[Samurai7595]

http://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/enklein-introduces-analog-david-cable/

[redbook]

I'll take two please   hahahahaha

[SteveFord]

I wonder just how much the second meter costs?  An awful lot, I would hope.

[PRELUDE]

It could be a nice buy if you must impress your friends or neighbor but the true music lover would leave this on the shelve.

[mrhyfy]

I find anything less shrill and woolly....

[Guy 13]

Hi all Audio Circle members.
With price (and profit accordingly) like that,
I am sure he can afford to drive a Bentley.

Guy 13

[grsimmon]

Two spelling errors in that press release.   Count me out   

[Elizabeth]

Siltech Empress Double Crown pair.
One meter: $21,000.
So the op cables are not even close to the top prices for a pair of IC.
And at least three other cables over the cost available at thecableco.

[decal]

Sign me up for the tour !!!!!!!!

[Photon46]

I am NOT trying start a political debate, just pointing out the fact that this constant carping about the rising cost of hi-end audio ignores the reality facing the industry. The middle class has basically lost all interest in hi-end audio, it's not longer a status indicator of the good life like it used to be in its glory days. Profit margin manufacturers need is made by making products that appeal to the 1% who have more money than most of us imagine. In the business I'm in, Fine Art publishing, it takes just as much effort to sell a $2000 limited edition print as it does to sell a $75,000-$300,000 piece of art. Which end of the market do you think is better use of of our limited resources when we select what sort of publication projects we take on ? (if we want to survive another year.) Talk to any high end audio manufacturer and they'll tell you the Asian markets, China in particular, is where the growth is happening. I'm amazed at how many high end German audio manufacturers have more factory stores in China than they do in their home markets. Look the attached chart showing the explosive growth of Chinese millionaire households. That's a huge part of the market is for these expensive products. The Chinese audiophile wants big, monolithic, expensive gear as a status indicator.

[spinner]

I am NOT trying start a political debate, just pointing out the fact that this constant carping about the rising cost of hi-end audio ignores the reality facing the industry. The middle class has basically lost all interest in hi-end audio, it's not longer a status indicator of the good life like it used to be in its glory days. Profit margin manufacturers need is made by making products that appeal to the 1% who have more money than most of us imagine. In the business I'm in, Fine Art publishing, it takes just as much effort to sell a $2000 limited edition print as it does to sell a $75,000-$300,000 piece of art. Which end of the market do you think is better use of of our limited resources when we select what sort of publication projects we take on ? (if we want to survive another year.) Talk to any high end audio manufacturer and they'll tell you the Asian markets, China in particular, is where the growth is happening. I'm amazed at how many high end German audio manufacturers have more factory stores in China than they do in their home markets. Look the attached chart showing the explosive growth of Chinese millionaire households. That's a huge part of the market is for these expensive products. The Chinese audiophile wants big, monolithic, expensive gear as a status indicator.

   Yes well said

[R. Daneel]

What I'm about to say has nothing to do with cables but it reminded me of a story I heard from a certain hi-fi dealer. One time this football manager came to the store and said he wanted something nice for the relaxation lounge! The guy started explaining all the technical features of the equipment he had in his saloon only to be rudely interrupted by the manager who said "Look boy, I don't care about any of that. All I want to know is if someone else has this." The guy said no and the manager said "Right, then I'll take a piece of each of these things, whatever they are." So, that about sums it up. It has nothing to do with product quality but financial status and abilities that allow you to buy something just because no one else can have it. Plenty of people like that.

But the comforting thing (if comfort is at all needed, no one needs that much money really) is that you can hear a lot more on your equipment than these people ever will on their.

So, I don't strive towards these things and I doubt anyone here does either. It's a funny world.

On a side note, I bought Bryston balanced XLR cables precisely so that I wouldn't get carried away because these cables, while not exactly cheap, are still affordable enough and offer excellent build quality and as I have come to realize it, a repeatably audible improvement in audio quality.

