New level of ridiculousness

10-31-12: Charles1dad
Some people equate cost with better sound quality and it is`nt that strong a correlation in high end audio IMO.

I'll second that.

As I see it most audiophiles, including both "believers" and "skeptics," would agree that generally recognized science cannot explain why a $9K power strip might provide better sonic results than a well made power strip selling for say 1/20th of that amount. At least in terms that would stand up when analyzed quantitatively.

A corollary to that which seems to not be widely considered, however, is that even if we assume that the $9K price is justifiable based on the use of exotic materials and construction techniques, if the mechanisms by which those ultra-expensive materials and construction techniques work their magic are not technically explainable, how do we know that a lot of what is being paid for is not overkill that provides no sonic benefit? And how do we know that if a careful and genuinely open-minded comparison was performed in a $300K system between that power strip and a variety of $500 strips, that one of those relatively inexpensive strips would not provide sonic results that are comparable or even better?

Regards,
-- Al

Those damned Toulouse Lautrec paintings, when he lived over the whore house he would give you one for a good dinner and a glass of Absinthe. Some idiots are paying over a million dollars a piece for these things. When I buy a Lautrec, I don't pay more than $50.00 which is, oh, something more than ten times times what a good meal would have cost him.

Ya know, I was just down at the grocery store buyin' a nice box of Carlo Rossi rose. It gets the missis in the mood, ya know? There was some moron right next to me pickin' out some Chateau Effete something or other, from 1954, he said it was "new original stock" or somethin'. Like they made it, but no one drunk it. Well, if no one wanted it from 1954 to now, why the hell am I gonna' drink it? Hell, I want fresh wine, in a new box, not that old crap. Now get this, he was payin' what, a couple of hundred bucks for his old grape juice. Go figgur. This must be the same guy I read about that bought that $30,000 shower curtain. You think he drinks that wine in the shower? Life's a kick, isn't it?

IMO it's all relative to income or disposable income. If a working class guy makes say, $60,000 a year and has speakers that cost $5,000-$10,000 per pair, then a guy that makes 10 times that income can afford speakers costing $50,000-$100,000 dollars. it's the same amount of 'pain' so to speak. Lets not even go to the guys making millions a year. And the same applies to all other components, and income levels. And there are many, many people making mega bucks these days. So we have to put all this into context. The item in question is a nice looking piece, and as someone has pointed out, would blend in nicely in a high-end room. Probably does not 'sound' any different than my $16 dollar APC. But it's a nice piece. There are many people who would consider my $1,500 polks to be an obscence outrage. Members of my family included!! I tell everyone they cost $200. They seem to think they are 'big enough' in physical size to justify that amount. :)
Peace.

My initial post wasn't about an affordability of the $9K power strip at all. Of course, there are people who will be able to pay for it without any damage to their balance sheet.
It was about the value of this particular product, as well, as the value of other high priced audio toys.