In article , Keith G
wrote:

I believe summat like 60% of the cost price of a fancy SS amp (of
modest/mediocre spec.) is in the casework, but if that's what people
want and what sells.....???

Looking at some of the commercial valve amps available today I suspect that
the casework of those is also quite costly. It would be interesting to know
the actual costs for such things, but I imagine that most producers would
not wish to divulge such information.

I don't particularly have any objection to this if it what people want.
Some of my all time favourite amps in terms of appearance use wood for
sleeving, etc... If you have to look at it, it might as well look good.
;-

For innards, in my experience the costly bits were things like transformers
and heatsinking. i.e. heavy metal. I have assumed this will be so for valve
amps as they tend to require more in the way of transformers than SS,
although less in the way of heatsinking.

Slainte,

Jim

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