Gato Audio PWR-222

摘要

Relative values being what they are, circa £ 11k for a pair of exquisitely-attired, 250W monoblocks is pretty much the norm in the 2010s. But to appreciate why Gato Audio's PWR-222s - or any amps, for that matter - are worth as much as a Skoda Fabia, you have to deal with not just the performance but the perceived value, too. Nowadays, it's no longer enough for a hi-fi component simply to sound wonderful. It has to deliver bushels of perceived value because high-end audio has to compete with luxury kitchens, home cinema and other stuff that didn't exist in the early days. In the post-yuppie/ hipster era, everyone expects aesthetic and constructional excellence as well as commensurate performance, and Gato Audio clearly has taken note of the luxury sector that consists of £500 pens, £10,000 wristwatches and £1000 sunglasses.