WILSON AUDIO/ cost vs. value

I don't understand, yet, what all the hoopla is about regarding profit margin, R&D, advertising, outrageous prices, and outrageous justifications. Wilson, JMlabs, Zuaudio, Kharma, whoever: they can charge whatever they want. I don't believe, in a free market,- in calling prices unfair, unjustified, etc. Are the new Wilson 8 Watt Puppys worth, what?--$28k. If they sell them and audiophools are happy? Yes indeed. Anything is worth what someone is willing to pay for it. Manufacturers don't have to make their products accessible to everyone. Don't like it? Too costly? Too much bad PR? Don't buy it. I think we've heard that on this thread before. It's more fun to find the $5k speaker with the $15k sound. That is until we find out that the $5k speaker costs $250 to produce..

The greatest arbtiter of "value", both intrinsic and percieved, is the resale value of used products being sold on e-bay and AudioGon.

Based on the numbers I see, Wilson is without peer in terms of resale value. Smoke and mirrors? Crunch the numbers.

The selection of any speaker is an intentionally personal pursuit. Internet opinion that seeks to attack a company or anyones _choice_ of a loudspeaker system, better be willing to state specifics, context and comparison instead of short-hand conjecture and second or third hand opinion.

JMHO

The market speaks with precision when evaluating essential commodities unless it is deliberately altered by successful manipulation. Current fuel prices might be an example.
In the case of non-essentials, pricing is driven to a great extent by perception which, in turn, is driven by advertising. Reviews are advertising.
Wilson was innovative in design and extremely well connected to the primary arbiter of value at the time, when he started making the Wilson Audio Tiny Tot nearly 30 years ago.
Harry Pearson helped his friend achieve primacy in the premium speaker realm alongside his other buddy Arnie Nudell and both guys made a ton of money off of the illusion that their products provided something unavailable elsewhere.
Arnie wasn't as adept as Dave at keeping his balls in the air so Wilsom emerged as the ne plus ultra for many of you Chivas Regal drinkers.
I agree with Warren that Wilson is entitled to every nickel he can scam from you guys. Why not? This is how our free enterprise system is supposed to work. You pay your money and you buy "the best" and you don't need anybody who can't afford them to tell you otherwise.
Dave just keeps changing the product a little here, a little there and keeps changing the Model designation and keeps raising the price and you keep buying them and all is well.
Why should anyone object?
Now and then some pipsqueeck like me comes along and suggests that you are being duped and that there are better products for less money. Stupid of me. I'm so sorry. Listen, can I borrow your Cadillac? It's the best, right?

A campaign to launch a new product, or a campaign to sell your product because it NEEDS it! (good & bad gear) That's all advertising is good for imo.

Nothing against Wilson speakers but I can tell you I'm a little skeptical based on the ads I see vs. how much their speakers cost.

just my 2¢

Samuel I'm not attacking Wilson, I'm just stating my opinion that their speakers are some of the very worse I've heard in the past 10 yrs. Worse than Legacy, if you can believe that. That is an opinion, not an unfair attack. I've heard them.
Paul