Why do designers/manufacturers...?


If audiophile grade feet, power cords, and fuses can really improve SQ, why don't high end designers/manufacturers just incorporate these audiophile grade components at the time of build? Why sell an under-optimized item that can be easily improved upon by the owner or a modder?
rockyboy
I think we all know that no matter how good us manufactures design any part of a product, there will always be someone out there that believes it can be improved upon. Too many times a 'tweak' is not better, just different.

".....They would be better off designing better components that eliminate the need for tweaks such as better power supplies, rectification, regulation etc. But that would cost too much......"
11-21-14: Response34
Too many times a 'tweak' is not better, just different.

Very true, and much more common than any audiophile would care to admit.
I don't see as much advertising as I used to for techies who mod gear.

Every component is made to a price point.
Use expensive parts it has to be sold for more.
I can't remember exactly, but way back TAS stated something about upgraded parts that cost $5.00 more than a commercial product would cause the amp to be priced many times more than just the initial $5.00.

So replacing all the spec grade resistors and caps for example, with Dueland or whatever is the soup du jour won't just add their parts cost to the price of the component.It will be multiple times the cost of those upgraded parts.

The reason for this has been lost in time, because I can't remember what their rationale was.

I suppose you can buy a fistful of spec worthy bits and stockpile them in case of warranty issue.
Perhaps having to tie up your money in designer spares is just to costly in case of warranty issues.

A ten cent resistor blows on warranty and all you have to replace is another 10 cent one.

Now as far as the mod issue goes,maybe I've answered my own question.