Back to the original question...
While a tier listing will always be contentious, as the truth is in the eyes or the ears of the beholder, a different question is how the market will evolve.
A general take from an economic point of view is, that usually in a constrained market (Covid induced depression) people tend to stick to their guns. I.e. are looking for already established value positions. That would would in principle speak for established players.
However, the same effect creates room for challengers focusing on performance-based value. I.e. people are looking for better offers from either established players or challengers. But then again new entrants will struggle to establish a reputation. This creates an opportunity space for renewal at established players.
One approach is looking at the market from price & perception point of view like Mike did. But a ranking/ tier list Is always subjective and hence difficult. Another perspective would be looking at established and new players from a performance & value point of view.
This is just an excerpt of selected players’ performance and value positions from personal experience perspective (I do not have a comprehensive view):
Traditionals:
- Constellation: Highly acclaimed sound performance, but products don’t move and hence prices have strongly deteriorated - performance ++/ value - -
- Boulder: Acclaimed, but also partly perceived dry, very high price points prohibitive for most of the market, also demo units highly discounted - performance +/ value - -
- Gryphon: Acclaimed sound, particularly in class A biased models, but design is an acquired taste and price points are very high - performance +/ value -
- CH & Spectral: Very highly acclaimed sound for those who like it, but it’s an acquired taste, CH keeps innovating while Spectral is pretty much dead, esp. CH with prohibitively high price points - performance (+)(+)/ value +/-
- Pass: Solid performers throughout the range, continuous innovation, but not the leader in any area - performance +/ value +
- Dart: Top performers in highest tier, but on integrated level only average, prohibitive price points for anyone - performance ++/ value +
- Soulution: Highly acclaimed, while too dry for some, great first years, but little innovation in nearly a decade and prices deteriorating strongly - performance ++/ value -
- MBL: High-end bling bling golden rims etc, strictly system play - performance +/ value +/-
- T+A: Keep innovating, full product range, but never quite the best-of-the-best, reputation problem - performance +/- / value +/-
- Dag: High priced, high performing, a bit blingy design - performance ++/ value +
- ARC & Octave: Do have their following with toob aficionados, but need to keep all focus on getting tubes to perform appropriately - performance +/ value -
Movers & shakers:
- Classé (superb value with high performance): For me one of the current top value providers, almost mere hi-fi heritage. But with the new Delta series shifting from high power to high current on high impedance level, and achieving really good results - performance +/ value +++
- AudioNet (superb performance with relatively high value): Breaking new ground with the scientist series, but like CH, Spectral you need to like the sound signature (previous gen. very different), and accept rather high price points - performance +++/ value +
Also ran:
- AVM, ASR, Accustic Arts, VTL, Bryston, SimAudio, Naim, Ayre, Hegel, Macintosh, Symphonic Line, Aavik, Parasound, Bel Canto, Wyred, Cambridge, NAD (and a lots of others I’m not interested in either)
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