They should charge more for it…


The Absolute Sound magazine just elected the new Wilson Benesch GMT one turntable as their turntable of the year…and awarded it as such.

In the mini review of the table, the author writes, you know something is up when a competitor states..“ they should charge more for it”. Yet, the table under consideration is priced at a measly $302k! Yes folks, more than a quarter of a million dollars! Yet we are being lead to believe that this product is maybe underpriced? 
Interesting attitudes prevailing in high end audio reviewing these days…

Perhaps it is under priced, as maybe it could sell for millions of dollars…to the right audiophile consumers? The Absolute sound reviewer, and lately most audio reviewers, seem to think that any price asked is fine, so long as the piece basically delivers the goods. Are they correct?

daveyf

Any government subsidies of late here benefit the Orange Nightmare to the exclusion of any thing or potential step forward in or for others.
Since Twitwit only likes 'music' that allows pumping his hands in a suspect fashion and can be co-opted without any royalty payments to the set-upon 'serf sets' that grovel under his spikey boots....that keeep walkin'.... ( Begging pardon, Nancy S.).

Thinking of a remix of Gabriels' "Shock the Monkey".....
" Doncha' know you gotta,
Snuff the Orangutan...."

First, I wonder if I would hear the difference between the $302K turntable and my VPI Signature 21 at less than 1/30th the price. Second, I'm pretty sure that it's a kind of retailing law that the higher the retail price, the higher the margin. On a $3K turntable, perhaps 30 or 40% is profit. On a $320K turntable, over 50% could be profit since obviously money is not a consideration. 

I would think you would instantly hear the difference. It has been my experience very expensive turntables make a shockingly noticeable difference.

Second… not profit… most covers investment in R&D… all these costs come out before profit. I doubt with the number sold it is very profitable… but hopefully it increases the volume of lower end models, 

I interpret "they should charge more for it" to be a compensatory device attempting to assuage, justified in my opinion, criticism of the outlandish price. I mean the criticism of the price is justified not the assuaging.

It certainly is not worth the price charged nor more. No matter how good it sounds.

To those who can afford it and buy it: Good Luck.

To those who cannot afford it and will never buy it: There is no need to lose sleep over that decision.

Everyone should understand that there is a market sector which is no longer about the 'what' which is being bought, but about the Pissing Contest. Unless one is enlivened by pissing contests one needn't feel left out.