Case in point: a $90,000 power cord by ASUNZ


Open Letter to the Audiophile Community: When High-End Becomes High Farce

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

violi_doxari3a

I don't care if people are willing to spend a million on their hi-fi system. Just don't think that said system necessarily sounds better than a more regularly priced setup. Also, the criticism towards companies like Bose sounds ridiculous when some fellow audiophiles feel it's okay to buy a $5000 cable (the 90k cable is more an exercise of consumerism, not even worth considering). 

If you think this is bad, the people who buy this are spending money on other things in life that would make your head spin, detach, and fly up in the air like a child's toy.

Those with monies spend how they like, the Products they buy can be easily recognised as a justified price, who's going to question the cost of a Super Yacht or a Limited Edition Super Car.

Then there are the Products that will be given exposure solely in the circles of selected individuals who have no constraints on how monies are spent. As long as Mr ' Rolling in Dough ' has their selected representative, who is tasked with spending on their entertainment, make purchases which they believe is the best for the Client, then that is it and nothing else is attached to the sale. Usually by the time the representative has been wooed to the signing of a check ' Mr Money Bags ' is already remunerated for the outlay.

During COVID ' Mr Money Bags '  and ' Mr Loads of Dough ' were chartering Private Jets to go on a Short Break when the World was in Lock Down. They were heading off to Islands owned by other ' Mr Filthy Richs ' at a Covid Special £200K for the week.

Company Disaster Recovery Policies are clear,  ' Mr Money Bags '  and ' Mr Loads of Dough '  are not able to Fly Together, flights must be separate.

The Private Jets being Chartered had never had it so good. A one way Flight up to  4 Hours was a cheap £200K 

A Week away for $£ Million when most were in locked down, and the above figures are not fantasy. 

What's also not fantasy is that the monies were not being drawn from their personal accounts, a share holder or other avoidance method will be footing the bill somewhere. 

I said few times already that no company knows how to make the power cable correctly, except me. The sounds of $90k PC and a stock PC sound different, just different, but which sounds better is still the question. It's very hard to make the power cable correctly that there is no luck to have a right one, not in a million. Good luck. Alex/Wavetouch audio