What makes a $20,000 cd player cost 20,000?


Hi,
Listened to a Linn Sondeck CD12 (sp?) a few years back and the thing amazed me.
Was expecting that digital player development would continue to progress and that this level of performance would become available in the 2-5,000 range. It appears to me that redbook cd player development has stagnated, so I wanted to run a couple questions by for a sanity check.
1. Is there anything in the design or manufacture of top notch cd players that neccessarily results in stratospheric production costs?
2. Has anything come out in the last two or three years that really struck you as raising the bar in the price to performace ratio?
Happy listening.
jeff_jones
Dear Jeff Jones: +++++ " What makes a $20,000 cd player cost 20,000? " +++++

Well, all of us have an answer, I like ( especially ) the ones from: Ledward, SonicBeauty,Boa2 and Jsala.

In the last two years I think that the music/sound digital reproduction ( redbook ) grow-up more than ever before and with this digital technology grow-up the prices goes truly high for a CDP.

Before the late two years I really don't like the digital music/sound reproduction, was really poor, but today is really great. I already heard some of the big names: Wadia, dSc, Meridian, Linn, EMM Labs, etc...

The best CDP ( top digital high end ) are in the 15K to infinite price range. I don't have that kind of money for a CDP, but I always want the best in any audio area for the music/sound reproduction. So, my alternative was to build a CDP and that's was what José and I do it.

In the process of research/design/test/etc, I learn a lot about many things including retail price and I can tell you: our CDP it is at least at dSc performance level and hands down the DSc or EMM labs in many areas for a fraction of the price of these great CDP. So, for José and I nothing justified 20K for a CDP: but José and I have other business to survive and many of the manufacturer owners of CDP is their " way of life " and they need that kind of money to do it. It's fair for we " customers " ?, well not always but that's how it works.

Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul.
All in my opinion of course .....

"What makes a $20,000 cd player COST 20,000 TO PRODUCE ? "
A brute-force-and-ignorance design approach coupled with very low production volumes.

"What makes a $20,000 cd player COST 20,000 TO BUY?"
Someone willing to spend the money.
Sanity checked.
Thanks folks, a couple or three options to check out and some interesting philosophical input to boot. Can't beat that at K-mart!
Thanks for the thread, Jeff. You definitely sparked some great conversation.
Regards,
Howard