Dear Sean,
Yes, the tweeter is better, and more expensive in the Callisto. The woofer is the same, with added Marigo damping materials on its frame. The crossover is almost the same, but those few changes in it are significant. The cabinet also makes a large difference.
The cost difference does help in recouping our R&D costs, which numbered many hundreds of hours spread over two years. However, the lion's share is for the many elements of its production: Molding, assembling, and finishing the Callisto's curved cabinet is very complicated. Much more time is needed to cut and install its acoustic absorption materials, to install the drivers, crossover and wiring harness, and to fabricate and mount the ports. There are two lacquered hardwood-trimmed bases to make, and finally 125lbs shipping weight in three custom cartons. These details will also be on our new website in about a week.
It takes about ten working days to complete a pair from the day the liquid-marble composite hits the molds. Thus, a few tons of cabinets are always occupying several hundred square feet of workbenches, to fill that pipeline. The cost for that extra space and the benches is not trivial, nor for that inventory.
The Europa's cabinet is simply two cast-marble moldings, and 94lbs shipping weight, in stock cartons. It takes about six days for a pair's production cycle.
The Europa is also sold only factory direct. The Europa Max (and all other models) are sold by authorized retailers, who have their overhead.
Remember, there would be no such thing as high-end audio without retailers, which is why on one level, I find it irritating whenever I read how retailers cheat people by not giving products away at large discounts. Would you ask your doctor for a discount?
I can also see this is an attitude created by many manufacturers- asking a lot for a product which isn't that special, or by publishing an inflated suggested list price with room for an automatic discount before one even asks.
Those affect anyone's perception of value, and have set many audiophiles to thinking about "zero loss on resale", instead of expecting that "I can find something worth investing in."
The full list of our retailers will finally appear on the new website. None carries "products of the month". Nor are any in the discount business to "make a sale". They present their products as the investments they are, and are fully prepared to back that up with demonstrations. Searching for that attitude is one big reason we have been slow in acquiring new retailers.
Fortunately, everyone who has heard the Callistos has had no problem justifying their extra cost over the Europas, or the Europa Maxs (which do use the Callisto drivers, et. al., in the standard Europa cabinets).
We are certainly very pleased with Paul Candy's review on sixmoons- any manufacturer would be, with a review so positive. Yet what really made his a special review, and I think useful to his readers, is how Paul challenged the Callistos with such a wide range of music and loudness'. Also, it was important that he was so experienced with many other speakers. Thank you Paul, for your hard work, and thank you Srajan, for publishing my technical answers at the end. Speaker design can be a science. If we do it all, and do it right, I find that all music becomes accessible.
My thanks also to all of the GMA owners for your continuing thumbs up. I am so glad you are enjoying all your music.
Best to everyone,
Roy Johnson
Founder and Designer
Green Mountain Audio
