Hifi, why bother?

[Amie]

So are you saying that Amie's example ECC82 actually has a market value of £50?

Hello Mark.

That's the point. Value. Market value, not true value.

Someone somewhere has broadcast the idea that, (in the example I gave), the yellow print version of that valve from Mullard has some magical audio quality that makes them desirable.

So less well informed people will then want them in preference to other equally adequate components, creating a demand, inflating the price.

What my point was, are the owners of these items that are prepared to sell them the ones who are ripping of the gullible, not being the instigators of the claims?

.... Don't know why the question was raised?

Why, because you said that you believed that people were being ripped off, nobody makes them buy stuff, if they choose to believe the shampoo bottle science and are happy with it all the better. It doesn't matter if you believe it, as long as they do.

The only distinction between the one instance is that the vendors of the equipment you describe are defrauding by copyright, and the other instance the vendor is defrauding by omission. If the customer is happy with his purchase then all that's happened is someone is happy and someone makes a living. Whether we like it or not.

I can see how it would be cloying to you as an engineer when you've done your utmost to make something as near perfect, then someone then messes it up because they prefer it messed up. Just as a Chef must cringe when a restaurant customer asks for his steak well done and covered in ketchup!

All the best
Amie.