Cheers!
Antun

[won ton on]

R Daneel          You got that right as half of them are too busy keeping up with the the Jones. The other half don't even know how to turn it on. It's the same with cars.

[Gearplay]

Two spelling errors in that press release.   Count me out   

 

[Folsom]

I never doubt that cables are good, but once you know basic electronics you realize that outside quantum physics there are serious limitations to how well you can make three basic properties express themself.

At temperature any cable should express desired resistance, capacitance, and inductance. After that you can reduce noise, phase shift, and unwanted skin affects. It makes me wonder if it's litz silver wire or something requiring special equipment. Shielding passively can only burn up so much noise, on single ended.

So if you got pretty much all of those met, where do you get more performance? The medical industry and whatever isn't going to teach you any tricks beyond the simple stuff.

If it is indeed so damn good, I assume it must be doing something else. Perhaps something not even honest, not desired, but can fool you into thinking there is an improvement. But also could it be making up for inefficinencies of other sorts? How could it be making up for losses of transmission over the distance of itself?

I have to agree it's pure shame so few can afford to pay U.S. manufactures/neighbors for anything. There is no doubt of disparity these days.

But also it seems like people hate music since it sounds so bad every where you go, especially live. But you aren't cool if you don't like it...

[Guy 13]

Hi all Audio Circle members.
Here a few things I have picked-up here and there,
Which reflect my thinking about those expensive, please read, over my budget cables and similar audio items.
An audiophile is someone who can hear differences among various components, etc…
Even when there aren’t any.
An audiophile can confirm that there is a difference in sound, even no components have been changed, only by suggesting him, that some changes have been made.
It’s a fact that many audiophiles concern themselves with connectors and power cords and all the fancy tweaks, when these are pale in comparison to the effect of room acoustics.
Room treatments are the most grossly overlooked and misunderstood aspect of hi-end audio.
Sometimes, room treatment can only be bookshelves, plushy sofas, thick carpet, thick drapes and a few frames on walls.
The industry has now reached the point where wire resistance
And listening quality are not the issues anymore,
Although listening claims may still be made…
The strategy in selling these extremely expensive products is, in part, to appeal to those who are looking to impress others with something unique and extremely expensive and flatter their alter ego.
How a short strand of expensive cable can improve upon electricity delivered by hundred of miles of standard electricity transmission equipment outside and inside a home and already exposed to all kinds of magnetic fields.
End of quotes.
One of my first post was about expensive speaker cables.
At that time, I thought that it was crazy to pay 5,000 USD for a pair of exotics speaker cables.
Since then, I have adopted another attitude.
If you can afford it, why not?
The brick and mortar store will laugh all the way to the bank and it will keep him in business. Minds you, nowadays, you can by 15,000 USD cable via On Line stores.
My way of seeing this is:
A 15,000 USD pair of exotics speaker are they 150 times better in sound quality compared to cables at 100 USD.
I think not.
Will I complaint about store offering super expensive audio items, no, not anymore.
It’s a free country (I am not talking about Vietnam, of course) they can do whatever they want with their bag of money.
Here in Vietnam, I have customers (Mainly from the capital in the north) that come to my store and want the most expensive professional photo equipment, not the best, the most expensive and they want to know if they will be the first one to buy that product.
Those Vietnamese from the north, as soon as they have some money to spend, they will buy those big motorcycle (125cc that is) only to impress or should I say to show their success and business achievement.
There is here a Vietnamese audiophile that as a 100,000+ USD audio system and he invite many friends to listen to his system and of course, one of the first thing he talk about, is how much he paid, plus, he does not have any vinyl or CD collections, only samplers and don’t go there to listen to an entire LP or CD, no mister, only sample of each song.
For me, even if I could afford 15,000+ USD speaker cables, I would not do it, because for me, it’s a bad investment.
Yes, those expensive cables are good, but no really required.
That’s my opinion for what it’s worthed.

Guy 13