[darthlaker]

WOW!

http://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/jvs-ces-2013-show-report/

And speaking of great speakers, my next stop was Richard Vandersteen’s room, where his superb Model 7s were being driven by Aesthetix electronics. Although I myself prefer the sound of the 7s when they are driven by ARC gear (Richard seems to switch between Aesthetix and Audio Research from show to show), the sound was nonetheless excellent—a little warmer and “browner” than the 7s with ARC but very finely detailed and present on everything from Shostakovich to Blue Tofu. Although it will take some time to perfect, Richard is currently working on a Model 9, a larger, more expensive, and (one assumes) even better version of the superb Model 7.

[mkaiser]

I find it depressing when i purchase a pair of speakers for 15k and see the link above and there are speakers going for 250k+. It really is a sobering moment to realize that the speakers i just bought are at the bottom of the scale. 

[sonofjim]

   I have to wonder if one were to spend $45,000 on the top of the line Vandersteen how soon the same flagship envy would set in.  How close is the Model 9 and how much more will it cost?  The fact that it will be bigger means the only upgrade path would be a trade in.  If it cost twice as much it would be so far out of the question for most of us it almost doesn't matter.  Sure will be interesting to follow though.  That guy knows how to build a speaker.