T GregM
"However the point about pricing applies all around; while the ceramic drivers alluded to are slightly more expensive than you note, the Focal "W" driver are similarly priced. For that matter, the standard ATC drivers are only slightly more costly. The beryllium tweet OTOH, is VERY expensive (or was -- focal doesn't seem to want retail sales anymore)."
Well if you buy 50pcs. (like I have in the US, 178.95ea but maybe I got as real good deal cause if remember $220 might be the regualr number.)
but the real point was the SM8's are approx. $7500/pr and the ATC's which are $4K more than the WP7's and in a whole other class of performance with amplification built-in. I really didn't want to use the ATC's directly in comparison to the speakers listed 'cause I'm a dealer. But since no one is a Focal Dealer, I could express myself more freely.
I realize that driver cost is not the clearest indicator of the final price especially when considering the incredibly expensive boxes the WP7 and Kharma's use. But in my educated opinion, Kharma's import arrangement and limited production is likely their biggest handicap in their final pricing and I believe the Wilson simply charges more because they are no longer a performance product but a prestige lifestyle product. A position cleared for them by excellent marketing and consistently good products from the known beginning of high end audio as a real industry.
Focal, and other manufacturers pulling of the cutting edge driver technology off the DIY shelf will begin to create a gap between "factory" teams and independents. I believe it already has as the once "build great drivers but not good speakers" comment has faded from the forum of conversation and the performance of Companies like DALI reflects the improvement a manufacturer can make when closely helping one of their "factory teams" perfect a focused product based on a focused platform concept. But then I go on.
Focal doesn't want to share its technology with the market they prefer to sell their own speakers at retail as every "basement/DIY" manufacturer" who uses Focal drivers as amarketing/status symbol and "steals" a sale or a potential dealer from the real McCoy is hindering market growth and possibly creating a negative perception about the technology. As the tioxid tweeter is not "bright", but many "sub-standard" implementations of it is. Fact is what makes Kharma's edgy and slightly bright at times is the Accuton driver's breakup peak at 4-6khz not the tweeter. So the tweeter is victim of misplaced blame. That peak is the 2nd edge of the sword of using their drivers. I know a guy who sold his Grand Ceramiques because this was not understood, thus his surrounding "experts" kept trying correct a tweeter problem not a midrange one. :(
Treemed67;
Sonus Faber, About as technically imperfect expensive speaker you can buy. Undoubtably gorgeous and built with an extraordinary amount of TLC. The use of the word musicallity to me has become an excuse for imperfection but still sounds good, on some material.
Amati struggles against $4000 loudspeakers not good $80,0000 loudspeakers.
