The new dynamic in speaker pricing

@fleschler   I would suggest that you reserve your judgement of the new Wilson Alexx V's until such time as you have the opportunity to hear them with an appropriate setting and gear. I suspect you will then have a different opinion of the presentation.

Disclaimer: I'm a total newbie here. 

I understand why electronics can be very expensive from an engineering and parts cost perspective. 

But I just don't understand how these speakers can be so expensive. I mean I found a Hi-Fi shop in Paris which specializes in DIY kits using quality parts from Audax, Supravox, Davis Acoustics etc... This shop also sells assembled speaker kits with quality finishes (high gloss paint/veneer). Most of the components are assembled in France. The assembled speakers range from 200€ to 10,000€. You can realistically spend 2 or 3k€ on a serious pair of speakers. You can audition every product in the shop as you please. The service is nice and very helpful.  

And that's how it should be (IMHO). No magic. Just a list of parts and a bunch of customization options. Buying a speaker should be like buying a kitchen. 

Taking a broader perspective. Most small boutique speaker manufacturers sell bookshelf units for 2k~3k€ and tower units for 5k~20k€. 

@kokakolia there are some huge differences between kitchens and hifi systems. In a kitchen the different storage units must fit and the doors must fit the storage units but other than that it's mostly about how it looks.

If you have a crossover and some speaker elements that fit you can't just change one of them. Even the box affects the sound and has to match the other parts. I know there are some good kits out there but the best solution seems to be a complete set with drivers and crossover and a box that may need assembly, like an Ikea chair. What you save money on is that the box may use simpler materials and not look pretty and of course the assembly. 

@headphonedreams I understand that a specific driver required a specific cabinet with specific dimensions. That's the basis of speaker design. 

I'm thinking about the problem in terms of small, medium or large cabinets with associated drivers and crossovers. 

We are already intuitively doing that at Hi-fi shops by offering different speaker models. However these speaker models have unknown components. I want to add transparency to the business. 

That said, this measure doesn't favor the manufacturer at all. This is purely a DIY approach to speakers. You pick a driver then you pick the enclosure and crossover. The manufacturer does that choice for us already. 

"What would you pay for a good night’s sleep? If you were Canadian rap star Drake, you’d be willing to fork over $400,000."

The approximate cost of his mattress.

michael jordan can buy that easily

facten

PM sent.   Happy Listening!

@kokakolia 

The best way to test your hypothesis is to go somewhere that you can listen to 5K (use your currency), 10K, 25K, 50K, 100K, and 500K. That will be sufficient data to support an alternative theory of price performance.

Hang in there… in about 3 months or so, the Fed will have those prices down to under $500k so more of us can afford them. 

That reviewer has XVX, not Alexx V. And he had a full Dag setup visit the room and it didn’t dethrone his Macs. My issue with the setup is that the soundstage is high. He has since moved, unfortunately. One of the best audiophiles and friends around. His passion for records is unmatched - up to 10k last time I visited. 

I don't know if there's a "new dynamic" in speaker pricing or not.  What I do know is that there are some consumers who are able and willing to pay "whatever."