There is one single unit of the rare Western Electrric 86a at ebay now at US$19,100 with 1 day 19 hours more to go.
I am glad that I am not chasing after this unit as it would really costs me an arm and a leg. It seems that there is and will continue to have a strong demand for WE around the globe. Really curious to see where this piece of classic would end up utimately. Even though price is not equivalent to sound quality, I am interested to know the rationales behind the chase. Is it due to emotional desires to own? or the love of the sound from the 300B? i guess, we will never know unless we can ask the owner who won the item.
Western Electric has always produced items for professional use rather then hifi usage. The Western Electric 86a would have to be modified in order to be able to use it as home audio.
Recently, there has been lots of comments on the R33 forum arguing that High price not being equal to bets sound. Personally, I think the "argument" is bull shit as it is already a known fact (like stating Air is free). In addition, how do you classifed "best sound"? Music reproduction from a system may be liked by some and hate by others.
Thus, the name Western Electric as a legend, will definitely has its mystical "power" and attraction. For me, I am very happy that I have managed to find a matched pair of Western Electric 124b in very good condition. Does it sounds best? Yes, to my ears and to my preference. Otherwise, I would not have paid for it. It's just like asking if Rolls Royce is the best car as "Best" has different definition to different people. Some define Best as having control while others see best as having speed or prestige. One fact remains is that the expensive Western Electric gears, will get even more expensive in the future since supply is limited while demand is on a continuous growth.
Please visit: http://www.wowhififever.com/we86a/we86a.htm
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