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Just wondering...

Sorry about the poor choice for the title but I just couldn’t compress my question into only a few words. I’ve been watching A’gon to find a good deal for a decent DAC in the $1K price range to improve my CD listening experience. As I look through the listings, I see DACs priced in tens of thousands - saw a Boulder 2020 with retail price of $32K listed for $15K. Probably an awesome bargain for somebody. To some degree I can understand speakers selling for crazy prices partly justified by their sound as well as their "furniture" value. I’m also sure a $20K pair of speakers will still sound incredible ten years from now. I can even sort of get amplifiers being a little crazy in price but they seem to last forever, at least technology-wise. I’m still loving my 35 year old McIntosh amp but can’t imagine using the same DAC even three or five years from now. What am I missing? Can a $32K DAC sound that different from a $1K DAC?

kalali

Showing 6 responses by czarivey

czarivey
5,946 posts
 
If $32k DAC is enclosed onto the marble chassis, it doesn't mean that it will sound better than one enclosed in metal one.
High End home audio is extremely dishonest business and it's blown like a soap bubble. $32k DAC is more boutique than professional similar to designer boutique wear or shoes. Same applies to everything else in high-end audio.

czarivey
5,946 posts
 
mb1audio02

True you need to know what you're doing, but some of us don't and that's where real industry kicks in for mega profits.

That’s where simple math kills all the science behind:
calculate parts + chassis + labor and you’ll get max of $800 for that $32k ’state of art’ advertised piece of home audio playa.
Then you can proudly say weather it’s worth it or not.
czarivey
5,946 posts
 
mb1audio02

i'm not selling any... Truth is strictly factual and static in our constantly changing world and it doesn't need to be purchased or sold.

 Every established business wants to live on foolish and rich and will apply all possible and impossible tricks to convince. I'm not rich, but wealthy and the reason why I am is because I do math the following way: How not to spend much on automobile maintenance, how not to spend much on energy, gas, healthy meals, comfortable quality apparel and certainly home and pro audio! Believe me my profession IS finding right numbers just about for anything around me. I breath with numbers, figure out mind behind each word written or spoken WITH numbers.

Don't get me wrong, I don't mind anyone manufacturing even $320k DAC or CD-player or any home-audio piece including wires... If they find foolish to skim -- it's aall goood and they do deserve respect for being smart!


czarivey
5,946 posts
 
mb1audio02 

I'm B.S. on applied math and statistics. The difference between me and MBA that I shuffle numbers in my head on flight and MBA in computer or calculator.

I know how much all electronic parts worth and therefore I don't need to get this information from manufacturer. The figures I wrote for DAC is very-very maximum of what you can possible think of building. So considering profit and labor DAC can't possibly be more than $5k and for these $5k in pro-audio you get HUGE variety of settings and adjustments and with multiple inputs for integrating more than one digital source. 
If such $32k DAC offers that, than it's actual NEW price is fair to be at or near $5k.

czarivey
5,946 posts
 
I believe that as far as for home audio, this is as fancy as you can ever go with DACs:
http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/ZodiacPlus
There is also optional external power supply that makes this toy almost twice as pricey. 
Is there any sense to compare sizes of Antelope Audio and size of company that built $32K DAC?  Because size matter -- bigger better.. 
czarivey
5,946 posts
 
$26k monoblocks sounds more reasonable than $32k DAC, but still too much.
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