WILSON AUDIO/ cost vs. value

IMHO, the ad probably targets a segment of potential customers who like Wilson's sonics but believe they're overpriced or are being gorged. I'm not saying the ad alleviates the issue, but lots of people believe everything they read anyway ;)

Wow, a lot of strong feelings towards a "harmless" ad.

I think it's a great ad. Wilson products are expensive, and it is easy for someone to feel "wow, $28k Wp8s, i'll bet they cost $1k to make, what a ripoff," etc... But the ad serves to remind that person that there's a WHOLE LOT more you are buying than the raw parts... You are buying the knowledge, experience, operating costs, and everything else that goes into running a large, successful operation.

The X-2's take many weeks to build. Lots of man hours and overhead are required for that one pair of speakers. they use the best drivers, their own developed cabinet materials, and the best finish quality of any speaker availible. plus, when you buy the speakers, there is professional setup included. their dealers go to provo for training. it is a speciality speaker, only the wealthiest can afford it and most that do buy them may not be audiophiles. like wilson said, they are buying into the culture not neccisarily the product. wish i had that kinda money.

For those, Mr. Wilson's achievement is notable whither or not you like his speakers, demeaning Wilson's serves no purpose whatsoever.

Holenneck - Say what you will, the X-2 is still only a pair of speakers and he's got them priced like an S-Class Mercedes. I get a big disconnect when I look at that comparison. Consider what goes into that car compared to what is in the Wilson speakers. Sure volume is a factor but so is the difference in tooling and parts count and labor. Talk about man hours, the Benz must be 100 times as labor intensive with 100 times as many parts and a reputation for quality that outstrips Wilson by many years and several orders of magnitude.
For these reasons I continue to ignore justifications for his pricing. He charges that much because people will pay it, not because his cost of manufacturing requires it. That argument is illogical.