They know we will pay anything they can think of


Anyone have any idea how long ago Hifi manufacturers discovered we (audiophiles) will pay almost anything chasing our perfect sound? I individualized it because each of us are reaching for our own personal nirvana. You can go to any audio show, see someone point to a piece of equipment and ask the price. Out comes a price you know the rep made up while sitting in his office wondering how much he can ask those sick people to pay. We know advertising, manufacturing, and overhead is relatively expensive but we also know that the asking price should take care of that if he sells maybe 4 or 5 of them all year. Knowing that I have paid quite a bit for equipment over the years that I knew I shouldn't have but did anyway.

128x128frankmc195

Only the less fortunate worry about price and I don't mean this in a snobby way. But there are exceptions as some rich audiophiles are not going to allocate that much money to assemble a ridiculously expensive rig knowing it's a poor investment as far as diminishing returns go. 

“it definitely wasn't worth the price”
again, feel free to review “Laissez-faire” economics from the Austrian school, not the (Marxist) London school.

a thing is “worth” what someone is willing to pay for it. “Value” is in the mind of the buyer.

TANSTAAFL

...mmm... I think we could ask this question about any consumer good... car, house, watches,... if some of us have the means to pay for these dream toys, why not? I have no moral issue on this question... if people want to spend 100k or more, it’s their choice...

when I was young, in the 1970s, a good system cost about 2k. In the 1980s it was 10k... and now there seems to be no limit... which is quite incredible when you think of it... the most expensive turntable was the Goldmund at 10k and the ARC SP-10 preamp cost the astronomical sum of 10k... peanuts compared to the price of certain components today...

I’ll never be able to afford these expensive amps, preamps, DACs, speakers... like many of us, I read and dream... although I’m quite happy with my system which cost me less than 4K... as I say sometimes, I was never as thrilled by music as when I was playing those noisy 45s on my little pickup... what matters most — for me at least — is the music... 😎