Quote:
Originally Posted by memepool /img/forum/go_quote.gif
The fact is that when it comes to optical disc formats every small manufacturer buys in a lot of the parts because only large scale CE multinationals have the industrial resources to manufacture this kind of stuff.
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That all manufacturers source transports from one of three major companies doesn't seem relevant to me, as Goldmund is (apparently) reusing the entire circuitry as well. Most of the mention on Goldmund's site about this is explaining to (I assume) irate customers why their $12,000 ($6000?) player sports a Pioneer logo on the screen when you start it without a DVD in.
It's also true that this kind of hotrodding has been going on for a long time (the Meridian MCD was a souped-up Philips CD-101, the McCormack UDP-1 begins life as a Pioneer DV-45, etc.) but these other shops have been a good deal more forthcoming than Goldmund about the source of their players, and the mods they perform have been much more extensive.
Do we have any way of confirming just what Goldmund player we're talking about here? My understanding is this was the Eidos-18D. Considering the (almost legendary) quality of Goldmund's casework (and the cost of dies, tooling charges, etc.) $6000 is at least conceivable for such a unit, although still not a good value. And, although they probably wouldn't admit it, I expect that for many of Goldmund's customers, the casework is the most important feature.
Quote:
Originally Posted by morphsci
I have also come to the conclusion that most disc players are very close sonically and some are just remarkable for their price. So for me, I look for the sweet-spot player in a line-up, and also look for features that are useful such as digital inputs and dual differential Dacs...
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Completely agree with your assessment of the similarities of many digital sources. Your post also alludes to the fact that, despite what we often
say, there are other factors
besides sound that inform a purchasing decision. You mention features...there's also reliability, brand, and price (certainly the most important for me: it doesn't matter if the $1000 player sounds better than the $200 player...if I don't have the $1000 I'm not going to get it).
In the grand scheme of the industry, Goldmund is a very unique company. They don't use a traditional dealer network, but sell through (in the U.S. anyway) dedicated Goldmund stores in New York and Chicago. Rather than booking a room at CES they flew select journalists, via private Gulfstream jet, to the Goldmund demo house near L.A., and they don't send gear out for reviews in the audio press (contrary to what the conspiracy theorists might say, this is because their products sell well enough
without PR. True snake-oilers send gear out for review all the time, often unsolicited).
I don't think Goldmund's customers are audiophiles, necessarily...at least not as we tend to think of them here on Head-Fi. Rather, they are well-heeled types who "just want the best" and don't always have the time to go out and shop for it (an entry-level Goldmund home theater install is $300,000). These need to have a fit & finish in keeping with a eight-figure home and sound good, but don't necessarily need to win an A-B comparison with something from EMM labs or whoever.
