I don't see myself ever spending 20k on speakers but I do think there's a time to buy blind. It's when you are confident that you're getting something more for your money than you'll get otherwise. I bought a pair of ATC 110 ASLs a few years back for 5k. They were custom made and don't look like the standard version but still aren't something many people would find attractive. They were only two or three years old. I had heard some small active ATCs in the past and knew I really liked the house sound and also knew they were a brand known for a very consistent sound from one model to the next.
It was a no brainer for me and I immediately began the process of making the transaction. Knowing what I do of audiophiles I wouldn't be surprised if I'm the only person on earth who wanted these. Cosmetics are a deal breaker for almost all audiophiles. Performance isn't even relevant if the look isn't what they want. For those people it makes more sense to spend the 5k on something that sounds as good as possible and has the look they like. Good luck finding a pair of 5k speakers with an impressive finish that will do anything close to what these can do. I naturally tend to get off knowing I got something that is pretty close to the best at any price without even taking a big financial hit.
25% off for new speakers isn't enough to buy them unheard at any significant price, let alone 20k. You could almost certainly find a dealer to give you a discount, maybe not 25% but enough to make it more than worth it to have a knowledgeable person to talk to. If you can swing 75% of retail you should swing 85% for the advantage of dealer support. I guess if there is no dealer within hundreds of miles maybe it makes sense.
It was a no brainer for me and I immediately began the process of making the transaction. Knowing what I do of audiophiles I wouldn't be surprised if I'm the only person on earth who wanted these. Cosmetics are a deal breaker for almost all audiophiles. Performance isn't even relevant if the look isn't what they want. For those people it makes more sense to spend the 5k on something that sounds as good as possible and has the look they like. Good luck finding a pair of 5k speakers with an impressive finish that will do anything close to what these can do. I naturally tend to get off knowing I got something that is pretty close to the best at any price without even taking a big financial hit.
25% off for new speakers isn't enough to buy them unheard at any significant price, let alone 20k. You could almost certainly find a dealer to give you a discount, maybe not 25% but enough to make it more than worth it to have a knowledgeable person to talk to. If you can swing 75% of retail you should swing 85% for the advantage of dealer support. I guess if there is no dealer within hundreds of miles maybe it makes sense.