I just heard a story about a potential customer evaluating a set of speakers that didn't buy them because they "only" cost about 25K. The manufacturer suspects that if they cost 50-60K there would have been a sale, and many of his customers or potential customers are trying to convince him to come out with a product in that price range.
Now me, I am in the opposite camp. I may spend alot on gear (not in the abive mentioned catagory) but it's simply about performance. I dont like to mention how much my gear costs, (except to other 'philes as a point of reference) because to the general public I look like a foolish, irresponsible A-hole for spending what I do on a stereo that to many people isn't a whole lot different that what could be had for $1500.
As far as the outrageous cost of some gear, there is potentially something to it.
I recently took possesion of a product in the $14,000 price range.
Though it performs excellently, after studying some of the parts, I feel
like I wish some better parts were included, even at additional cost to the base price (and plently of upgrade options are available, some of which were to much $$$ for me (better resistors), and even according to the manufacturer dont always produce a significant sonic impact. They seem to offer some of the upgrades because there are some people who have to have "everything" no matter the cost to benefit ratio.
I would have liked silver Nextgen binding posts (Itself costing well over $100) and premium Acme fuse holders. Now I have to go through the trouble and expense of having those parts added, since I feel they will enhance an already exellent product. To be fair I could have bought the parts myself and sent them to the manufacturer for inclusion in my unit, but I didn't become aware of those till it was too late)
Everything is built to a price point. I would hope however that on some of these Ultra expensive products approaching 6 figures and above, that they go the extra mile to find premium parts in every single catagory, and that to me means including premium fuses/holders and connectors on the par of WBT Nextgens, and the best possible resistors and caps available no matter how small their sonic contribution.
There do seem like some products like the Blowtorch preamp (RIP Bob Crump)
where every single part and circuit was optomised to the hilt.
One exception to all this pricing insanity is the TW Acustic Raven One turntable. The manufacturer and distributors (and even dealers I think) knocked alot off their typical margins just so they could release a world class table at a very reasonable price. They sold a lot of them, outstripping production capabilities. They recently upped the price $500 to help build back in some of the normal profit, but it's still a steal for the sonics attained.
Another example of how costs can escalate is the Tron gear from the UK.
Graham Tricker feels obligated to build every unit with his own two hands,
and doesn't trust anyone to build his stuff other than himself. (Same for Frank Schroder I believe) These guys are fanatics for build quality and tolerances, and their products are priced accordingly, though nowhere near these stratospheric prices we are talking of in the thread. I just point it out because there are only a certain number of man hours per year, and there is a maximum number of units these small shops can produce each year, which has a dollar added value all its own.
Personally I'm alot more excited by affordable and amazing products like PS Audio's $999 DAC and cars like the Lotus Elise which offer supercar performance and looks for $40K.
