Wich high end CD palyer?

i'm still trying to figure out the logic behind spending $40,000 for a system to reproduce the sound of a $200 guitar through a $400 amp with a $100 microphone and some cheap cords, into a $1000 console and onto an $8 dat tape that is recorded on a $300 player (total cost of around $2100) "as it was heard in the studio". why on earth should it take astronomical amounts of money to "hear the instruments as if they were in the room", when you could probably have the musicians flown to the room you are in to play for about 1/100th the cost?

to phaelon:
which sinatra are you referring to, frank jr. or nancy? you do know that frank sr. died, right????
off the subject, a great example of high markup is anti-cables. they sell for $10 per foot. all they are is magnet wire, which sells for about $3 per pound. a 10 foot pair of these cables will sell for $100, while the actual cost of parts is about 75 cents. somehow golden ears thinks differently. i'd like to see some concrete proof that i'm wrong about markups. really, i'd like to be proven wrong. please....

to sugarbrie:
while i agree there are some studios that spend tons of money to get incredible quality recordings, the bottom line is that the vast majority of pop, country, rock, etc. listeners will do as you said, listen on ipods or relatively inexpensive and not so great quality equipment. the music is geared towards selling to the masses. so again, how is spending $40k supposed to make rush or pink floyd sound so much better as to justify the cost? i would also venture to guess that $38k of that $40k is markup anyway. i used to sell audio equipment and know the wholesale/retail ratios in general. the other question is--and i'll preface this by saying that some equipment to me clearly sounds better than other equipment--is it really better sound or our perception of what we would consider better sound that makes us purchase these expensive pieces?

ccreda:
sorry about the $40k analogy--it was a generalization, not directed specifically at you. i just think the markup on electronics is way too high, and resale values tend to prove me right in general. yes, there are some really excellent recordings and studios out there. i was just soliciting commentary on the reasons for spending lots of money on equipment. best of luck with the player.

ejlif:
the fact that you resort to 6th grade name calling shows your intelligence level.

markups in general are extremely high. rule of thumb is the production cost is about 20% of the retail cost. a dealer marks up a product 100% from their wholesale cost. when they advertise a 20-50% off sale, there is still a good profit to be made. cables are the biggest markup of all. when you add up the cost of materials and production (actual labor involved), the average high end cable that sells for over $1000 has less than $50 worth of material and probably less than that for labor. it's all markup to make people think they are getting some kind of great product because it costs more. using your food and clothing analogy only proves me right. by the way, i sold audio and video equipment for a few years, so i know where my numbers come from.