[Uncle Erik]

Seems like they are for sale every month or so. Is it some kind of money laundering scheme? It says they were $12,900 back in the day and none of the other top headphones sell for much more than retail price.

Interesting you mention that.

I've long suspected that a lot of high-end goods are used to launder money.

If you put $100k in a suitcase and tried to get on a commercial flight, you'd get caught before you left the country. Or customs at the destination will notice.

But buy a $100k watch and it'll go right through screening and customs.

About the property down here, the weather is only awful 3-4 months a year. The rest of the time it's beautiful. Also, you can really get ahead with a cheap house if you pay it off quickly. Carrying a mortgage for 30 years really racks up interest over the years.

 

[wink]

 
Quote:

It has a 12' x 15' bomb shelter in the back yard(!). It would make a very nice home theater/underground headphone dungeon.

 

A good place for a cat.

 

[Scottsmrnyc]

I have listened to the Orpheus' many times and I find that to sell them at $32,000 is price gauging and a rip off. They originally sold new for $14,000USD approximately five years ago. They are now an older headphone-amp system. You'd be smarted to buy the Stax Omega 2 with a Stax Amp or a Blue Hawaii and save all that money. There isn't much of a difference between the Sennheiser or the Stax. To be honest; shame on that seller for gauging the price.

 

[Mkubota1]

It's definitely about rarity, bragging rights, and collector's value.  To be fair, it's the same everywhere else: cars, watches, art, antiques... all of the other things that many of us are into.  At the high-end of anything, practicality pretty much goes out the window.

 

[Armaegis]

Quote:

You should come up here to Arizona. Prices have been steadily falling since the bust. My father and I are closing in on an 3 bed/1 3/4 bath house listed at $49k, but think we can get it for $45k cash. It has a 12' x 15' bomb shelter in the back yard(!). It would make a very nice home theater/underground headphone dungeon.

That's crazy. We never had property drop like that here in Canada. Then again, our economy has been pretty steady too. Makes me think I should be investing in American property though...
 

 

[jjinh]

Quote:

 
That's crazy. We never had property drop like that here in Canada. Then again, our economy has been pretty steady too. Makes me think I should be investing in American property though...

 
Same. I wonder what the laws are like regarding foreign investors; I suppose our local lawyer may be able to answer that.
 
I remember reading about the sale of foreclosure homes for just a nominal amount and the razing of neighbourhoods in Ohio or somewhere around there - depressing.

 

[Uncle Erik]

Armaegis, you would not be alone. This place is crawling with Canadians! (You have nice folk up there - I don't mind a bit. ) I see so many plates from Canada on the road. One realtor I know says that Canadians are snapping up property in the Foothills. The US Dollar is weak and property values are falling.

Foreign investment is no problem. Buy what you like and property taxes aren't too bad.

Pro Tip: Yuma is one of very few places in Arizona with excellent access to water. It's on the Colorado Delta, so you can sink a well for a few thousand and get more water than you need. Needless to say, solar panels work great out here. Soil is great, too. You can grow anything that doesn't need a cold snap. A vegetable garden is practical and you can have off-the-tree orange juice and grapefruit every morning. If you're looking for a winter home or a place to retire, it's one of the best deals out there.

Also, Mexico is 15 minutes away. You can get all sorts of things on the cheap there.

 

[pcf]

One thing odd about buying a property in the US( or is it the norm in other countries too?)- you are not required to declare your other mortgages or loans outside of  the country.  Which means that the bank could be lending money to someone who already has a big debt. I found that out when we were buying our house in Cupertino  a few years ago. It is good for people who owns properties elsewhere but I can't help but think that it is an invitation for speculators.

 

[warp08]

Quote:

I have listened to the Orpheus' many times and I find that to sell them at $32,000 is price gauging and a rip off. They originally sold new for $14,000USD approximately five years ago. They are now an older headphone-amp system. You'd be smarted to buy the Stax Omega 2 with a Stax Amp or a Blue Hawaii and save all that money. There isn't much of a difference between the Sennheiser or the Stax. To be honest; shame on that seller for gauging the price.

I agree that $32K for the system is a ripoff, but it's supply and demand.  As long as people pay that price, it is what the market bears.  It's as simple as that.  If you had one and decided to sell it, would you sell it for $15K or would you want to get the most you can for it knowing if you decided to buy another in the future, most likely it would cost you even more?
 
To my ears an O2 setup is substantially different than the HE90 especially in imaging.  To me it's far batter "out-of-head" imaging than the O2 and far more comfortable to wear.   If the SR-009 closes the gap as I would expect it to do, then the value comparison may change, but the SR-009 still won't be an Orpheus in the sense of uniqueness, rarity and desirability.  
 
In terms of practicality or "the smart thing to do" I'd think a good condition Mk1 is the best deal going around since people will be selling these to upgrade to the SR-009.  But high-end audiophilia has never been about bang for the buck, but the ever present pursuit of the ultimate audio experience.  And it seldom gets better than owning an Orpheus system, arguably the ultimate headphone system ever produced. 
 
 
 

 

[swifttal]

Damn, for that money, why not just buy a set of nice Martin logans and rent a crane to follow you around with them - you'll have the nicest portable setup around and you'll save money to boot!

In all seriousness though, whoever has that type of money to throw around is still getting an awesome setup - I just wouldn't be able to sleep at night knowing what I'd done. Best stock up on an equally epic music library to keep you company on those sleepless nights!