Do audiophiles creat the high prices we complain about.


I do think we do it to ourselves by greatly considering pricing when we buy. A manufacturer has to have certain price points or their gear wouldn't be considered worthy. I have had audiophiles tell me they want 10-25k speakers, not good ones the price comes 1st for many. Anything under those prices isn't good enough in their minds.

128x128johnk

Showing 2 responses by ghdprentice

There are two standard ways of pricing and companies tend to follow one or the other.
 

Pricing by the market (basically the value the market will bear). So, carefully as @mahler123 mentioned, compare with performance in the market. The second is cost plus… I’m guessing that Schiit probably does this.

 

Of course, most companies consider both… something too expensive will not fly… and at the real high end… you don’t want to loose prestige by charging too little provided the performance justifies it.

 

H

I believe we audiophiles create the market for high performing audio equipment, which in turn allows electronic engineers with a desire to create great sounding audio equipment the opportunity to do so.

Take for example companies like Audio Research, Wilson, and Pass. These guys risked every penny they had to create the very best audio experience possible. Take William Zane Johnson… his sacrifices to creating the best sound and a brand everyone could trust was epic. He nearly went bankrupt when a supplier sent him a batch of capacitors that blew up. Bill took every one of them back and repaired them at his own cost… it nearly killed his company. But integrity and complete dedication to the art was his motivation.

I have had the privilege of working for one of the innovators of the age when many of these companies were founded… for 20 years. This was Tom Brown… founder of Burr-Brown Corporation. One of the premier brands of DAC and ADC chips (and many other) used in high end audio for many decades. Tom like William were incredibly brilliant innovators that were humble, honest, insightful, and incredibly hard working (think over 80 hours a week).  

Read about some of these companies and there founders. If you want to get rich… this is not it. These guys nearly destroyed their lives to found these companies. So, the community that appreciates high end sound gives opportunities for these companies to make assaults on the high end.

As every where some shisters try to jump on the tails of genius and dedication… but most of the guys producing megabit stuff are legitimate innovators.