The new dynamic in speaker pricing
Yesterday I received the latest issue of the Absolute Sound mag. This issue has the round up of the varying speaker manufacturer’s wares along with the retail pricing. One thing that struck me is the number of speaker manufacturer’s who have a speaker in their line up that cost close to a $1M!! There are good number of speakers now available with prices in the $700K+ range. A few manufacturer’s are also a little ’glib’ with their top model pricing, such as Oswalds Mill--who state- price upon inquiry only!
This new speaker pricing dynamic is interesting, as it clearly indicates that there are buyers out there who are happy to pay these prices and presumably enough buyers to make these products viable. A trend that is certainly interesting and yet questionable as to how it will impact the hobby as a whole.
Opinions on this trend?
@keithr I tend to agree that the price tag of some of these candidates tends to be off-putting, when considered against their abilities, or lack thereof! When I heard the big Stenheim's, I was also pretty unimpressed. I was impressed with the Alexx V's, but they require a very large room, a lot of upstream grunt and a fat wallet. Nonetheless, if you have the room and the power ( and the $$), then I would consider them a contender. |
@daveyf I heard the Alexx V’s at a friend of a friend’s house who is also a part time audio reviewer. He drove them with huge SS McIntosh amps, I don’t know what other electronics, a Kuzma turntable, several high end arms and the latest DS $12K optical cartridge and transformer. Even had the famous Mpingo record weight. This system had phenomenal dynamics, bass and resolution. However, after a few records, it just was too forward, too much information. Really like the ultimate studio sound, just not relaxing (or eventually musically interesting). |
@fleschler Sounds like you heard a classic mismatch of gear that had little synergy. When i heard the Alexx V's, they were in a huge room ( 45'X30'!) partnered with D'agostino amps/ preamp and a MSB Select 2 DAC. Superb sound with a huge soundstage and amazing dynamic impact/scale. However, whenever I have heard McIntosh amps, I hear what you describe, so that is where I would expect the results you heard. How big was the room you heard the Alexx V's in? I think anything smaller than about 25' x30' would be a limiting factor for these large speakers! |
@daveyf The room was about 40+ feet deep but less than 18 feet wide. Yes, they had amazing dynamic impact/scale and a huge soundstage, just too much of something which made them less than relaxing to listen to. Maybe it was the amps but I've only enjoyed listening to the smaller Wilsons rather than large ones over time. The worst Wilson was the original WAMM, terrible, like five boxes shouting at me separately at a high end showroom (Christopher Hansen-Beverly Hills) using all tube Audio Research gear. They've certainly gotten better since then. |
They're far too expensive for any dealer to have demo models so hardly anyone has ever heard them. That means they don't have to perform well. Someone with a lot of money who wants "the best" will buy them regardless of performance and some small company will make a ton of money. The stupid rich are the ideal customer. |
