Wilson's Chronosonic XVX loudspeaker over 3/4 of a million US dollars

^^^^ This is a strangely common remark made by people who scoff at very high priced audio equipment. I’ve lost count how many times I’ve seen it. Some say "you could hire The Stones to play for you personally with that type of money," etc. Even as a joke supposed to make a point; it just utterly misses the mark.

What someone gets with a super high end system is generally what most of us want with out less pricey systems: the ability to hear a WIDE VARIETY OF MUSIC played by a WIDE VARIETY of favorite or known musicians, in the highest quality possible. Even if you just stuck to listening to symphonic music, the point is there are a huge number of recordings by heralded orchestras, conductors, classic performances, performers contempory and deceased etc, that a great system will allow you to hear in the best possible quality.

Then add to that a wider range of tastes one may have - rock, folk, pop, R&B, electronica etc - and you have an endless array of music and great performances to hear in the highest quality. So, no, you could not purchase anything LIKE the array of music by known musicians for the money you pay for even the highest priced Wilson systems.

One can certainly try to evaluate the performance/quality-to-cost ratio to render a critique of these high priced items. But this weird critique "you could hire live music for that money" should just go away, it’s so nonsensical and so utterly misses the point.

One of pet peeves too.

First of all, richopp was probably being a bit facetious when he said you could buy an orchestra, but, most full time orchestra members make over $100K. So, no...

Most posts of this type, usually say, "with that money, you could travel the world going to any concert you want".  

But here's the thing. Anyone with the kind of money to be able afford this type of system, would also be able to travel the world going to as many concerts they want. The person that buys these Wilsons, and the rest of the type pf equipment that would go along with them, hardly had to scrimp and save to buy these.

Mike: The Audiogon discussion forums have changed. The days of IMO or IMHO are gone. Several members seem to think that their opinions are fact - in a very bloviating way. Their chronic posts are as fatiguing a noisy tweeter.

Not just the Audiogon forums, pretty much all forums.

I haven't heard these, but I have heard the Alexandria XLF in a correctly sized and corrected room, and I was very impressed. And previously, I would not have considered myself a Wilson fan. 

I would have to assume the Chronosonic are better.

THere have been few speakers I've heard that are able to get the scale close to realistic size. An orchestra seemed very much like the scale of an orchestra from about 15 rows back, and a singer with a guitar was also accurately scaled.

I think that WILSON AUDIO has "lost their marbles". For 3/4 of a million I could hire the CSO to play some private concerts, and come away more satisfied. My impression; - - - these speakers are "rich boy’s toys". I doubt if you would find more that a handful of people in this category, world wide, that are true music connoisseurs let alone intelligent audio connoisseurs. Sure, if I were a multi million rich guy, I might buy them just to impress my dumb ass friends. I hope I never get that dumb.

I hope I get that dumb, and wealthy enough to PROVE how dumb I am.. LOL

... and there it is again.

If someone is wealthy enough to be able to afford a pair of these, and the rest of the system to go along with them, they would also be able to afford to ’hire the CSO to play private concerts’.

No one spending this kind of money on a system, needs to scrimp and save in order to do so. They are almost assuredly wealthy enough, that spending a couple of million on an audio system does not affect the rest of their lifestyle one bit.