KINETIC AUDIO speakers

vkohl · « **on:** 29 Jan 2018, 08:14 am »

I have owned the STAT satellite / TRAPEZOID subs [2] system from this Chicago speaker company since 1981.

What amazes me that in 35 years of buying & selling audio gear, I have NEVER seen ONE Kinetic Audio FOR SALE ad ???!!! ...not in Audiomart [the paper subscription...for those who remember! ]...not on Audiogon...not on AudioCircle....not ANYWHERE.

Last I checked they were still in business and producing high quality/expensive speakers.

In 1981 I paid $1,500 for those 4 speakers w/ custom crossovers...last I checked these would now cost $30,000.

Is this speaker company that far under the radar ? Or are these speakers that special that no one ever sells them?

THANKS for those who respond !!!

bacobits1 · « **Reply #1 on:** 29 Jan 2018, 10:56 am »

They appear to be shut down. No contact info. An archived site is up that is all.

stlrman · « **Reply #2 on:** 29 Jan 2018, 11:01 am »

Pics of ur system ?
What makes them so great ? Sound?

poseidonsvoice · « **Reply #3 on:** 29 Jan 2018, 11:19 am »

Quote from: bacobits1 on 29 Jan 2018, 10:56 am

They appear to be shut down. No contact info. An archived site is up that is all.

Like he said...http://www.kineticaudio.com/

I remember them being operational in the mid 90's, but I was into Legacy back then!

Best,
Anand.

stlrman · « **Reply #4 on:** 29 Jan 2018, 01:16 pm »

How did you come up with the $30,000 estimate? That seems far far fetched.

JakeJ · « **Reply #5 on:** 29 Jan 2018, 01:30 pm »

And I thought this was review, silly me.

orientalexpress · « **Reply #6 on:** 29 Jan 2018, 01:51 pm »

the only kinetic audio speakers i saw is white van speakers name KINETIC AUDIO.

poseidonsvoice · « **Reply #7 on:** 29 Jan 2018, 03:57 pm »

Quote from: stlrman on 29 Jan 2018, 01:16 pm

How did you come up with the $30,000 estimate? That seems far far fetched.

Perhaps he looked here:

https://web.archive.org/web/20150219023257/http://kineticaudio.com/catalog.htm

Best,
Anand.

srb · « **Reply #8 on:** 29 Jan 2018, 04:10 pm »

Quote from: orientalexpress on 29 Jan 2018, 01:51 pm

the only kinetic audio speakers i saw is white van speakers name KINETIC AUDIO.

"White Van" speaker "companies" sometimes stole the names of legitimate speaker brands verbatim such as Boston, Kinetic or Genesis, while the majority of the time they morphed the name into something similar in hopes that the non-audiophile customer might associate it with a legitimate speaker or electronics company they had heard of such as

Bach & Odin > B&O, Bang & Olufsen, Bowers & Wilkins
Dahlton > Dahlquist
Elak > Elac
Harmon Logan > Harman Kardon, Martin Logan (My personal favorite, 2 for 1, Bam!)
Kirsch > Klipsch
Luxton > Luxman
Paradyme > Paradigm

Companies will usually update their copyright year date(s) each year and the last copyright date on the archived Kinetic Audio website is 2012.

Steve

mcgsxr · « **Reply #9 on:** 29 Jan 2018, 05:46 pm »

To the OP - thanks for sharing about your speakers, I have never heard of them, but often like hearing about stuff like that.

Appreciate your taking the time to write up what you think after all the years of ownership.

LesterSleepsIn · « **Reply #10 on:** 29 Jan 2018, 08:48 pm »

And then there’s this:

http://www.usaudiomart.com/details/649038151-kinetic_audio_stat_trapezoid/

vkohl · « **Reply #11 on:** 30 Jan 2018, 05:17 am »

Quote from: stlrman on 29 Jan 2018, 01:16 pm

How did you come up with the $30,000 estimate? That seems far far fetched.

