2. cables
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Can you Analyze this?

A buddy at work ran into me with a picture in hand wanted to show off his newly purchased road bike “Trek”. I gave it a close look while he was explaining the advance technology behind it… he then turned to me and asked, “what’s your hobby?”
I logged in A’gon and showed him a picture of a Shunyata power cord that cost the same price as his bike, $1k. Put both image side by side, the bike and the cable, and we both stare at them to value other’s hobby.
If consider both as design, parts, and labor, I clearly understand how and why the road bike would have cost $1K or more. The engineering behind it and the amount of materials to make a complete bike if not considering the time to put all parts together and tuning, adjusting, etc. The power cord, on the other hand, just lay there… I could not find any good reason to explain to him what would it take to make this P/C a $1,000?
I chose not to value it with his bike but to acknowledge him that ”this P/C is bigger (in size) and it’d sound much better than the cheapo OEM ones, dude.”
To be honest, this incident made me realize something. A quick revaluation gives me a thought that I think I need to slow it down. Because:
For $1k, I can buy a set of tires that could last (at least) a year.
For $1k, I can buy a decent CD player that I could enjoy and value it for years.
For $1K, I can buy a decent set of monitor /bookshelf that I can clearly hear greater “differences”
For $1K, I may not come back shopping for clothing for a long time.
For $1K, I could have couple business “meals” that could land me some $$$
For $1K, I can build a section of the patio for the wife for our quality time.
I fully understand that manufactures have been paid great amount of money for markupting, (oops, I misspelled it again) but C’mon now, $1K?

There was a man freshly walked inside a casino. Right at the front doors he saw people playing cards around the $10 tables, he rolled his eyes, shook his head, and mumbled “too much! where do these people get their money from?”. But much later after mid-night, he realized that he was having so much fun playing Black Jack on a $1,000 table and he could not get up and walked away…does any1 have or know a term for that? hehehe

In conclusion, for me to get this $1,000 P/C, I would have to come up with a very good lie to the boss lady… unless I’m being selfish and not telling her anything……. like I’ve been doing. Lol

Enjoy listeing everyone.
NasaMan
128x128nasaman
mb9061
137 posts
 
Bikes run the gamut of prices too (google Trek and price one of their Madones). Even water goes from free to expensive (and tap water generally tastes poor). If your friend is getting a chuckle over the power cord, show him a picture of a Trek Madone.

I own a number of Shunyata cords and yeah, they're pricey (I didn't pay full retail and they're still ridiculously expensive). That said, they do make a significant difference (some make as much a difference as switching amplifiers). Even cheap USB cables have noticeable sonic differences.

I see where a guy has a BMI power cord on here for $15k or so. I doubt any manufacturer will fully divulge the markup on some of these cables, but what is it that goes into a $15k power cord to justify that price? Uranium?

Grant Samuelson may weigh in on this thread eventually since it's peppered with Shunyata. From other responses he's posted, he has valid points about R&D, inventory costs, product runs, labor, machinery costs, etc. No manufacturer is doing this to just feel good about themselves and not get a markup out of it, but that said there is a point where you have laugh at some of this stuff (including a $15k power cord).
schipo
1,268 posts
 
See where a guy has a BMI power cord on here for $15k or so. I doubt any manufacturer will fully divulge the markup on some of these cables, but what is it that goes into a $15k power cord to justify that price? Uranium?

You just answered the question for yourself and others. What could justify that price? Nothing, and there is no amount of anything that could.
cyclonicman
693 posts
 
They also have bikes that cost $200 and probably resemble the $1,000 bike to a large degree. How much different is the technology to make the $200 bike from the $1,000 bike?
Parts aside, can it be that much different? It must be in the ride!

When you move up the ladder from a stock power cord to a $1,000 power cord, the difference in the sound is the advancement and reason for purchasing it. With the cable, the sound is your ride!
Ag insider logo xs@2x
uru975
684 posts
 
If it does what you want it to do and then goes beyond your expectations and experiences such that you really are floored then it is worth what it costs. If it doesn't do it, it doesn't do it and anything more than free is probably to much.
There will always be better whatevers and worse, we make decisions, we choose our happiness as it is, if a $1,000 cable does it fine, it not look elsewhere
mb9061
137 posts
 
Gray Goose goes beyond my expectations. Maybe that's just my imagination since all vodkas should be the same if they're crystal clear and 80 proof. Or maybe the proof is in the hangover.

I think most people are of sane enough mind to determine if what they're spending money on is worth it or not and thankfully most dealers and manufacturers do offer demo periods. I still want to know what's in a BMI cord though (or who this BMI guy is exactly). I'm in the wrong line of work...
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