Soldano Astro 20...with added digital stuff?

ICBM

Daiganzen said:

I tend to agree on the digital stuff failing or becoming obsolescence and that is why having an external box such has torpedo or Ox is better as that can easily be replaced and tech moves on. (Or it Breaks) I doubt the board that runs all the fancy stuff in this amp can be replaced that easy

Exactly - all this stuff is better done with an outboard. Why there is the desire to put everything in the same box where they're likely to cause trouble and hence maximise the potential for problems in the long term, I don't know.

HT986M2

ICBM said:

Daiganzen said:

I tend to agree on the digital stuff failing or becoming obsolescence and that is why having an external box such has torpedo or Ox is better as that can easily be replaced and tech moves on. (Or it Breaks) I doubt the board that runs all the fancy stuff in this amp can be replaced that easy

Exactly - all this stuff is better done with an outboard. Why there is the desire to put everything in the same box where they're likely to cause trouble and hence maximise the potential for problems in the long term, I don't know.

That's where the demand is currently.  Consumers want an all-in-one solution for convenience and simplicity, and manufacturers can charge a premium because of that.  In addition, it's not their problem when the digital stuff breaks or becomes obsolete down the line once the limited warranty runs out.

Future-proofing is a consumer concern, and not necessarily a manufacturer concern.  When v1 becomes obsolete, they release v2 and get another sale.  They might add a couple of bells and whistles, but profit is what they are after.