They should charge more for it…

@tony1954  Your banana example is also a text book example of the term…’easy come, easy go.’

@asvjerry 

Anyone considering such lives in a well-heeled 'hood, likely gated.  A high-rise domicile would be another site for such

As @tcutter points out, their current market is focused on Europe which seems vastly different from the US market, both in terms of musical tastes and technical solutions.  The WB owners are a husband and wife team, while marketing is looked after by their son.

WB has been very successful in tapping into the UK Government's funding models.

Australia has similar grant schemes at both state and federal level.  I ran a 12-man project for a very small company and applied for, and got, three R & D grants and one commercialization loan totaling nearly A$2-million.

When we applied for our first grant (which we had to match dollar for dollar) I suggested we look at the average grant value, where the agency would be most comfortable.  So we did, and we got it!

On a larger scale, the federal government ran an A$18-billion "Nation Building" grant program to fund railway and road projects managed by state governments.  I consulted to provide a management tool to consolidate five separate databases so that overall progress could be monitored.

What struck me most forcibly was that the major imperative was to get the money out of the door!

Government grants - I love them

I was to meet the Competitors of above mentioned Companies in the Hallways of Hotels at large UK based commercial orientated Audio Events.

There is nothing remembered as endearing about the encounters, the sale was all that mattered, the interaction in the Hallways were almost a press gang activity and when one was guided into a Room with wares for sale, the room was to be closed until the full sales spiel was given. Not only one unwanted stay was to be endured.

The Zeitgeist at the time was where the UK was under remaining heavily under the shadow of a particular Government that was very liberal towards very aggressive marketing and closed won sales. Those who missed the main party and exploitation of the markets, were wanting their piece of the pie.

The ego of the sales person was everything, the better they blended the Company Sales Spiel with their own additions, was where the closed win sales were sought, it was a huge group who were aware of the BS to be endured at such events and at sales outlets in the high street. The proportion of Sales individuals who were not loyal to anything but the sale, were able to filtrate into particular areas where sales were strong and be hit an run as they migrated across many markets from Car Sales to Window Sales, Pension Sales, Mortgage Sales, where ever the best buck was being made known to be extracted they were to be found.

 To Companies sales are their lifeblood, which left them having to absorb such a presence which might not have been most desirable to them.

For myself and I know of quite a few other as well, walked away from meeting such faces of a Business and met those who were much more hands on with the products produced as well as being the face of the business, the fork in the tongue was not a concern when having changed how I discovered audio equipment. 

Being in a Room with Tim De Paravicini was an education, and meeting small turnover Businesses was a joy.

It does seem the Sale is no longer King, the absurdity of the Sale price is now King. It looks like the expected customer count to buy is a guaranteed realization.

Those who spend monies like this, are paying others to purchase on their behalf. This is the sort of product theses hired services seek out, especially where items are limited, can be personalised and are pricey with a name that is known in small circles. 

To the average Audio Enthusiast and one with substantial disposable income for their hobby, Wilson Benesch is a remembered name, not something looked into to see what is in their pipeline, this can only really be because the pricing is expected to be way beyond what is usually deemed expensive.   

Maybe £10 000 000 is the sales forecast by 2030 and the investors passing on monies like the returns over the next five years.

How many Investors parted with funds?

How many does one think owns a Vinyl LP?    

I can’t even come close to affording one, but I spent several hours listening to the WB TT at Axpona as well as listening to the designer discuss the features, benefits and journey of its creation.  Additionally, I listened to Michael Fremer play and discuss a number of recordings.  Although he probably got a significant discount on it, he bought one.  All I can say is that it sounded extraordinary.  It rivaled the best reproduced sound I have ever heard on any system using any format.  If you have a chance, you should at least listen to it to hear what is possible when money is not a constraint.

@richardbrand ...and 'serial' government grants seems to echo a vampire hitting an enlarging artery, but that's just the major cynic lodged above and inboard of my left ear. 😏  I'd like one of those to go....

Europe...don't like 'EU' in speech, always sounds "Ewww"....Doesn't deserve that...
Has long held mho the gleam of 'refinement' the States keeps missing for the most part.  Better roots of culture, which got mostly left on the pier not so long ago.

That 1M$ turntable exists awhile back, we sent 2 out with Voyager 1 & 2.
According to some, 'they're' listening to them now... If 'they' ask for Elvis, someone's' going to respond with NIN and cat vids.  If the some are right enough...

'They're' coming here because 'they' can't believe 'some' of what 'they're' hearing and seeing in the fashion done back home....(...and I'll stop 'that' as well)

Back to ttables, I'd like to see a non-contact version of arm with a sorta stylus that reads the tracing with the accuracy of a disc drive.  An attempt was made awhile back with a laser version.  Pricey then, a mil now?

How accurate is enough?  When can we argue over the 'interpretation' of the 2 laser readers' alignment/read pair axial calibration isn't as good as the X-Plott VinyMaster 2b2?  (...the competition is Obviously tectrash.... *sniff* )

...and I'm rambling on a Sunday morning,,,, ;)

@pindac Nothing like getting sealed into a pressure cooker... ,;]