks across a street fully clothed would that be foolish? No. If a man walks across the street bare naked would that be foolish? Of course. Why? It's the same man walking across the same street and to his mind he doesn't think it's foolish, after all he's the one doing it right? Regardless it's foolish.
Obviously spending more money than you need to is foolish. While I personally don't have a problem with it that doesn't change the facts. However, in your case it isn't so foolish because the Od'A is special and to get something as special as the Od'A is you need to spend the money. This is all provided you know what you are really spending the money on. Making an upfront investment, as you state, for future plans (even of they don't pan out) is not only okay but forward thinking. Again, I have no problem with this.
The exception that I take with people that upgrade to more power is the largely misguided rational that it will sound better. It won't unless some of the conditions have changed, like the load of the speakers, the damping of the room, the health of your ears, to name a few, thus potentially pushing the lesser amp beyonds its limits.
You don't mention the conditions of your analysis but you do make one thing perfectly clear. You wanted the Od'A, badly. Enough to justify the means necessary to keep it like observing an improvement in low volume clarity and bass performance. Perhaps there was an genuine observable improvement, the Od'A is after all a unique blend of technologies. Regardless which it is, you cannot discount the bias factor that forms the basis of your conclusion.
(On a side note, the placebo effect did come to mind when I read half way through your post and just before you noted it.)
"Dream as if you'll live forever. Live as if you'll die today."
