Did anybody else notice this about PSB Speakers?

Paulsax

Good point.

If gear was priced according to time & materials rather than to performance the prices would plunge a goodly amount on many high end components…. with the possible exception of loudspeakers using handmade hard wood cabinets…. And very slow builders.

Tell me there's 4K worth of materials in an 8K cable... or production costs equate to 40 to 50% of the selling price.

Another member pointed out to me about the items in a mod someone was/is selling which amounted to a couple hundred or less... the mod costs >$1K. $700 - $900 labor?

Folks like Paul Barton and a few others haven't quite lost touch with reality yet... or have another perspective on doing business by lowering production costs perhaps.

I also get that time and energy required for R&D, which equates to the very first unit (s) actual cost being quite fantastic, especially if an entirely different direction was taken instead of massaging previous designs about.

Given the diminishing returns of performance vs. price as you step up the audio/video ladder, it's always seemed to me the bulk of the buying public and perhaps just above that should be the targeted audience. many do just that. Too many other's contend to appeal to upper air demographics only.... like Wilson, Magico, etc. I get the impression these ‘artisans’ are simply out of touch. It follows though if you make it you name the price for it too.

At any length, congrats to those entities which continue to provide overachieving goods to the public that are stable, lasting, and affordable more often than not.

A litle late on this post...
PSB speakers do get very nice reviews, but did not have a chance to hear them yet. Although I leave in a big city in Canada, it is not easy to find them.
Just recently, I decided to upgrade my speakers, which are 12 years old (B&W 603 series II). They did a great job, but I need something better.....B&W have a special place in my heart -(but a very far from the place in my budget).
Wanted to buy used Nautilus 802s, which you could find for about 5000. But, I could buy brand new PSB T8s or Paradigm S8 for about the same or less.
I have CAP 151 and SACD Marantz 8260. It does a decent job.
Any thoughts out there on: Used Nautilus 802 vs. PSB T8 or Paradigm S8?

Thanks everyone

Sasha, now that's an interesting question. I have N803's that I love, but have been thinking about upgrading to N802's. Would love to hear comparisons with the PSB and Paradigm, although perhaps that's best asked as a separate thread. I do need to get out and hear these so I can make my own judgements though. Over the past 4 mths I've listened to many higher end models: B&W 802D, Dyn C4, Vienna "Musik", Sonus Faber Elipsa, Wilson Sophia2, NOLA Micro Grand, Magnepan 3.6 and 20.1, Devore Gibbon Nine, Focal Electra 1027 (or 37?). Differences all, and not a perfect one in the bunch, but several I could easily live with. But I think it would make sense to do a reality check with better "bargain" speakers like the PSB and Paradigm.

I'm in the process of doing a "reality check" on my N805's.

PSB will be in the running.

Despite glowing reviews, I never much cared for PSB's, especially as their price point grew. For just a few more bucks I much prefered others. I originaly thought the little Alpha's were quite good for the money, but the impedance was too tough on many of the little amps and recievers that would most probably fit in the same budget, so in the end they didn't make for that great a deal after all.