@normb When I first read this post, I thought it said anus cable's..... I guess that's where you take it when you buy them.
Case in point: a $90,000 power cord by ASUNZ
Open Letter to the Audiophile Community: When High-End Becomes High Farce
There is a line between excellence and exploitation. In high-end audio, we celebrate passion, precision, and engineering that bring us closer to the music. We accept that real performance costs real money. But every so often, a product comes along that crosses the line into absurdity — and, frankly, insults the intelligence of the global audiophile community.
Case in point: a $90,000 power cord. (https://eqaudio.ca/power-cables/ansuz-mainz-d-tc3-gold-signature-power-cable/) A blatant insult to the intelligence of the global audiophile community!!!!!
Yes, you read that correctly. A piece of wire dressed up as “innovation,” sold for the price of a luxury car. It is not just excessive, it is contemptuous of the very customers who sustain this hobby.
The danger here isn’t only to one brand’s credibility. When companies market cables at such outrageous prices, they make the entire industry look foolish to the outside world. They reinforce every stereotype: that audiophiles are gullible, that high-end gear is snake oil, that this pursuit is less about music and more about status symbols.
We, as music lovers, are not idiots. We know the difference between engineering and opportunism. We know when craftsmanship justifies a premium — and when pricing is simply a provocation.
If high-end audio is to survive, manufacturers must show respect for both the craft and the community. Otherwise, the “legacy” they leave will not be of sonic breakthroughs, but of arrogance, excess, and ridicule.
This letter is not just directed at one company. It’s a call for honesty, sanity, and responsibility across the industry. If the goal is truly to celebrate music, then let’s price gear like it’s made for music lovers — not billionaires with no sense of value.
Steve Pappas
A concerned audiophile
34 responses Add your response
Endorsed by Odin himself? You go mythic god! I’m impressed! Slow day? Are these US made? Much cheaper if no tariffs. These gods need to give us more common shlubs a break already. Start with my power bill. I could use a really good power conditioner! |
@jafox Now I thinking it was a waste of money when I had the dedicated cable run from the street to my system.
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@jafox First, Puritan is a well respected company that gets excellent reviews, many that I read right here on Audiogon. Second is the issue of the stock cables. Yes I have used them, but got sucked into the idea that better power cables from the wall to the amps etc. would greatly improve the sound. Well, that simply has not been the case for me. There are lots of members who regularly post that big money Power Cables are waste of money and I guess I am now moving into that camp. As for you comment about power cables improving the sound on the SoundLab speakers, I must defer to the designer of the speaker, Dr. Roger West. I asked Roger about upgrading the power cable when I bought the speakers. He unequivocally told me there was no need to do so. Just this week I recieved this email from Roger: Hello Eric, The major work that we have been developing is a bias supply that uses a miniscule amount of the audio power from the amplifier to develop the bias voltage. This eliminates the AC power cord, but does not have any effect on the sound quality. The major reason for the development is to eliminate the challenges of different voltages and connector types in foreign countries. Further, it eliminates problems with importing speakers that use AC power, which usually requires an inspection. If you do not mind using an AC power cord then the self-bias approach would be of no value. Other than the self bias development we have not made any changes since you purchased your speakers 4 years ago. Best, Roger I believe the operative words here are "miniscule amount". So excuse me if I have trouble understanding how a better power cable is going to make a HUGE difference. I mean, I get the fact you need to use a cable of sufficient size and shielding to feed the power demands of a big amp, but the miniscule amount of power my speakers require? The same cable they are about to do away with? I’ll do a little cable swapping but not expecting to hear the results. Cheers. |
As for if its worth it to someone that’s up to them. But I agree this item has zero engineering backing to justify this type of price. There is not $90,000 worth of tech in a cable that can justify the price. Other then for bragging rights in a cost no object system that only the supper rich are buying, all good for them I suppose. Regardless of what it may or may not do to sound quality |
This stuff is not new. Quantum Science Audio has been selling fuses and AC adaptors for $5,000 each (link fuse and link AC). Yup, you can pay $10,000 for two small items that would cost you $5 at a hardware store! Who is stupid, is it QSA for selling/pricing those items or the audiophiles who purchase them? High pricing of audio products will continue as long as audiophiles keep shelling out their money. If you want “honesty, sanity, and responsibility”, your plea should be to the audiophiles who purchase this stuff. This isn’t much different from people who spend every paycheck at the casino. Audiophiles are free to vote with their wallets and set their own level of stupid. Not my problem. |
I can't fathom why you'd feel insulted by the price of a product. There's no reason to take it personally. No one can make you look foolish unless you let them. |
+1 @onhwy61 In all seriousness, the only cure for high prices are high prices. Why waste one watt of energy on something that each person must decide whether something is rational. To each their own.