I saw a price list of all their speakers a few years ago. They were still making the same line I own [ STAT /TRAPEZOID]

vkohl · « **Reply #12 on:** 30 Jan 2018, 05:26 am »

Quote from: stlrman on 29 Jan 2018, 11:01 am

Pics of ur system ?
What makes them so great ? Sound?

::::::::::::: the STAT /TRAPEZIOD is on the LEFT [ original 1981 advert ]

::::::::::::: as fronts in my home theatre [ I refinished them in BLACK ]

vkohl · « **Reply #13 on:** 30 Jan 2018, 05:58 am »

Quote from: LesterSleepsIn on 29 Jan 2018, 08:48 pm

And then there’s this:

http://www.usaudiomart.com/details/649038151-kinetic_audio_stat_trapezoid/

yep...my ad...so like I said...NEVER seen another pair for sale EVER

Letitroll98 · « **Reply #14 on:** 2 Feb 2018, 02:51 pm »

So let me try and understand. You were trying to sell a set of speakers that you paid $1,500 for in 1981 for $16,000 last June? Please help me out with what I've missed here.

dB Cooper · « **Reply #15 on:** 2 Feb 2018, 03:40 pm »

I've heard plenty of $16K speakers I wouldn't pay $1.5K for. I've also seen/heard plenty of speakers that I thought sold for 10x what they should. I can easily imagine a mfr charging $15K today for a system like what is depicted (people will buy anything if it's marketed properly, and look how 'high end' prices have skyrocketed over the last ~10 years) but for a new system with a warranty, not a used system with probably unobtainable replacement parts and no warranty or manufacturer support. They might actually be good speakers but, yeah, $16K seems over the top.

neekomax · « **Reply #16 on:** 2 Feb 2018, 03:56 pm »

Quote from: Letitroll98 on 2 Feb 2018, 02:51 pm

So let me try and understand. You were trying to sell a set of speakers that you paid $1,500 for in 1981 for $16,000 last June? Please help me out with what I've missed here.

Hey man, gotta account for inflation.

srb · « **Reply #17 on:** 2 Feb 2018, 04:19 pm »

I have a pair of KEF C60 speakers in walnut veneer finish in excellent 9/10 condition that retailed for $690/pair in 1985. I would like to sell them, asking $7360.

vkohl · « **Reply #18 on:** 3 Feb 2018, 10:56 am »

Quote from: Letitroll98 on 2 Feb 2018, 02:51 pm

So let me try and understand. You were trying to sell a set of speakers that you paid $1,500 for in 1981 for $16,000 last June? Please help me out with what I've missed here.

Go buy my 4 speaker setup today and you'll pay $30,000 [ at least as of 2012] ...and mine are the ONLY BLACK ones in the world [ 60 hour custom refinishing job]

I bought a pair of Rogers LS3/5A's in 1978 for $275....try to find a pair TODAY for less than $1500

Quality and Rarity INCREASES in VALUE ! ... NO different than a 1965 Corvette

Bemopti123 · « **Reply #19 on:** 3 Feb 2018, 01:04 pm »

Quote from: vkohl on 3 Feb 2018, 10:56 am

Go buy my 4 speaker setup today and you'll pay $30,000 [ at least as of 2012] ...and mine are the ONLY BLACK ones in the world [ 60 hour custom refinishing job]

I bought a pair of Rogers LS3/5A's in 1978 for $275....try to find a pair TODAY for less than $1500

Quality and Rarity INCREASES in VALUE ! ... NO different than a 1965 Corvette

To ride in this idea...prices and increase of vintage stuff depend of rarity, desirability.....and the most important, a market. Without the last component, this is what happens... a standard for what something is worth must be deliberately set, by the owner...but regardless of what the owner expects, the reality of the price will be set by the buyer, if there is one. See tons of stuff in FBay.... people expect top $$$$ for stuff that will never probably sell, but it keeps on being relisted. Of course there are people who come to their senses and lower the original asking price each subsequent relisting, still, regardless, true price is decided by the real figure used in the final transaction, if there is one.

Vintage speakers, unless they are mythical or ubtanium....qualities that very few ever hope to achieve, never achieve the value that the owners ascribe to them. Got any WE755As, not the alter ones, now we are talking.