Ken Fritz's $1M Dream System update

I followed the online auction, and based on my math, the ENTIRE AUCTION, all 668 audio items in the house, only brought in $167,000 based on adding up all the final auction bids.  Unreal.  In an interview, Ken estimated his entire system build and room cost him around $1.25 million.

In my opinion, the Krell gear was the only gear that brought a decent return.  The Denon PBN turntable was a STEAL.  PBN tables without arms can sell for $30,000.  This had 2 Kuzma arms that are $10,000 each and cartridges that also run almost $11,000 each.  That's $40,000 costs in JUST the 2 arms and cartridges.  I spoke with somebody at PBN, and this current build would run approximately $60,000.  The winning bidder got an endgame table, a Super Denon on Steroids, for $10,750.

The "Frankentable" went for $19,750.  Considering $19,000 is what I priced a Kuzma Tangential Arm at, and his turntable had TWO OF THEM, plus another Kuzma arm, and all three arms had cartridges that cost over $10,000 each....yeah, it sold for pennies on the dollar. Ken had estimated he had close to $150,000 in it in just PARTS. In the end, it was an albatross.

@grannyring -- I’m not saying anything negative about Mr. Fritz. I never met him and I don’t speak ill of the dead. However, the forum members making comments could have read the exact same article I read in the Washington Post that delved into the family break-up prior to his death.  The article started off with,"He spent his life building a $1Million Stereo.  The real cost was unfathomable."

Ken was estranged from one son, and after his terminal diagnosis they attempted a reconciliation which went WAY SOUTH, with Ken’s son’s last words to him being, "I hope you die a slow and miserable death." Apparently, all of his children were estranged up until the end when he reconnected with one son (in the documentary) and his daughter.

The Washington Post article was a tough read -- it pulled no punches. It looks to be behind a paywall now, but I highly recommend trying to track down a copy to read. Then go hug your spouse, kids, and family. I know I did.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/style/interactive/2024/ken-fritz-greatest-stereo-auction-cost/

At least when Harman Audio spends 1 million on R & D they have trained engineers who know what they are doing and the facilities to test it out scientifically. So they know what they are getting.

This guy "puts together some Stereophile "A" components" and thinks he will have great sound. With no technical expertise, you can build a speaker from a solid block of aluminum which will be very expensive to make and thereby justify a high cost. But that does not mean ii will get any better sound than some MDF unless you what you are doing.

This guy reminds me of someone off the street who walks into a boxing gym and thinks he can beat the champ (Andrew Jones of Mofi for example). Except hi-end audio is subjective with no right or wrong while boxing you will know pretty fast if you are wrong.

Sure, filling a big room with full range, high volume, sound can cost 1 million, But that does not mean you have to spend that much for great sound. Just start with a small room. Stereophile regularly gives a $1,500 bookshelf speaker an "A" as far as sound quality. If not the ability to fill a big room with full-range sound.

I would say most of us here have that drive to make some killer system that blows everyone else away. That’s what hi-end audio is all about. Or why get into it in the first place?

The real sadness for the last few months of his life suffering from a terrible health problem. In the end it's all about the journey I guess. You climb to the top of Mount Everest look around for a few minutes and then start going back down.

Ken’s life can teach a valuable lesson as audiophile.I am glad i read his story. I learned a lot from it.