Why so expensive??

Because someone, somewhere, is willing to pay.

Why,because they can,its that simple,the ole " its all about the music" is the stupidest thing i read in the forums,for 99% of us its not all about the music,even though most will disagree.

There are few if any reviewers "not beholden to advertising interests" or--just as bad--beholden to manufacturers for a steady stream of items--cost free--to review. So good luck on that score.

Anybody can look at high end stereo magazines, search for the most expensive components, and buy them to get the best sound. A great sounding system can also be obtained at a fraction of the cost by researching on Audiogon, and other websites.

After a while you soon realize that the best sounding equipment is not necessarily the most expensive. For example the Placette Preamp known only by word of mouth SOUNDS better than the highly acclaimed, well advertised Mark Levinson preamp.

Taking risks such as buying used equipment here can cut the cost of great equipment in half. However, you have to know what to look for in the equipment and the seller.

I saved thousands of dollars but buying raw K-horns and improved the sound of them 100% by upgrading the mid and high horns and crossovers , not with the Klipsch upgrades, but with word of mouth upgrades known only by those that participate on the Klipsch forum.

Using your brainpower, time, effort, and creativity is not only finacially rewarding, but FUN!

It may be what a high-end manufacturer told me once: the vast majority of people, even audiophiles, could never afford a $5000.00 amplifier. The two or so percent who can, can also afford a $10,000 amplifier. In that market, he will sell more of them at $10,000 than if he priced the same amp at $5000. Using that logic, perhaps those that can afford even $100,000 for an amp will not even look at anything priced closer to where mere mortals can afford.

But it cannot be just a matter of surviving as a business. The particular manufacturer I spoke to was know for wearing primarily expensive Italian suits, shoes, and even had a Ferrari or two. And he came from nothing and his hifi business was the only (known) source of income.

Nothing wrong with that. In fact, I wish I had the talent, vision, and fortitude to have done the same thing. But if his analogy is correct, it tells me that if people did not buy mega-buck equipment and cables, then that same equipment and cables would cost much less.