@jmcgrogan2 good points. I don’t think separates are superior to integrateds in an absolute sense as value can be determined by investment and utility. When I became more serious about hifi it was still before I was numb to the pricing structures in the hobby. I thought $2,295 for my Cronus Magnum was expensive compared to the Onkyo and Sony ‘do it all’ receivers I previously owned.
Regarding the comments on the super high end companies now producing integrateds and some even experimenting with Class D or a hybrid of it, I think it’s for several reasons:
Increased competition from other equipment manufacturers
fighting for spent dollars (as you say, less cables and rack space needed, frees up more dollars to spend on the integrated du jour. Plus, even when I became somewhat numb to component/speaker pricing, I still had a hard time reconciling cable prices. I just bought a ZU Event XLR for $475 and I’m still a little stunned I did it.
aging audiophile community (how to appeal to a newer generation). So many of my friends have Rega, Schiit and Rogue gear. The higher end or more expensive producers can’t sit around and wait forever hoping to be there when and if an upgrade is in store.
If you can earn a new customers trust early in the journey; you may be in position to continue the relationship while they move up the product line.
These companies are doing all they can to produce value peices for people like me when I was considering Rogue. I may have gone with PS Audio Stellar equip had it been around at the time.
I believe it’s a similar model to to the luxury car market. You are now seeing cars produced from audi, Mercedes and others to compete with cars they never competed with before.
Regarding the comments on the super high end companies now producing integrateds and some even experimenting with Class D or a hybrid of it, I think it’s for several reasons:
Increased competition from other equipment manufacturers
fighting for spent dollars (as you say, less cables and rack space needed, frees up more dollars to spend on the integrated du jour. Plus, even when I became somewhat numb to component/speaker pricing, I still had a hard time reconciling cable prices. I just bought a ZU Event XLR for $475 and I’m still a little stunned I did it.
aging audiophile community (how to appeal to a newer generation). So many of my friends have Rega, Schiit and Rogue gear. The higher end or more expensive producers can’t sit around and wait forever hoping to be there when and if an upgrade is in store.
If you can earn a new customers trust early in the journey; you may be in position to continue the relationship while they move up the product line.
These companies are doing all they can to produce value peices for people like me when I was considering Rogue. I may have gone with PS Audio Stellar equip had it been around at the time.
I believe it’s a similar model to to the luxury car market. You are now seeing cars produced from audi, Mercedes and others to compete with cars they never competed with before.