8K for a one-time listen?

I really think things like this and $20,000 cables are obscene. To indulge oneself so grotesquely while others are in severe need is truly evil. People are up in arms over government budget cuts to programs for the poor; but never look to their own wallets.

Sorry to be a wet blanket. I do enjoy the jokes.

"I really think things like this and $20,000 cables are obscene. To indulge oneself so grotesquely while others are in severe need is truly evil. People are up in arms over government budget cuts to programs for the poor; but never look to their own wallets."

Of course you are free to think as you wish and to condemn those you have never met and will probably never know as "evil" because of nothing more than idle assumptions you have made on your part in the complete absence of specific information. You claim to know that those who spend $20,000 on cables never, ever look at they're wallets yet you provide no basis for anyone to conclude that this claim of your's is based on anything but you're prejudiced and most likely jealous nature.

You would be wise to consider that it is not only possible but actually very likely that those who spend $20,000 on cables give even greater sums to worthwhile causes, sums that may rise in to the many many millions of US dollars. I say that this is a very likely conclusion based on rigorous statistical analysis of how the truly wealthy actually spend their resources.

As a pro mastering and vinyl cutting studio, we master on these lacquers daily. They sound great, but if the 8k lacquers being sold are the transfers off the original recording then 1. they can be listened to more than once (though not as much as vinyl) and 2. the cost price including labour to make these is more than a factor of 10 cheaper than 8k, so we really don't understand how they are charging so much, even if they have chosen to make a one-off transcript only. It is hard to believe they would be selling the original lacquer from years back when first recorded, as these would be museum pieces and therefore priceless, especially given they are big name jazz artists. Also, if they have gone to vinyl press, the lacquers become destroyed in the process, so wouldn't exist in playable form. We have met these guys and like them, but something doesn't sound right here/story not complete.

I checked out their Devialet's site, and they're offering their recordings as "normal" vinyl copies for a 99 bucks or so, and the lacquers are simply another option offered for reasons only known to them, although ya gotta hand it to their marketing department for coming up with an effective  attention getter.

https://devialet.com/thelostrecordings/index-en.html

Since these are classics, I'm going to play them on my 1960 vintage Garrard changer through my vintage Fisher receiver (Tubes!) and my ElectroVoice speakers (connected with zipcord). I will take the remains of the recording and my classic stereo, put it all on a Viking longboat which I will set on fire and push out into my (private) lake.