Not woke in the least. In fact anti-woke. The problem I have is the assumption of presumption by someone other than the buyer.
Yeah I know these subtleties can be hard to grasp. At least for some.
Case in point: a $90,000 power cord by ASUNZ
There is a line between excellence and exploitation. In high-end audio, we celebrate passion, precision, and engineering that bring us closer to the music. We accept that real performance costs real money. But every so often, a product comes along that crosses the line into absurdity — and, frankly, insults the intelligence of the global audiophile community.
Case in point: a $90,000 power cord. (https://eqaudio.ca/power-cables/ansuz-mainz-d-tc3-gold-signature-power-cable/) A blatant insult to the intelligence of the global audiophile community!!!!!
Yes, you read that correctly. A piece of wire dressed up as “innovation,” sold for the price of a luxury car. It is not just excessive, it is contemptuous of the very customers who sustain this hobby.
The danger here isn’t only to one brand’s credibility. When companies market cables at such outrageous prices, they make the entire industry look foolish to the outside world. They reinforce every stereotype: that audiophiles are gullible, that high-end gear is snake oil, that this pursuit is less about music and more about status symbols.
We, as music lovers, are not idiots. We know the difference between engineering and opportunism. We know when craftsmanship justifies a premium — and when pricing is simply a provocation.
If high-end audio is to survive, manufacturers must show respect for both the craft and the community. Otherwise, the “legacy” they leave will not be of sonic breakthroughs, but of arrogance, excess, and ridicule.
This letter is not just directed at one company. It’s a call for honesty, sanity, and responsibility across the industry. If the goal is truly to celebrate music, then let’s price gear like it’s made for music lovers — not billionaires with no sense of value.
Steve Pappas
A concerned audiophile
@larryi +1 LOL |
I can see all points here. Yes 90k is ridiculous. Yes it's their choice it's a free country. Yes it would be better spent elsewhere, as someone said you can buy a pretty insane system for 90k and there are a lot of people and causes in need. Is the issue this company or the system itself that is allowing this while people don't have basic needs covered? Survival of the fittest? Fittest being the most wealthy? Strange world when some can't afford basic necessities and others can buy 90k cables. Although I got a guy that can get it for 30k 🤫 |