Who's the Cadillac of Hi-End Audio?

The Cadillac of Hi-End Audio?

I would start with a brand that had one or two memorably audacious products.

Then, a brand best known for pretentious, over the top styling, medicore build quality, low performance, mass markeeting as a luxury item and coveted by lower income customers to the point of parody.

After that, a brand that fell off the face of the earth, only to be "resurrected" by sticking the badge on someone elses products and hyped by overpaid celebrity endorsements.

For the early years, we could take early to mid 90's Bang & Olufsen packaging wrapped around Chinese SS amplifiers with speakers subcontracted by Bose, maybe adding some neon lights, multiple LCD screens or other features borrowed from the car stereo industry.

After that failed miserably in the end, we could take any half way decent, middle of the road product, stick on the badge, hire an ad agency, NBA star and/or hip hop "artist" for the relaunch.

So, in my opinion, there is no "high end" equivalent.

Cheers.

Here's a link to an article from the LA Times regarding Cadillac and hip hop. There's also plenty of interesting references to Cadillacs and rock history.

First qualification, I'm not a Caddy owner. Sorry all you Cadillac bashers and bashers of Mac, Krell and so on, but you have missed what Cadillac was and where its going. It was never the best car in the world. It was the standard for the massed produced best. Cadilac was one of the innovators. Oldsmobile usually introduced the innovation and then Cadillac took it one step further and publicized it. At the time that statement was coined cars like Bristol and Rolls were better built but not necessarily better performers. As a whole people that like Caddys really like them and continue to buy them. Mac has that same kind of loyalty. Acura, has almost no owner loyalty. Krell doesn't either. And don't even talk about some of the boutique brands, here today can't find service tomorrow. And I do love the boutique brands.

Mac may not be the best, but people who buy them tend to keep them and keep buying them.

I for the most part agree with Wadedwyer regarding German and Japanese cars. I don't agree on American cars. Every German car I have ever owned has had some sort of electrical problem before it was three years old (easily resolved). None except the Audi could deal with snow. The Japanese were competent as an old Cadillac and twice as boring. The Americans cars on the other hand performed their job, had very few pretenses, rattled and were cheap(relatively) to fix. As a result, while I love German cars they have their place as do all the others. If you need an appliance buy Japanese. If you need road finesse buy German. If you need a mix buy American.

I find the many comments I read here amusing and overstated. Whatever happened to just enjoying a car for what it offers. I drive a late model Crown Victoria that rides great, handles well, can accomodate my family and has a trunk the size of Rhode Island. I paid a very reasonable sum for it as a used car with low mileage. It's reliable and repairs are few and far between. Everyday riding home I am passed by Volvo's, Mercedes etc and know from talking with colleagues that own those types of cars they are more often that not in the shop getting repaired. I also own a 1988 Cadillac Deville inherited from my mom which has the best ride of ANY car I've ever owned or rode in which happens to include a Rolls Royce. So my advice to all you "foreign" car buffs is keep wasting your money on those types of cars and when the bills keep rolling in sell some of your audio equipment here on Audiogon so I can take advantage of it. As for the original question about Audio manufacturers the answer is "McIntosh" period.

Whatever Mac is, it continues to get rave reviews. Latest TAS loves the new stuff. Beyond reproach.

Funny story: my grandfather drove Cadillacs all his life. he would never buy a Lexus because it looked too much like a Chevy. Go figure.