The death of ultra hiend audio

I wondered how an amp (dartzeel) could possibly cost so much ($145,000+). The power output was good, but other amps have that much power and more. So, what is inside those amps that cost so much?

I mean, the internal components, even of the best quality should not have elevated the price so much.

They (darTzeel) probably tried to market to the ultra-rich, but most of the audiophiles are not in that category.

At least I am not.

ozzy

Check out the new top dog DAC from MSB, the Sentinel. A cool $375K. Hopefully it makes all music files (ok at least 16 bit 44.1K floor res) sound insanely good! 

@mitch2 ..."It appears those businesses may not have  acknowledged their situations soon enough and were not nimble enough to adjust to changes in their markets before costs got out of control."

+1 Exactly.

Ego &  greed very very unlikely. You just don’t get into the high end audio business with these attributes / goal. You go to Wall Street, investment,  crime or all of the above.  

Here's another thought... Those brands were trying to market to the 'cost is no object' segment of the market. I think we can all agree that is niche at best.

Unfortunately when companies like that try to go down market, consumers are worried that the products will be greatly cheapened and stay away. Look at Marantz, Harmon Kardon, etc. They tried to go 'mid-fi' to get a broader market share but still wound up on the ropes and fodder for raiders.

It's a tough game! There's a few names have have managed to keep afloat, like ARC, MacIntosh, VPI, etc but even they have had to acknowledge the realities of the market. Look at ARC's new line of down-mid market components. Not everyone, or even many, can afford $90k for their new flagship amp...

Happy listening.

Some of these companies have been around a long time, long enough that the people who made them successful are long gone, and it's essentially a different company that is closing down...