[Daygloworange]

Why does a pair of these speakers cost more than a Toyota Prius?

They have spent a lot of time R&D'ing. That has to be amortized into the cost of their products.

I believe that the Watt Puppy 8 enclosures are manufactured from the "X" And "Y" materials that are also used in their Alexandria X-2 models. If the material is what I suspect it is, it is very, very expensive, and takes many hours of CNC machine time.

They also use special adhesives to bond the enclosure together.

Their paint process is a very high level, and laborious. Material costs alone are quite high.

The white glove service, as mentioned before.

And they insure that they are a profitable company.

That's good business.

Most importantly, there is obviously a market for what they are selling.

Cheers

[arthurs]

Maybe they price them high to keep out the riff raff.....

[miklorsmith]

People pay more than a Prius for candlesticks.  It's all just choices people make on what they value and how much funding is available.  If there's a market, producers react.  Wilson isn't stealing the money - it's basic market economics.

[macrojack]

Thanks, Mike. That answers my question.

[TONEPUB]

I started an audio magazine because I felt that I could offer something that Stereophile and TAS did
not. Two years and 75 thousand readers later, I have accomplished that.  Most of our readers
and most of the top companies in the industry agree.  And I backed it up with a staff that has
as much or more experience than anyone else.

If my readers and advertisers go away, I won't be producing an audio magazine anymore.

It doesn't mean TAS or Stereophile are bad, or that they are not valid magazines.  They offer things
that TONE does not. I still read them both (and all the other magazines as well because I love hifi)
I'd like to think that we all have something to offer our readers.

I don't make comments like "why does Stereophile cost seven dollars, when you can download TONE for
free?"

What I fear that you just don't get is that with Wilson or some of the other extreme high end mfrs
is that they are making high quality, limited production, hand made goods.  Wilson has a year backlog
on some of their products, so the demand is high.  

The people who buy this stuff truly enjoy it and many of them have the resources to afford it.
Granted a little bit of it is pride of ownership, but let's face it no one buys stereo equipment
to act like it's a status symbol.  Most people think you are crazy to spend more than a thousand
bucks on a stereo, so it's pretty much a personal pursuit.

If Wilson was a hoax, they wouldn't be in business for as long as they have been.  I can't believe
that everyone that owns a pair of Wilson speakers is delusional.

How much "better" the mega high end gear is than the rest is truly a personal thing.  If it's not
worth it to YOU, that's a perfectly valid argument.

And yes, I do think 40 thousand dollars for a pair of speakers is a lot of money.  But almost
everything I've heard in this price category (Wilson included) delivers something that the
five thousand dollar speakers or the ten thousand dollar speakers do not.  If you want that experience
you have to pay the money.  That's the way it goes.  It's like that with every other consumer
product out there.

Ive had the same experience with cars, bicycles, watches, cameras, etc. etc.

I know Jerry Seinfeld on a peripheral level and one day we were talking about
vintage Porsches when he told me he "stole" a 917 race car for 1.6 million
dollars.  Another friend of mine wanted a SECOND McLaren F1.  Said he was going
to wait for them to drop below 750k before he made his move.

It's all relative.

I guess I just don't have a problem with the pricing.  Just because I can't afford a Ferrari
doesn't mean it's not an outstanding car.  Same with the Wilson Watt Puppies.  I can't
afford a pair and Wilson does NOT give industry accomodation pricing to reviewers.

These arguments always deteriorate to this....

[samplesj]

Every time this Wilson thing comes up so does the indigence. People ask why I care. I wonder why they care that I care. Why do so many run to the defense of this sham? The stuff is stupidly expensive. Admit it. The pricing is exploitive but it isn't petroleum or health care so I don't see a problem there. The real problem is on the end of the consumer who sponsors such a hoax, or rather buys into the fantasy.

Sure, like you say it is stupid expensive.  I'd never consider them because I've got MUCH better uses for that kind of spare money.  We aren't defending it.  It is simply a matter of fact that neither of us is able to change their pricing.  None of us are potential customers so we aren't sponsoring the hoax.  I'd even bet that anyone considering Wilson speakers isn't looking at forums for feedback either.  So I see this as tilting at windmills.

[zybar]

Macrojack,

Why should we care?

What relevance does that really have in the grand scheme of things?

Um this is a message board where people ask questions they have been thinking about.  Maybe you don't care but other may wonder about such things.  I am sure you wonder about things he does not care about.   

You are right.

Sorry Macrojack.

Guess I am little more grumpy than usual due to the craziness at work.

George

[macrojack]

Today is Friday, George. I hope that means the same thing to you that it means to me. Take the weekend off and don't even think about your job for a couple of days.

I would think your beloved Yankees would have put you in a pretty good mood lately.

[miklorsmith]

I'd even bet that anyone considering Wilson speakers isn't looking at forums for feedback either.

This is far from correct.  How many Wilson threads are there at Audiogon?  I'd bet more than any other line, possibly more than the next three combined.  No, I think many who are considering them are VERY concerned about their peers' thoughts.

[doug s.]

jeez, macro, you are SO wrong about this!  hi end audio is NOT the titanic!!!  folks in hi-end have been lamenting its certain destruction as long as hi-end has existed.  you need to really research this.  you think i am a chauvinist?  i think you are like one of those fanatics running around preaching "repent - the end of the world is near!"     you need to get out more!   

re: your initial question, i have no idea why wilson watt puppy 8's cost only 2% of the cost of a ferrari enzo...   

doug s.

Tonepub

High End Audio is not the iceberg -- it is the Titanic. Its pricing is the iceberg.

[sts9fan]

i think you are like one of those fanatics running around preaching "repent - the end of the world is near!"

Would that be the culty brotherhood of Zu?

[Daygloworange]

Why do so many run to the defense of this sham? The stuff is stupidly expensive. Admit it. The pricing is exploitive but it isn't petroleum or health care so I don't see a problem there. The real problem is on the end of the consumer who sponsors such a hoax, or rather buys into the fantasy.

It seems you have a burr in your saddle about a lot of things, macro.

Are you aware of what some Rolex or Patek Phillipe watches are going for????

Oooops, maybe I will have contributed to sending you completely over the edge. 

Cheers

[2bigears]

wilson build their own drivers,right?? that's a big cost,paying for hi-priced labor for R&D is also big dough.they fill a market,consumers stand in line.it's like the old bed mattress story on the news the other day,a $50000.00 mattress and only an 8 month line to get one.hummmm

[BrianM]

Why does a pair of these speakers cost more than a Toyota Prius?

Because they sound better than a Prius?

[sts9fan]

http://www.hastens.com/en-us/Beds/

140hr hand made bed

[Daygloworange]

Somebody send macrojack a copy of the latest Robb Report.   

Cheers   

[BrianM]

Which is uglier, a Wilson Watt Puppy or a Toyota Prius?

[doug s.]

no, it's cuz they're more fuel effcicient.

doug s.

Why does a pair of these speakers cost more than a Toyota Prius?

Because they sound better than a Prius?

[aerius]

wilson build their own drivers,right??

Nope.  They source most of their drivers from Scanspeak and Focal.

[95bcwh]

Anyone knows the exact specs and true costs of these drivers???

wilson build their own drivers,right??

Nope.  They source most of their drivers from Scanspeak and Focal.