[Tessor]

I wonder what it costs to actually produce these million dollar plus systems? I'm sure that like luxury cars and other high end items, the price is set by demand, and what these producers think they can sell them for. But how huge is the profit they get from these compared to production costs?

 

[Bigrock2150]

$140,000 for wires? What a ridiculous waste of money. Thats like adding gold flakes on a cheeseburger... 

 

[ipm]

Did you ever notice that the right price for an item is whatever a particular person is willing to pay?
 
For some people the HD800 are just as ridiculous as the million dollar stereo because the price is too high.
 
For others, the low-cost ear buds that come with a Sony Walkman are something to scoff at since they are not high enough in price.
 
First a price point is chosen, then the associated justification based on sound, build quality, etc. is applied to the item to help the internalization of the decision to buy or not to buy. What is important is self image, and how the chosen item fits with that image.
 
If the price is right for the person, then the tacit approval of the item is given (internally and outward to others), otherwise it’s not. People of similar ability to pay, or tastes as its often put, lend a hand in the ego stroking process and provide reinforcement to the buyer of the equipment.
 
This process involves the self gratification and justification that the 'right' item was chosen and that other items are somehow 'not right'. This again involves price, perceived quality, bang-for-the-buck, etc, and always, without fail, results in a logical string of arguments that lead to the particular choice that was made and that explain why another choice was not made.
 
This can be applied to purchases of food, audio stuff, cars, houses, pants, cats, shoes, whatever, and allows the setting of priorities to one item over others.
 
This subjectivity is why the food in Africa comment makes me particularly sick to my stomach since the price of gear in this forum (and this entire site in general) is so completely academic to someone living in a third world condition that an HD800 would seem like they are made of solid gold in terms of what they could buy.
 
It’s ridiculous to suggest that there is an OK way to spend on trivial things like headphones (like we all do here - me included) relative to problems like hunger, and its worse to suggest that there is a reasonable price to do it with. Shame on you for that comment.
 
Be humble and thankful that you can afford what you do afford in your middle class way of living and do not be so quick to point your finger at others. Before you point the finger, sell all of your gear, and give the money to hunger relief.
 
The amount of food that money recovered from even a reasonable system (however that may be defined and justified) could buy would likely be staggering to you.
 
If we do think that hunger is a problem, lets figure out the average price of one of our systems, and donate a few percent of that to hunger relief. If a few of us did that, we could make difference.
 
It could help.

 

[Balmoral]

 
Quote: Frank I

I have heard systems up to 250K in Overture in Delaware and really for the 10 pervent difference over a modest system what a wase.

I go there alot to see and hear all the systems I will never be able to afford.

Lots of Head-fiers pay substantial $$ to get that last 10%.  There has to be something to it.

 

[BadassBob]

 
Quote:

Did you ever notice that the right price for an item is whatever a particular person is willing to pay?
 
For some people the HD800 are just as ridiculous as the million dollar stereo because the price is too high.
 
For others, the low-cost ear buds that come with a Sony Walkman are something to scoff at since they are not high enough in price.
 
First a price point is chosen, then the associated justification based on sound, build quality, etc. is applied to the item to help the internalization of the decision to buy or not to buy. What is important is self image, and how the chosen item fits with that image.
 
If the price is right for the person, then the tacit approval of the item is given (internally and outward to others), otherwise it’s not. People of similar ability to pay, or tastes as its often put, lend a hand in the ego stroking process and provide reinforcement to the buyer of the equipment.
 
This process involves the self gratification and justification that the 'right' item was chosen and that other items are somehow 'not right'. This again involves price, perceived quality, bang-for-the-buck, etc, and always, without fail, results in a logical string of arguments that lead to the particular choice that was made and that explain why another choice was not made.
 
This can be applied to purchases of food, audio stuff, cars, houses, pants, cats, shoes, whatever, and allows the setting of priorities to one item over others.
 
This subjectivity is why the food in Africa comment makes me particularly sick to my stomach since the price of gear in this forum (and this entire site in general) is so completely academic to someone living in a third world condition that an HD800 would seem like they are made of solid gold in terms of what they could buy.
 
It’s ridiculous to suggest that there is an OK way to spend on trivial things like headphones (like we all do here - me included) relative to problems like hunger, and its worse to suggest that there is a reasonable price to do it with. Shame on you for that comment.
 
Be humble and thankful that you can afford what you do afford in your middle class way of living and do not be so quick to point your finger at others. Before you point the finger, sell all of your gear, and give the money to hunger relief.
 
The amount of food that money recovered from even a reasonable system (however that may be defined and justified) could buy would likely be staggering to you.
 
If we do think that hunger is a problem, lets figure out the average price of one of our systems, and donate a few percent of that to hunger relief. If a few of us did that, we could make difference.
 
