Fair enough, lads, we call them as we see (or hear them.)
Yping, your post above poses an excellent subjective question, but rather nonsensically. Your caveat "if money is no object" pushes aside the whole issue of quality/performance vs. value. That makes as much sense as asking if I would prefer a Rolls Royce over my Mazda. Likely I would, but money is intrinsically part of the decision-making process. I believe that there are connectors of similar design and quality to the KLE connectors I bought and sent back that are available for a tiny fraction of the cost of the KLE connectors. The KLE connectors may or may not sound much better, but does their sonic improvement justify their price compared to the alternatives available at a small fraction of the price of the KLE connectors? I do not know for a certainty where the KLE connectors are manufactured, but I could could make a very educated guess. I also have a very good idea of their cost of production and can find no justification for the price of the KLE connectors I received, which are the only ones upon which I can comment.
I have not asserted that the KLE connectors did not sound excellent. My beef was with the quality of their construction and workmanship relative to their cost. I reject the conventional audio wisdom that the more expensive a component or piece of gear is, the better is performs. The $120 fuses that are spoken of so highly on this forum are a prime example. Or the silly aluminum dots that are glued to walls, purported to enhance the sound of one's system. I want to inform audio lovers to consider value when they make their purchases because "money is always an object".
Yping, your post above poses an excellent subjective question, but rather nonsensically. Your caveat "if money is no object" pushes aside the whole issue of quality/performance vs. value. That makes as much sense as asking if I would prefer a Rolls Royce over my Mazda. Likely I would, but money is intrinsically part of the decision-making process. I believe that there are connectors of similar design and quality to the KLE connectors I bought and sent back that are available for a tiny fraction of the cost of the KLE connectors. The KLE connectors may or may not sound much better, but does their sonic improvement justify their price compared to the alternatives available at a small fraction of the price of the KLE connectors? I do not know for a certainty where the KLE connectors are manufactured, but I could could make a very educated guess. I also have a very good idea of their cost of production and can find no justification for the price of the KLE connectors I received, which are the only ones upon which I can comment.
I have not asserted that the KLE connectors did not sound excellent. My beef was with the quality of their construction and workmanship relative to their cost. I reject the conventional audio wisdom that the more expensive a component or piece of gear is, the better is performs. The $120 fuses that are spoken of so highly on this forum are a prime example. Or the silly aluminum dots that are glued to walls, purported to enhance the sound of one's system. I want to inform audio lovers to consider value when they make their purchases because "money is always an object".