[*Scotty*]

Rich people have a different perception of what constitutes expensive. I tend to think of houses that cost that kind money but I am not rich.
Scotty

[doug s.]

Rich people have a different perception of what constitutes expensive. I tend to think of houses that cost that kind money but I am not rich.
Scotty

i'm not rich either, but i'd like to think that if i were, i wouldn't lose my intelligence.   

doug s.

[Nuance]

I think this thread is getting us too riled up.  Lets just go sit in front of our sweet audio systems and drift away.   

[lcrim]

I too have wondered why this particular topic has resulted in so many clashes between members.  It isn't usually such a divisive subject.  Hmm

[pjg66]

Scotty -

Point taken.  If you can spend a quarter million dollars or more on an audio system, then why worry about how much objective worth there may be to a $45K speaker cable.

As far as accommodation pricing for reviewers, I've long found that questionable.  It just doesn't seem "clean" when those reviewed (the manufacturers) are doing favors (giving discounts) to those doing the reviewing.  Another questionable practice is the so-called "long term" (aka permanent) loan of equipment to reviewers.  A great way for manufacturers to get their stuff into the reviewers' "reference systems".

Steve -

You win! I fold.

I'm gonna' go with Home Depot's "high-end" speaker cable at $1 per foot.  I hear it's quite good.

pjg66

[srb]

If you can spend a quarter million dollars or more on an audio system, then why worry about how much objective worth there may be to a $45K speaker cable.

Perhaps, but the ratio is still way out of line.  If I had a $250K automobile, it's doubtful I'd spend $45K on a set of spark plug wires.

Steve -
You win! I fold.
I'm gonna' go with Home Depot's "high-end" speaker cable at $1 per foot.  I hear it's quite good.

Hey, I'm with you.  I hear it's also fairly low capacitance.  And no Techflex sheathing over it either - that just increases it's static charge holding ability.
 
Steve

[Wind Chaser]

scotty, even if i did have a $250k system, no way 20% of it would be in speaker cables.  even 2% seems excessive to me.  unless, as i said before, i was only interested in bragging about how much i paid for them...

Bragging or embarrassing yourself?

[macrojack]

I tend to look at pricing from a justification standpoint. Hence my sarcastic comments that brought fire earlier.
How in the world could it cost more than a couple of hundred dollars to make an 8 foot pair of speaker cables unless they were pure gold. I've never actually tried crafting them but I have read DIY accounts now and again. Is there anything that could force the price of these cables up to the 30 or 40 thousand dollar pricing other than greed or the hope of landing a big one?

[Niteshade]

I don't get into the ultra-strange exotic materials with cables. It's silly! When making decent cables, a good part of the expense is labor. When there is braiding, soldering and sheaving involved, it takes a while. I honestly don't know how cables can cost as much as cars, but do know that hand crafting coax and cables is more work intense than it may seem. Good, basic materials are not inexpensive- yet not out of range either. Justifiable materials without voodoo claims attached to them work great! I like lab and commercial quality materials. The stuff is high performance and made to take a beating, yet not outlandishly expensive.  If one starts using components with a big name attached to them- up goes the price! Will the performance go up? Not necessarily.

I tend to look at pricing from a justification standpoint. Hence my sarcastic comments that brought fire earlier.
How in the world could it cost more than a couple of hundred dollars to make an 8 foot pair of speaker cables unless they were pure gold. I've never actually tried crafting them but I have read DIY accounts now and again. Is there anything that could force the price of these cables up to the 30 or 40 thousand dollar pricing other than greed or the hope of landing a big one?

[Niteshade]

Big speakers w/ good reviews and a decent price:

http://www.parts-express.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?Partnumber=303-422

They remind me of Cerwin Vega technology.

[Big Red Machine]

I tend to look at pricing from a justification standpoint. Hence my sarcastic comments that brought fire earlier.
How in the world could it cost more than a couple of hundred dollars to make an 8 foot pair of speaker cables unless they were pure gold. I've never actually tried crafting them but I have read DIY accounts now and again. Is there anything that could force the price of these cables up to the 30 or 40 thousand dollar pricing other than greed or the hope of landing a big one?

