I think this is a very valid point. There are SOME instances where form follows function, ans there is a visual statement, but this is usually in the domain of big speakers. I was discussing the similarities of the a lot of the high end audio stuff with high end watches (horology?) with a co-worker. It seems that both pursuits share an obsession with complication, in that you are pursuing novel ways of re-soving a problem that has already been solved, in one case time keeping, in the other passing an audio signal as free of measurable distortions as possible. My co-worker pointed out one big difference - the watch often increases in value over time, whereas as high end gear is just consumer electronics at the end of the day, and is usually significantly depreciated the moment you unbox it.
Is it Audio, or is it Art?
A casual survey of the latest batch of high end electronics and speakers leads me to an interesting observation. The trend is towards exotic physical shapes which go far beyond any legitimate technical necessity. Taking power amplifiers as an example, electronic “guts” worth about $2000 can be near SOTA. You could put the circuitry in a plain metal box and it would sound the same. But no…we see beautifully sculptured enclosures, and price tags in the multi-kilobuck range. In the case of loudspeakers the number of 6 inch drivers, exhibited without a grill, seems to be a selling point, like the number of cup holders in autos a few years back.
I used to get mad about the prices charged for high end power amps, but not now since I have tumbled to the fact that these items are works of art as much as they are practical sound systems. Are they not proudly displayed on open racks? When you think of, for example, a pair of Chord monoblocks for $75,000, as electronic gear it is completely absurd, but when viewed as a piece of artwork (sculpture) 75 grand is unexceptional. And it plays music too!
I used to get mad about the prices charged for high end power amps, but not now since I have tumbled to the fact that these items are works of art as much as they are practical sound systems. Are they not proudly displayed on open racks? When you think of, for example, a pair of Chord monoblocks for $75,000, as electronic gear it is completely absurd, but when viewed as a piece of artwork (sculpture) 75 grand is unexceptional. And it plays music too!
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- 23 posts total
- 23 posts total