[zybar]

Jeff:

I and I am certain many others are envious of the equipment and speakers you able to audition.  This thread probably should not have questioned the price and value of Wilson Speakers.  I personally think something is worth the price charged if people are willing to pay it.  I cannot afford Watt Puppies and if I could I don't know I would buy them.  They would certainly be on a list of speakers I would want to audition along with Von Schweikert, Vandy 5As and the full monty SP Tech. Revelations.

The point you make in your post is that there are probably some excellent products out there producted from companies who have not established reputations.  These products may produce excellent sound and are priced lower than the recognized brands but the buyer is also assuming more risk with the purchase.  If you purchase a pair of Wilson Speakers you have to pay Wilson's Price, but should you want to sell them in a year you can probably do so for a good price.  If you try to sell a pair of speakers produced from a speaker manufacturer trying to build a reputation, or one that is constantly revamping their designs, good luck selling them for a decent price (compared to the purchase price).  Certainly your % return will be much lower than with a name brand speaker.

I certainly do not think people who purchase Wilson Speakers are foolish.  I do envy them for having the money to afford them!

Ken

Ken,

You make some great points.

In my system I have products from both categories:

Expensive, but by a well established and well known company -> Vandersteen 5A's

Expensive, but by a relatively unknown (outside of AC) company -> Bella Extreme 100's

If I ever wanted to sell my 5A's, I can very reliably predict what I can sell them for. 

Unfortunately, I can't do that with the Bella Extreme 100's.  However, to my ears, the Bella Extremes perform on par with or better than many other amps costing more.

Both approaches can work.

George

[TONEPUB]

Ken and George:

I'm with both of you guys on this.  I can't afford a pair of Watt Puppies either.

The good news is that there is so much great stuff out there, that if you don't want
Wilson, there are quite a few other really good options and the other speakers
you mention are nothing to sneeze at either.

The point George makes about having gear from well known and off the beaten
path is also excellent.  That is part of what you pay a premium price for as well,
but again, does NOT mean that you can't get great performance elsewhere.

Now that we have our website up and a few more reviewers that I trust on
the staff, we will probably be able to review 50-75 products next year, but
that's still just a tiny dent in what's available. 

We all have our noses to the ground trying to find more gear that is a little bit
off the beaten path and we get a lot of good info here and the other boards I
participate in which is a big help.

I definitely have my personal biases, but I have to say I'm hearing more great
stuff than ever before at a wider range of price points than ever before.

Seriously, all arguing aside if you are digging the sound when you sit on
your couch or chair, that's ALL that matters to us.  We want you to find the
gear that will put a smile on your face whether that's a pair of 120 thousand dollar
Wilsons or a used pair of JBL's...

I have a system that I really enjoy and it's taken a long time chasing the rabbit
down the hole to get something that I just love when I sit down to listen.

And you have to remember, the more you listen you may change your mind
on what you now like....

Hopefully by hanging out here, reading everything you can get your hands on and
investigating as much as you can, it won't take you guys as long as it took me!