The Cost of Cables

gentlemen:

it's all about economics, namely cost and value.

the value in use equals the value in exchange. i have indicated this well-known law several times. it applies to cable as well as any component.

if a buyer considers that the price of a component is less than or equal to the value for a product, it is purchased. an audiophile who receives pleasure from the purchase of expensive components is receiving value for the purchase. the value may be of a psychological nature.

value may inhere in the listening or the "pride" of ownership.

two audiophiles may differ as to the value of a component and one may be willing to pay the price , while the other considers the product over-priced.

thus, the price of a cable represent's an estimate of the value to a potential customer.

it is also based upon the possible deman for the product.

whenever considering questions of the price of components, think economics and perhaps psychology as well.

Having owned many Porsches including factory race cars, I will tell you I get in far less trouble in my dedicated music room. Also, I can share the audio/music passion with my "reference" wife and some very good friends and I know before I turn it on what the maximum potential will be....I have had days at the track where that was DEFINITELY NOT the case...
The cost of most vices is not always obvious at first blush..

"Higher octane gas is harder to burn, it requires more cylinder pressure to detonate.". This is good to know, I had thought you could light it with a match at atmospheric pressure.

Jeff, it's the timing of the detonation...

04-06-07: Brianmgrarcom

The question is not whether they make a difference or not but rather why do they cost as they do. What makes the more expensive ones, more expensive?

Sigh......because people WANT them to be more expensive. Simple, basic economics of supply and demand. Human psychology 101: 'who has the biggest johnson?'.
If you're looking for something deeper than that, you will be sadly mistaken.

Brian, if you were a cable manufacturer, and your potential customers told you that they wanted a pair of $10,000 speaker cables, would you make them $10,000 speaker cables, or tell them they are nuts and offer them $500 speaker cables? If you chose the latter, you are missing the boat, and will not make it in the cable business. ;^)

John