Would love to hear an honest comparison.
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Hmmm, interesting. First - it’s probably not the best idea to think of purchasing any HiFi equipment as an investment. Second - improvements can and do happen in many service or product categories at some point. I am confused how some folks are feeling cheated out of their BHK experience because there are or will be better PS Audio pre amps on offer. It can be frustrating if the timing of the purchase of your dream kit is soon followed by an upgrade, discount, or new feature and one can feel left out. I get the frustration for sure, but I do not think it fair or in good form to express resentment toward the company for making better stuff or frustration toward a guy for saying that he likes the new “thing” better than the one that used to be the “best.” It seems that several folks have had this reaction recently and it is curious.
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Except that he JUST bought PSA gear in 2024, and quickly after buying…a closeout.
(No criticism of your general point, just understanding @onehorsepony’s point of view)
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fair play i’d be disappointed in the price drop too.
i wish companies (all companies, for every type of product and service) would just work out a good price and stick to it for the lifetime of the product. i have never been happy with haggle culture and deal culture.
pipe dream, i know 
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totally. Been there and would like to avoid being there again.
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When was the Stellar Gold Preamp introduced?
I guess it depends upon who you are and your journey. I have a buddy that keeps his stuff five years. I keep mine five months depending on mood and what’s out there. While shopping for speakers this year I looked at Revel. Why- because 228s that sold for 11K at dealers were now selling at dealers for 6k. I met a couple of folks trying to sell at 6k. Tough. However a 228 at 4500 bucks is a great speaker. This stuff happens at PSA and they are not unique in that regard.
I gave up new (retail) a long time ago. I had to. (However some close outs/trades etc are very worth it) TMR and Audio Mart are my friends in that regard. Best example is Badbeef. He has a killer ARC pre for sale for 4500 bucks. 13k new I think and its ARC. You’ll never lose money or be dissapointed- just move on.
Buying to keep- no problem… Enjoy
PSA, Grimm, DAG, Wilson, the new 333, MU2 or Parasound, it all hits TMR / Audiogon etc. eventually. Just part of the hobby. Always is a premium for being first in line…
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And then there’s gear that’s never discounted, and it holds it value, because it was a solid deal to began with.
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Never is probably overstated but i get your point. Mcintosh, ARC and few others seem to hold thier value no matter what. Are they the end all best products ever made? Not in everyones eyes for sure but the value is certainly there. Just darn solid products and a history to boot…
I think I paid 4200 for a 402 amp years ago. They still sell for that. 2011 model. I think that is 65% of value after a decade or so?
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I do not know the exact answer to this question, but at the PSA room at Axpona in April 2024, the preamp on display and being used in their system was the BHK Preamp. I would not worry about this closeout sale (or pre closeout sale) and simply enjoy your system.
I have a BHK preamp and M1200’s in one of my systems and will continue to use them and thoroughly enjoy them.
I also have a $24,000 Conrad Johnson GAT-S2 preamp in one of my systems that I got for A LOT LESS on the used market (less than half), as CJ moved onto a newer and better preamp. I also have an $11,000 Mark Levinson amp that I purchased for $4,000 on the used market. They have now reduced the price of that amp brand new to $7000. They have not announced their intentions if they are closing out on that amp. If they do announce a closeout sale on that amp, it might even encourage me to get another one. (don’t let @paul172 know, lol)
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I look at stand mounts due to room size restrictictions.
Dynaudio Heritage and Confidence 20’s are another example of high prices dropping dramatically if one is patient enough.
The Heritage Special’s sold as high as $7700 w/stands when they hit the market a few years ago.
Now, on the resale market, a price of $4500 won’t guarantee a quick sale.
The same with the Confidence 20’s, which listed for $12,000 w/stands at first.
On the resale market - $ 6800 and no quick sale either.
Human nature and F.O.M.O do play a big part in finding good deals.
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Confidence 20s are great but VERY detailed. I had them with a Pass amp and my ears bled.
There are amazing deals out there if ya look. I just got a ARC pre for 600 bucks. Same one on TMR is 1700. Im not at all trying to make $ on audio. Im just trying hard not to lose $
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Why can’t they just discontinue an older product instead of discounting it so much that it destroys any resale value?
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Once you bring up a mfg. Line you do so on projected sales. You bought inventory etc based on those projections. If the line does not sell as expected, you might want to try and recover at a 20 or 10% profit margin vs zero.
It does overall I think affect market value, reputation and resale. But it certainly is not uncommon.
Damn tough business. PSA is a great company but there are some great competitors out there from Pass to Mac to Offshore competition all trying to get thier bite of the market. I dont envy Paul and PSA. I admire them though.
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I wrote my comparison between the SG and BHK pres here on the Forum in late Dec. 2023, after testing for about six weeks. My product registration date for the SG pre (still in beta) was Nov. 13.
Bob
Here’s a truthful and to the point statement from Paul in another post that is relevant here:
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I just ordered a BHK Pre. Never thought I’d get the chance to own one, but the close out price put it within reach.
That said, I get the disappointment of investing in a product and having it discounted a year later. This happened to me when after I purchased my MoFi UltraDeck. It’s the nature of the hobby. I got over it and am really enjoying the TT.
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I’ve never had the opportunity to listen to the BHK pre but reviews from sources I trust (Stereophile) gave it a more than glowing review. Just enjoy it for what it does for your system. If it is still in production or not has nothing to do with it.
By the way, welcome to the forum.
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I think most are missing the point of the frustration expressed in the original post.
He stated he’s quite happy with the sound of the BHK pre, that’s not the point of contention. It’s having purchased something so close to when a newer product was released for half the cost, that was originally said to not sound as good as the BHK pre, but is now being touted as sounding superior to the purchase he just made.
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