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$27,500 for whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat???

$27,500 is a nice chunk of change, even in the audiophile world.  I think we can all agree on this.  You can get a pretty kick ass system for that amount.  I think we can all agree on this, too.  I just read something at stereophile.com that almost...almost made me choke on my triscuit.   Luckily for me, I had water ready to go, knowing how dry those things are.  $27,500 is the price for a paint upgrade, a color called cranberry pearl finish on a pair of speakers made by Wilson, the Chronosonic XVX.   Now, when we hear the name Wilson, we all know what that means.   But come on man,  $27,500 for a paint upgrade. 
shtinkydog
kink56's avatar
kink56
91 posts
 
Who wants to have colored speakers?
glupson
7,842 posts
 
Me!
exron
111 posts
 
I see now that the late David Wilson's son is now running the company. Let's say he needs a new paint job for his automobile and he wants a really good top of the line job done, the paint specialist tells him that it will cost him $27,500 to have it done. Now I would like to see the look on Mr. Wilson's face and his thoughts on that quote. The prices they charge for their speakers with paper cones in them I would not touch at normal prices.
glupson
7,842 posts
 
"...see the look on Mr. Wilson's face and his thoughts on that quote."
"I hope two people ask for the special paint on their speakers. That would cover it."
wspohn's avatar
wspohn
603 posts
 
One thing that you have to understand is that the finish on the Wilsons really is the equivalent of a high end automotive concours job. Some of the other painted speakers are equivalent to a quick Maaco sand and spray.

Having said that, and understanding that there is as much disassembly masking and reassembly as on a car, I'd have to say that the price is inflated. I don't know if Wilson runs an in house paint shop (expect that they probably do) but would think that a subcontractor would charge about half that for the same job, based on personal experience in the car realm.

And if these big boys are basically made to order, then it isn't a case of respraying an existing set on the showroom floor, it is just a case of choosing a different paint code as they go down the line, which would make the price even crazier

To put my comments in perspective, I do own Wilsons (painted in Argento Nurburgring, a 2006 Ferrari colour) and thus can confirm their paint quality.
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