I actually had my hands on a "dealer price" list from NHT a few years back. At that time, I purchased a pair of 3.3's from a (different) authorized dealer. The markup was unbelievable! Needless to say, the pair I purchased were dealer demo's, and I couldn't be happier. I paid less than dealer cost. Cabinets, drivers, crossover components, and finish are all part of the formula. The 3.3's driver compliment are factory matched (l/r) to within a given performance range (+/- .3 dB, if I recall) of each other, and accurate records are kept on each speaker. In the unlikely event of driver failure, the manufacturer can look up your particular speaker by the serial number, then get the correct drivers (matched pairs, in this case). Because of the extra efforts, warranty issues, etc., some of the "extra" costs can be justified. But retail is for people with too much money. Or no brains. Or both.
What makes a speaker thousands more...
What makes, let's say a $7500 speaker more expensive than say a $2500? Is it the drivers, cross overs, cabinet, R&D, all the above, etc...
This could really go towards any componant, like why does Company X's Amp 1 cost thousands more than amp 2? I realize there generally is more power and clarity, but do they really have thousands more into it?
This could really go towards any componant, like why does Company X's Amp 1 cost thousands more than amp 2? I realize there generally is more power and clarity, but do they really have thousands more into it?