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In the Forum: Audio Discussions
In the Thread: Prices in High-End Audio.

Post Subject: A typical post from AAPosted by Romy the Cat on: 1/15/2014

Somebody at AA posted a typical post: “Stop the overabundance of high$$$ reviews and get into the real world.”

http://www.audioasylum.com/forums/critics/messages/7/74050.html

The criticism is kind of “standard” but unfortunately the perception is very superficial, which is also very standard for the audio sewers. I would like to expend a little the subject.

I do not bitch that the prices are too high in high end audio. They are very high but it is supply demands – if the maker and sellers extend those prices then there is market out there to support them. What does very much disappoint me is not the amplitude of the prices but decoupling of prices from the actual results. Only in audio you might have let say loudspeakers that would cost $200 or $20.000 or $200.000 and the loudspeakers with price tag 1000 times (!!!) higher might or might not offer better sound quality then the dirt cheap model.

You will not frequently find the situation like this anywhere else. Yes, $9 screwdriver might be not as good as $5 screwdriver but I bet that if you find a $90.000 screwdriver then it will way over perform the cheap one. This however very seldom, if ever happens in high end audio. Did you ever see any let say audio reviewer who turn down a let say DAC with price tag of $15.000 just because it delivers $500 sound? I am sure it would be appropriate in automobile, cigar or screwdriver reviewing but it absolutely unspeakable in audio reviewing.

For sure, some of the things might or even need to be expensive. There are some expensive methodologies and in context of limited market it is no surprise that the price tag is high. However, how frequently you have seen in high end audio that expense was invested to accomplish specific advanced sonic result? In most of the cases it very seldom happens. In most cases the expense in high end audio used mostly just because the industry can get away from anything.

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