I've made several speaker cables and a half dozen IC's this past year and by the time you add up basic materials like wire, connectors, shrink tubing of various sizes, flex or nylon covering, silver solder, and all the shipping charges for each, it makes you wonder how anyone can offer a $39 pair of cables.  You'll have $100 in a pair of IC's in a heartbeat as a DIYer.

[DaveC113]

...it makes you wonder how anyone can offer a $39 pair of cables.

Made in China?

[cujobob]

I've made several speaker cables and a half dozen IC's this past year and by the time you add up basic materials like wire, connectors, shrink tubing of various sizes, flex or nylon covering, silver solder, and all the shipping charges for each, it makes you wonder how anyone can offer a $39 pair of cables.  You'll have $100 in a pair of IC's in a heartbeat as a DIYer.

Buy them in bulk at wholesale prices and things look a lot different.

[macrojack]

That makes sense, cujobob. And, if our Siltech friends buy in bulk, it lends even more absurdity to their pricing.
Now for the fireworks --- I personally think that most celebrated high end products are absurdly overpriced. The cost of R&D, materials, labor and marketing just don't add up to more than a small fraction of advertised prices. It's fraud and it exists because we support it.
Every once in a while a scandal is exposed because a manufacturer takes too much of a short cut or not enough caution in hiding his chicanery. Recently I saw a thread about an OPPO being repackaged intact and resold under a different name for several multiples of its original list. Don't you think things like this happen without detection?

[Niteshade]

This can be looked at in a few different ways. Bloated prices exist because people desperately want to pay them.

I have to say that it makes more sense than gambling.    At least you have something to show for your money.

That makes sense, cujobob. And, if our Siltech friends buy in bulk, it lends even more absurdity to their pricing.
Now for the fireworks --- I personally think that most celebrated high end products are absurdly overpriced. The cost of R&D, materials, labor and marketing just don't add up to more than a small fraction of advertised prices. It's fraud and it exists because we support it.
Every once in a while a scandal is exposed because a manufacturer takes too much of a short cut or not enough caution in hiding his chicanery. Recently I saw a thread about an OPPO being repackaged intact and resold under a different name for several multiples of its original list. Don't you think things like this happen without detection?

[*Scotty*]

This is stating the obvious but people pay more money for things associated with this hobby for the same reason that they pay more money for other goods,they are firmly convinced that paying more money guarantees a superior product. The short form,the more you pay the better it has to be. However,and I have said this before,spending more money does not automatically insure that you have bought the best possible product,in this hobby what you need to do is buy the best brains applied to solving a problem and this connection difficult to find.
Scotty

[macrojack]

It all starts with additive thinking. We suppose that we can make the signal, and therefore the sound, better. Actually all we can do is make it less worse. All the info available is embedded in the software. Extracting it while minimizing the degree to which we compromise it is the real goal. Nothing is gained by addition. Improvement comes as a result of less subtraction.
Does anyone imagine that $45,000 speaker cables do significantly less damage than $4500 cables. Can you justify $4500 cables? Can the difference be worth the price difference?

These things couldn't see the diminishing returns line in their rear view mirror with the help of the Hubble Telescope. Indefensible - Save your breath.

[doug s.]

Bragging or embarrassing yourself?

exactly! 

doug s.

[toobluvr]

This can be looked at in a few different ways. Bloated prices exist because people desperately want to pay them.

They also exist cause many in this hobby are insecure and anxiety ridden, and desperately wanna believe that the next doo-dad and bit of snake oil will take them to the promised land.  And mfrs / sellers take advantage of this.

Hey....I'm a free market capitalist, so I don't really blame the folks on the sell side.  I blame the idiots that pay the insane prices and therefore support and encourage the smoke and mirrors industry.

[SwedeSound]

How this thread has spun on and on over ten pages with so many off-topic and snarky posts without being permanently shuttered is baffling.