To Unsound: I was not putting down Rrog's advice; he is usually right in his judgements about high end audio. The issue is: are buyers getting what they pay for??. After my short audition of the $18,000 floorstander, I thought how do I measure $5000 of audio satisfaction, where does the $10,000 level start, or will I be doing cartwheels nad running down the streets with sparklers in my hand yelling "Eureka" when I have reached the $18,000 plateau of aural satisfaction.
Buying audio is not like acquiring the services of a high end escort where you wake up the next morning and say "WOW" that really was worth the $5000. I think it might be easier to determine the level of one's satisfaction in those circumstances based on dollar per dollar ratio
My intention is not to make light of this issue of value in high end audio, but I think it is easier to find value both monetarily and personally in products that are overachievers, and intelligently engineered.
The same company that sells the $18,000 2 way floorstander, has just released a new model that is a cool $107,000 By the time a buyer outfits this product with comparible electronics and cables, he/she could be at $175,000. I don't know anyone who will make that type of investment in audio. Maybe in places like NYC, Dallas, Chicago or even Honolulu where there are incredibly rich people whose discretionary spending allows that type of purchase Today, high end audio suffers from an economy of scale. It produces audio products removed even from the shrinking pool of upper middle class buyers. In a declining economy, this strategy seems to be even more ridiculous and ironic. How many buyers out there are going to be interested in a $107,000 speaker system. And more importantly, what is the longevity of a company whose least expensive speaker is $18,000, or separates that begin at $15,000 and and top out at $85,000 or $95,000. How many "turns" that is, sales is that manufacturer going to have to make to keep the show going, and for that matter, the brick and mortar Audio shop whose got to sell these products just to pay the rent and utilities.
Buying audio is not like acquiring the services of a high end escort where you wake up the next morning and say "WOW" that really was worth the $5000. I think it might be easier to determine the level of one's satisfaction in those circumstances based on dollar per dollar ratio
My intention is not to make light of this issue of value in high end audio, but I think it is easier to find value both monetarily and personally in products that are overachievers, and intelligently engineered.
The same company that sells the $18,000 2 way floorstander, has just released a new model that is a cool $107,000 By the time a buyer outfits this product with comparible electronics and cables, he/she could be at $175,000. I don't know anyone who will make that type of investment in audio. Maybe in places like NYC, Dallas, Chicago or even Honolulu where there are incredibly rich people whose discretionary spending allows that type of purchase Today, high end audio suffers from an economy of scale. It produces audio products removed even from the shrinking pool of upper middle class buyers. In a declining economy, this strategy seems to be even more ridiculous and ironic. How many buyers out there are going to be interested in a $107,000 speaker system. And more importantly, what is the longevity of a company whose least expensive speaker is $18,000, or separates that begin at $15,000 and and top out at $85,000 or $95,000. How many "turns" that is, sales is that manufacturer going to have to make to keep the show going, and for that matter, the brick and mortar Audio shop whose got to sell these products just to pay the rent and utilities.