It seems like speakers are expensive to pay for research and development. Back in the 1970's, good speakers were developed, and then sold for years. The big Klipsch speakers can still be bought. I would like to see the speaker manufacturers pick a design, then focus on bringing costs down, rather than pass improvements down the line. Speakers are overpriced. The top of the line speaker in the 1970's sold for $2000. That would be no more than $15,000 today. I'm listening to a set of 40 yr old stacked original advents. They compete well with the speakers in the stores, basically because they get the important things right. I would have to spend $30,000+ dollars to get any real improvement, basically because of the Advents great tonal qualities and resolution. Yes, most speakers can do something better than the Advents, but the Advents do everything well. Someone needs to build a great all around speaker and run with it.
What makes an expensive speaker expensive
When one plunks down $10,000 $50,000 and more for a speaker you’re paying for awesome sound, perhaps an elegant or outlandish style, some prestige ... but what makes the price what it is?
Are the materials in a $95,000 set of speakers really that expensive? Or are you paying a designer who has determined he can make more by selling a few at a really high price as compared to a lot at a low price?
And at what point do you stop using price as a gauge to the quality? Would you be surprised to see $30,000 speakers "outperform" $150,000 speakers?
Too much time on my hands today I guess.
Are the materials in a $95,000 set of speakers really that expensive? Or are you paying a designer who has determined he can make more by selling a few at a really high price as compared to a lot at a low price?
And at what point do you stop using price as a gauge to the quality? Would you be surprised to see $30,000 speakers "outperform" $150,000 speakers?
Too much time on my hands today I guess.