20 years ago I thought all the high prices for NOS 1950’s/60’s era NIB Western Electric 300b’s were absurd. I wish I had been irresponsible then and filled my garage. |
My entire system probably costs less than many here would spend on a new MC cartridge re-tip. That's okay, too. I like to read about really high end systems and components and how their owners relate to their systems. I can see buying a $90K power cord if my amplifiers cost half a million, each. The last after market power cord I bought was a Chinese made "Special Audiophile" cable with nice thick fabric wrapping and supposed internal wiring improvements. I don't really think it improved the sound of my system much but it made me feel better using a "Premium" cable. |
@gkelly I think you miss the OP’s point. He’s not complaining about the cost of a good per se. He’s complaining about the presence of true snake oil on the market. And I agree, it is insulting and offensive. It mocks our passion. You say he is free to ignore such products. Of course. Just as you are free to ignore his post. |
@bigtwin You put out all that money to run with Puritan Ultimate power cords throughout your system. And after making your own $60 cords, you can't hear a difference to the PU cords? Did you not do any serious listening / comparisons of your stock power cords to the PU cords before you invested and committed to PU? Sounds like the PU cords are not so Ultimate after all. You heard no difference when used into your amplifiers. Here is one experiment for you to try: at the Soundlab speakers......yes, the speakers. I have been running with Soundlab A1 speakers for 20 years now. With all the refinements I have made the last 5 or so years, power cord differences are HUGE with the speakers, much greater than with my amplifiers. And the cool thing about this, there is nothing to power down here. Have two pairs of cords plugged into the wall, and you can change from one set to the other in a matter of seconds. If you can't hear a big difference here, something is seriously wrong with your system....perhaps the PU cords or other cables you are using. |
I appreciate the OP posting this on multiple forums. It’s important to save folks from their own dark impulses and to tell them how to spend your money, and he’s good at it. LOL, those cables have European plugs on them anyway, so those of us in the States could not use them at any price. Then again maybe he works for EQ audio in Canada and is just drumming up business. The OP is also selling $1300 interconnects on USAM, and that's in US dollars. https://www.usaudiomart.com/details/650063877-mit-shotgun-ma/ |
+1 That and $2 million dollar sports cars. If I had a million dollar system, I would audition them. If you have an unlimited budget and unlimited passion for something... then that is your choice. It might be the very best power cord for most $500K amps. If someone has a system of that caliber I would enjoy listening to it. |
I have always believed in buying quality parts for my system,. I currently have Puritan Ultimate PCs throughout. In Canadian dollars, a 1 meter cable is $1000 and $1200 for 1.5 meter. I needed two additional cables and ordered some 12 AWG cable from Ali Express. Built two 1.5 meter cables for $60 each. Recently I did an afternoon of A/B comparisons. On Hegel H30 mono blocks and on a pair of PrimaLuna Eve 400 mono blocks. The differences were non existent. I was not able to find any circumstance where the $60 cables did not sound identical to the $1000 cables. And before anyone says I need how to use critical listening skills to understand the difference, I would counter that if any difference cannot be readily identified, then it has no value. I wonder how the $90k cable would fare?
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