$27,500 for whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat???


$27,500 is a nice chunk of change, even in the audiophile world.  I think we can all agree on this.  You can get a pretty kick ass system for that amount.  I think we can all agree on this, too.  I just read something at stereophile.com that almost...almost made me choke on my triscuit.   Luckily for me, I had water ready to go, knowing how dry those things are.  $27,500 is the price for a paint upgrade, a color called cranberry pearl finish on a pair of speakers made by Wilson, the Chronosonic XVX.   Now, when we hear the name Wilson, we all know what that means.   But come on man,  $27,500 for a paint upgrade. 
shtinkydog
 Uhm, take a look at your own system and tell me you've never had someone shake their head at how much you've spent.

Yup - my wife.  Repeatedly!
Only a fool with too much $$ would spend that . For $10 k 
I can get my car painted in any color base coat,clear coat with a seamless finish. To paint a speaker 
for almost $30k proved that companies know there are suckers out there .as an ex Audiostore owner Ithink this ritzy snobbery BS 
is truly taking a wizz on the consumer in whatever the market will bear. .even in electronics a fantastic looking case but with average parts then asking $20-30k
that is why I mod most everything I own the much higher quality parts 
give you on average 3 x in $$ spent in value . That is why buying 
a few years old reference piece 
then upgrading it makes total 
sence .This is why Dan Modwright 
decided to offer this. Any very good tech can upgrade go to a specialist.myself know through experience the best of parts 
including Loudspeakers speakers are a a Huge offender using low
to med quality Xover parts which is the heart of the speakers .even in $80k speakers life example ML stats, using low cost mundorf evo
capacitors, where their supreme line is the best white evo ,= cheap
harbeththe owner slammed the phone on me when I questioned him on using Taiwan caps,since they are made in the U.K. where I sold Hifi Clarity caps are made  just down the road.inthere newer SE models they finally got the hint.
rule of thumb ,if they don’t state 
the Xover quality it means not much  to brag about 90% of the time. Doyourself a favor and ask questions,like if buying a car.
So, I just remembered, Wilson used (and maybe still does) a 6.5" paper mid supplied from SB acoustics.  The thing was $65.  So i don't know what's worse, a $27,500 paint job, or putting in a $65 mid in a six figure speaker, even worse, both!  So you tell me, who's shafting who? 
The thing was $65. So i don’t know what’s worse, a $27,500 paint job, or putting in a $65 mid in a six figure speaker, even worse, both!
You can look at it both ways:
1. The SB woofer is way underpriced.
2. Or the Wilson is way overpriced.
Or both are way overpriced.

Or looking at it another way, the cabinets are smoking killing hot.

Or may be Wilson is using top of the line Mundorf silver gold oil with a mix of Vaseline for lubrication.  
Andy, I agree.  All Wilsons should come with a vat of Vaseline lube cuz the buyer is getting shafted.