Asp307, why are you so hurt over the term filthy rich? It doesn’t carry the negative connotation to me as it does to you. It seems only some of those who have more money than what they know what to do with get offended. I would love to be filthy rich and wouldn’t care if someone used that descriptor.
I have described in detail why I don’t think expensive cables are not worth their price. Perhaps you should read my comments again. But I will list them again.
First, the raw materials needed for expensive cables are easily obtained, are cheap in the quantities needed, and are few, namely metal wire, connector, and dielectric. How expensive is copper or even silver wire that goes into an expensive 1 meter of IC or 8’ feet of speaker cable? I hope you don’t start getting into monocrystal wire debate. Cost of most dielectric is almost nothing.
Second, the engineering of expensive audio cables is not sophisticated compared to amplifiers, DACs, speakers, although cable manufacturers will claim a lot of unproven BS. In contrast for example, there are cables used in some components of high energy physics particle colliders (eg, CERN) that do require sophisticated engineering and manufacturing and are probably expensive for a reason.
Third, markup of expensive audio cable is probably the highest in the industry for no good reason. If you can provide a good reason, please let us know.
Fourth, there is no consistent evidence published or otherwise that expensive cables sound better than inexpensive ones, coat hangers excluded (Watts you’re precious.). I with other audiophiles have conducted blinded AB testing, and there has never been consistent preference for expensive cables ($5k+ speaker cables and ICs) over relatively inexpensive ones ($300-$2k). I do find differences in sound among cables, but price has never been the consistent factor.
Fifth, manufacturing of these expensive, highly marketed audio cables is cheap compared to most high end gear. They can be made in miles of quantity by machines. Actually, I think some of the more boutique, one man operations spend more time hand making his wire (hand polishing the wire, making and applying the dielectric by hand, etc).
If you are to claim value is in the eye of the beholder, then I got a $10,000 umbrella stand I can sell you.
So now my turn. What is your reasoning behind justifying the cost of $10k ICs and $50k speaker cables? Have you done blinded AB testing and found consistent evidence that expensive cables sound better than inexpensive cables? I would love to hear your response.
I have described in detail why I don’t think expensive cables are not worth their price. Perhaps you should read my comments again. But I will list them again.
First, the raw materials needed for expensive cables are easily obtained, are cheap in the quantities needed, and are few, namely metal wire, connector, and dielectric. How expensive is copper or even silver wire that goes into an expensive 1 meter of IC or 8’ feet of speaker cable? I hope you don’t start getting into monocrystal wire debate. Cost of most dielectric is almost nothing.
Second, the engineering of expensive audio cables is not sophisticated compared to amplifiers, DACs, speakers, although cable manufacturers will claim a lot of unproven BS. In contrast for example, there are cables used in some components of high energy physics particle colliders (eg, CERN) that do require sophisticated engineering and manufacturing and are probably expensive for a reason.
Third, markup of expensive audio cable is probably the highest in the industry for no good reason. If you can provide a good reason, please let us know.
Fourth, there is no consistent evidence published or otherwise that expensive cables sound better than inexpensive ones, coat hangers excluded (Watts you’re precious.). I with other audiophiles have conducted blinded AB testing, and there has never been consistent preference for expensive cables ($5k+ speaker cables and ICs) over relatively inexpensive ones ($300-$2k). I do find differences in sound among cables, but price has never been the consistent factor.
Fifth, manufacturing of these expensive, highly marketed audio cables is cheap compared to most high end gear. They can be made in miles of quantity by machines. Actually, I think some of the more boutique, one man operations spend more time hand making his wire (hand polishing the wire, making and applying the dielectric by hand, etc).
If you are to claim value is in the eye of the beholder, then I got a $10,000 umbrella stand I can sell you.
So now my turn. What is your reasoning behind justifying the cost of $10k ICs and $50k speaker cables? Have you done blinded AB testing and found consistent evidence that expensive cables sound better than inexpensive cables? I would love to hear your response.