It could help.

Very well said!  Most of us here dont fit the income level to afford such systems, but we make do with what we have.  I say, if somebody is making that kind of money, let them enjoy it, they worked for it and should enjoy the fruits of their labor, any way they see fit.

 

[jamato8]

Having lived in China, South America, Micronesia and other countries, including the US, it isn't the money or food that is in short supply. There is food and money. It is in the stomach and pockets of the corrupt. 

 

[dallan]

Yes, there is food enough to feed the world, it is a political issue I'm afraid.  Then there is also that Daniel Quinn theory about the starving millions that fits in too.  That there will always be starving millions due to both political/distribution roadblocks and due to the fact that we will just increase our population to the same percentage above food availability no matter what that amount is.  I forgot the exact percentage but it has been done with rats....

 

[BlackbeardBen]

Quote:

 
Be humble and thankful that you can afford what you do afford in your middle class way of living and do not be so quick to point your finger at others. Before you point the finger, sell all of your gear, and give the money to hunger relief.
 
The amount of food that money recovered from even a reasonable system (however that may be defined and justified) could buy would likely be staggering to you.
 
If we do think that hunger is a problem, lets figure out the average price of one of our systems, and donate a few percent of that to hunger relief. If a few of us did that, we could make difference.
 
It could help.

This is why I try to do a $1 donation with each eBay purchase - the 'donation at checkout' thing eBay has implemented is an absolutely perfect way of guilt-tripping people into impulsively donating money.  It's not a whole lot with each purchase, but with a constant purchasing/sales flow it adds up to quite a bit.
 


Quote:

Yes, there is food enough to feed the world, it is a political issue I'm afraid.  Then there is also that Daniel Quinn theory about the starving millions that fits in too.  That there will always be starving millions due to both political/distribution roadblocks and due to the fact that we will just increase our population to the same percentage above food availability no matter what that amount is.  I forgot the exact percentage but it has been done with rats....

You can't make non-situation specific generalizations about how populations respond to food levels, let alone give a hardfast percentage above food supply that will always be reached... See Wolves and moose on Isle Royal.
 
That's not even to mention that humans are - above all - social beings.  The population of say, modern Pitcairn Island, is not at the same level relating to food levels as (for example), the Polynesian population of Easter Island reached at its peak, or the population of some particular famine-stricken third world country, etc...  People respond to so much more than food levels when procreating....

 

[sanakaku]

 
 
 
Quote:

$140,000 for wires? What a ridiculous waste of money. Thats like adding gold flakes on a cheeseburger...

 
I heard they came from the mountains of Olympus.
 
 
I do want to experience and taste the luscious vocals on these speakers but the more I look into high end fi, sometimes its becoming more ridiculous, even my budgeting (keeping 200-300) couple of weeks would not suffice, I would rather spent it somewhere else. 

 

[stallion]

I doubt the "Million dollar" system even sounds as good at the already expensive B&O audio equipment!  Nor does it look as aesthetically pleasing.  

 

[buffalowings]

Quote:

 
 
 
Quote:

$140,000 for wires? What a ridiculous waste of money. Thats like adding gold flakes on a cheeseburger...

 
I heard they came from the mountains of Olympus.
 
 
I do want to experience and taste the luscious vocals on these speakers but the more I look into high end fi, sometimes its becoming more ridiculous, even my budgeting (keeping 200-300) couple of weeks would not suffice, I would rather spent it somewhere else. 

LOL...keep in mind it was made by Hephaestus and burned in by a jolt of lightning from zeus...

 

[pdxbrewer]

at this price point, what it sounds like is far less important than what it looks like...ever wonder what a 1mil system sounds like? it is probably not crappy. but i bet many carefully picked systems will sound as wonderfully or even better at 1% of the mega buck audio pile components. my 2c. 

 

[Spareribs]

The most I would spend on a stereo system would probably be around $40,000 or so which would be about the same amount for a luxury car but I would drive a Toyota. To me, it's a good value since a stereo system has better longevity than a luxury car.

 

[haloxt]

I wouldn't buy anything unless I thought it was reasonably marked up, or preferably, below what I think the material, labor, and research cost was . For the 1 million dollar setup I might jump on it if I could get it under $100,000 .

 

[sxr71]

I think when one attempts such an expensive system the bulk of the money should go towards custom room construction. Basically those systems whose goal is to reproduce the dynamics of a symphony orchestra - which are amazingly dynamic. So the ones where I see they built horn loaded bass systems under the floor and the room is perfectly constructed to achieve an acoustic result are ones I can understand. However $90,000 cables are really ridiculous IMHO. I wonder what the goal for this system was. To spend $1 million on a stereo and let everyone know about it seems to be the goal here.