What makes an expensive speaker expensive

Ctsooner,

The less expensive speakers are Ohm 100s with a pair of Rythmik 12" subs. This set-up features full bass extension for every recording I own, plus omnidirectional dispersion for 8 octaves. That combination of benefits outweighs the strengths of my SF Cremona M, Verity Parsifal/Encore, and Merlin VSM speakers for me these days. Those speakers will IMO outperform the Ohm/Rythmik in certain other areas, however, and I still love the particular strength of each system.

For the last five years (or so) I’ve had the Ohm/Rythmik as my main system (listening room). The other are located elsewhere in my home. This raises another issue mentioned in this thread (aesthetics). The SFs are beautiful in my living room, the Ohm/Rythmik wouldn’t work there (WAF), even if I wanted to try it. It’s just a matter of personal priorities - which may change over time.

It gets more involved than even that. The $70k MBL 101 will go louder than the Ohm/Rythmik and images more impressively (to my ear), but I don’t necessarily prefer it. I considered buying a (used) pair, but in the end didn’t pull the trigger. The band-pass woofer's bass response in that system is hard to tame IME.

Performance and price don’t remotely track - for me. Performance isn’t everything and people’s hearing, taste, and priorities differ. Even comparing (essentially) full-range, omnidirectional apples to apples, I preferred the Ohm/Rythmik to the MBL 101 (admittedly not in every way, but overall). I expect that for many listeners YMMV.

Bacheaudio.com

Having access to a place like this saved audio enthusiasts over the years. Some big Canadian brands may not of reached certain levels of success had it not been for the NRC up here     http://www.nrc-cnrc.gc.ca/eng/solutions/facilities/indoor_environment.html
R&D is a big one, metals semi precious and otherwise, designing all aspects of a speaker, tooling, designing and milling of all the tooling and components, exotic natural material and master craftsman that know how to form it, some of its painstaking detailed work depending on the speaker. None of this comes cheap it all adds up. Then as mentioned low production will further send up cost.  

Marty, great response, thanks.  I assumed that it was something like that where you felt it did somethings you LOVED.  It's all about the emotion to me also.  That's what the Vandersteen line does for me and why I keep listening for other speakers to beat them and they just don't.  It's funny as I was reading John Atkinson's review on www.stereophile.com on the Vandersteen 7 mk2 along with Vandersteen's new high pass amp that matches.  He said that even at that price they give you more than you expect, but that he has to go back to listening to systems he can afford, but hated to give them up.  Kind of sums up all of audio for 99% of us.  We are fortunate to find manufacturers who know what trade offs they can go with at the various price points.  For me it's Vandersteen and nothing that my older systems have done can come close to bringing me into the music and for once I can finally just sit and listen all day and not realize how much time has passed.  I have always loved listening, but it hasn't been like this since I first started with my first system (although even at 9 yo, I was upgrading that system within the month).  It's what we do and why we post on forums with strangers and meet new friends while doing it.  

Meer, that's dead on IRT Canadian companies.  That's why I respect so many of the other brands for doing what they've done without all of that free R&D help.  just shows what great minds are into audio.

The hi-fi market is broken; its broken because its niche. It should not have to be so entwined in the hi-end; but it is. I deal with it because it’s important to me; but its a bit ridiculous.

Imagine if jeans weren’t popular. (Unreal, I know, but remember we live in a world where good sound isn’t popular--you can do this.). Let’s say you wanted a good pair, but all you could find at your local Target (or competitors) were cheap, thin & made in a sweatshop (see, this isn’t difficult to imagine at all). They’re available in the two shades of blue & all the three sizes (S,M,L). You’d quickly realize the best there might rip if you eat an extra slice or two of cake--and still not fit right if you don’t.

So maybe you go to Macy’s (Nordstrom’s, whatever) only to find they haven’t carried jeans since the 80s.

Still, there’s probably an Old Navy not too far away. In larger towns you know they even have a dedicated room inside called "The Gap" but your area is not so lucky. You do find a pair that aren’t really that uncomfortable as long as you don’t have to wear them for very long--but why do they have so many pockets! You’re certain--jeans have to get better than this.

So you find a specialty boutique, and upon entering are confronted by products in every shade & size--many of them bedazzled & wildly stitched. Look, there’s Gucci. You’ve heard of them before & surreptitiously glance at the price--$5k for the pair. With a frown you wonder if the buttons are really gold. Thankfully a friendly & perceptive sales person greets you.

"Over here we have a pair just your size, hand-stitched in Japan with raw denim using a pure silver needle; no one else does anything like that for under $1k." He holds them up to you, but can tell you’re immediately underwhelmed, so explains, "Capri’s allow the manufacturer to focus on the quality of the seams & details; they also fit better in small dressers. These matching sandals keep your ankle at the appropriate angle."

Undeterred, you ask "Do you have any Levi’s?" your grandfather had a pair that seemed to last for years. "Calvin Klein?" recalling those being popular in the 80s. Still smiling, he guides you towards another rack. "These are from Guess. They’ve been designed in America since 1981." He pulls on the sides. "Though some prefer all-cotton, the 2% spandex design allows a thinner weave to stretch without fatigue. And this exclusive 144 tooth silver-plated zipper still provides ample airiness & sparkle--without ever having to worry about replacing a button."

The price tag dangles: $399. You can never let any of your friends know you paid that much for a pair of jeans. Still they don’t really draw attention to themselves. Probably no one will even ask--and you wonder, why doesn’t anyone one care about jeans anymore. Perhaps, if these fit, you’ll go home and find an online group that will accept you--after all, there’s one for every fetish these days.

Once glance from you at the fitting room is all it takes for the sales person to say, "Great, now try them out with this Diana Krall t-shirt on!"

Kirk

P.S. Belts matter. Don’t worry about the theories of braided vs solid straps of leather; copper vs silver buckles--only ever trust your waist.