Audiophilia is not about having the most cost effective audio system. It is about having the maximum audio performance that you can afford. I have always stretched for the very best achievable that I could possibly afford. That involves endless research, auditioning and always purchasing at the very limit of my ability. Then for around seven years I would be in heaven until I began to realize I could afford to assemble a significantly better system… enjoy, repeat. I am an audiophile.
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@tdudnyk I think he’s incensed that his competitors are offering discounts which, in turn, put a bit dent in his business. My educated guess is that he misread the market and misunderstood the value of the channel. Clearly his competition has enough margin to work with and that’s another interesting point in all this. This stuff is all subjective whether hi-end, mid, or low. And there’s so much of it. It really is akin to what you find in the luxury market. It’s not a necessity, it very much relies on marketing and a good dealer network—or a very, very strong direct approach. If you’re complaining that the competition has undercut you, then either adjust or get out. I guess he is going to adjust. And that tells me, he thinks he can build something “as good” and less expensive which is rather ironic…
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My only knock on the brand is the 250K+ mono amps. Here's why: if they are truly that transcendantly amazing, he should have no problem getting what he is asking for them and having a profitable, thriving business. But are they 2.5x better than Gryphon Apex's (which are class A and cost 100K)? I have the same problem with Burmester 159s and their 350K+ monos. |
Goodness, such rancor. Really, why? He's attempting to expand his market, big deal. As someone pointed out, there's only so many $250K amplifiers one could sell. And let's think about this: How many of our spouses shake their heads at the money WE spend "down" at our levels? How many have said "You want to spend HOW much on some ugly old speakers in our living room!?" I came across this recently and it's made all the difference in my days: "In a world where you can chose to be anything, choose to be nice." Happy listening. |
There can only be so many buyers of $250,000 amplifiers. At that level, a certain level of performance is expected, and appearance, but that isn't all of it. How much better are they than the units that sell for a quarter the price? Veblen goods and all. Limited production, limited availability, exclusivity, visibility. Still, he has to find some buyers, a rarefied few whose business is solicited by more than a few atelier producers. These are buyers who don't need his product. He has to attract them. Maybe he figures the way to do that is to make them even more exclusive: you can have one only if you order and pay for one. We'll call you when it's ready. One doesn't go to a Rolls Royce or Bugatti dealership and kick tires. What I don't get is the brand dilution inherent in a lower-priced, stock item. He isn't he first to try this in high-end audio. OMA has done the same with the Fleetwood brand. But OMA created a second brand, and doesn't appear to conflate the two. Both brands have similar approaches to materials: milled and torrefied hardwood, iron castings, slate. The Fleetwood line is sold through independent audio dealers, OMA is not. Unless DartZeel creates a separate brand that stands on its own there is risk of cheapening the original brand. He has a problem also with being in Switzerland. Production costs there are very high. Even lower-tier brands like Pro-Ject make their products in lower-cost countries like Slovakia instead of Austria. |
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Absolutely. How kind that the owner is looking to "break into" the Mid-Fi Market by offering integrated boat anchors that retail for $35,000 instead of $60,000. As we say in the South, "Bless his little heart....".
Meanwhile, there will be a line out the door of Bitcoin and Internet "new money" millionaires chomping at the bit to buy status. Have at it. I'll remain a happy Hillbilly burying my millions in Mason Jars in the hills of East Tennessee and being perfectly content with my vintage McIntosh, ARC, and Klipsch gear. Grandpa always said it was easy to spot the rich people who never worked for their money...they were they ones spending it like there was no tomorrow. |