[Pietro Cozzi Tinin]

I have a theory about who buys these products. A friend and I were talking about this very topic over the weekend.

Dropping this and tell nothing is mean.
Can't sleep tonight if left in the dark.
Please enlighten us.

 

[macdonjh]

I'm might downgrade my service because, for a guy like me, what can I do with 1Gbps that I can't do with 100mbps? I rarely DL large files and 100mbps is more than sufficient for streaming 4K video, much less any kind of music. The only issue for the slower speed tiers is that they all have data caps and most, if not all of our TV viewing is streaming. Just don't want to get any surprise bills because I went a single bit over the limit.

As long as I get 100 Mbps all the time...

 

[Ableza]

I seriously am wondering - other than simply inflating the price, what on earth could cause an amp to cost $180,000??? Solid Martian-mined smelted ore frame? Insulation made from composite shreds of the only paper revealing Jimmy Hoffa's location? CEOs who love their condor egg omelettes? Well, that last one is just price inflation...but seriously. Is there a valid justification for the price, or is it just massively inflated?

What on earth could possibly make a Bentley Flying Spur worth $225,000? I mean you can buy four Toyotas for that!

(actually I have no idea what a Toyota sells for. Maybe you could buy more than four.)

 

[RickB]

Speaking of internet speed and latency, heard an expert saying the new 5G would be faster than cable. Said cable and satellite knew it and was actually investing in 5G. Is 5G going to be faster than cable? I live in the sticks - cable is never coming. Living with slow DSL now. A cell tower is only 1.5 miles away. Expert also said 5G can brought into a home cheaper than any cable. Obviously that doesn't mean they would charge less. Sure would be nice to stream hi res.

Thanks.

https://arstechnica.com/information...than-4g-in-nearly-every-city-tested-by-pcmag/

 

[macdonjh]

re: high-end audio prices. Products with prices like the list quoted are for people who can afford them, not for people like you and me. And then only for a very select group of those people.

I used to work for a billionaire who thought nothing of spending millions to support his hobby (fishing) but who thought I was insane for spending any money at all on audio. "The phone comes with ear buds, right? They must be good enough." So it's about resources (the person who could spend $500k on their stereo without thinking about it if they wanted to) and interest (the person who wants to.) It is not about "value" or "could the money be better used." Those are concerns for we mere middle-class peons.

Agreed. How many times have all of us heard, "You spend how much? On headphones?" even from our middle-class peon friends? Nobody understands why anyone else spends what they spend on their hobbies.

The theory I posed to my friend is this uber-expensive gear (I mean the Dartzeels, not even the Pass Labs so much) is likely owned by the billionaires. My theory is they don't even listen to whatever system they have except when they have guests over and need to impress somebody. I will guess those systems are put together by a consultant or even a decorator with the direction, "I want the best". The basis of that theory is anyone who has the time to enjoy such a system doesn't earn enough money to afford it, and those who earn enough spend their time earning and not listening.

A less cynical part of the theory addresses some other really expensive gear (as opposed to uber-expensive), we talked specifically about Audio Note Japan. I envision gear like this in a dedicated listening room with only a couple of chairs. There is a very simple system and each component has its own pedestal for display (and perhaps its own lighting). All the media is in a different room so as not to disrupt the decor or acoustics. It would almost be a shrine. I used to want something like that, but now with the way I listen to music, I'm not sure I'd enjoy it. Perhaps someday, though. I'd really like to have a dedicated, purpose-built room for two-channel at least once in my life.

 

[Ableza]

Agreed. How many times have all of us heard, "You spend how much? On headphones?" even from our middle-class peon friends? Nobody understands why anyone else spends what they spend on their hobbies.

The theory I posed to my friend is this uber-expensive gear (I mean the Dartzeels, not even the Pass Labs so much) is likely owned by the billionaires. My theory is they don't even listen to whatever system they have except when they have guests over and need to impress somebody. I will guess those systems are put together by a consultant or even a decorator with the direction, "I want the best". The basis of that theory is anyone who has the time to enjoy such a system doesn't earn enough money to afford it, and those who earn enough spend their time earning and not listening.

A less cynical part of the theory addresses some other really expensive gear (as opposed to uber-expensive), we talked specifically about Audio Note Japan. I envision gear like this in a dedicated listening room with only a couple of chairs. There is a very simple system and each component has its own pedestal for display (and perhaps its own lighting). All the media is in a different room so as not to disrupt the decor or acoustics. It would almost be a shrine. I used to want something like that, but now with the way I listen to music, I'm not sure I'd enjoy it. Perhaps someday, though. I'd really like to have a dedicated, purpose-built room for two-channel at least once in my life.

I used to own an Audio Note system so I didn't consider that really high-end as it is attainable by we mere peons... but yes, it was in my listening room. Not a shrine, just an unused bedroom I turned into a dedicated music space with a couple of comfy chairs. I replaced the AN gear after a couple of years, by the way.

My friend Larry Borden in New Jersey spent six figures adding a custom listening room onto his house. That is more like a shrine.

 

[macdonjh]

I don't know about any of the rest, but the 2 Parasound offerings have both been redesigned in the last year thus the + designation and they got a hefty price increase to go along with it. I have the original JC1's and the pair were under $10k MSRP when I purchased them (at WELL below MSRP) which now basically act as expensive amp stands for my Vidar...

That's funny.

I wouldn't be surprised if there have been refinements. I was very curious about the Halo JC-1s when they were introduced since they were favorably compared to gear which at the time cost much more. I think the original price was $6,000 per pair? Perhaps you could sell your pair and buy some Schiit amp stands:
https://www.audiogon.com/listings?q=halo+jc1

Seriously, you don't use them at all anymore?

 

[macdonjh]

Dropping this and tell nothing is mean.
Can't sleep tonight if left in the dark.
Please enlighten us.

See post 64,535 above... I didn't know if anyone would be interested.

I used to own an Audio Note system so I didn't consider that really high-end as it is attainable by we mere peons... but yes, it was in my listening room. Not a shrine, just an unused bedroom I turned into a dedicated music space with a couple of comfy chairs. I replaced the AN gear after a couple of years, by the way.

My friend Larry Borden in New Jersey spent six figures adding a custom listening room onto his house. That is more like a shrine.

What made you sell the Audio Note?

I think my lottery dream is closer to your friend's listening room. I'd like a room I can close off-- currently the room where my gear is has three doors and most of the household traffic. I would also like it sound proof enough to be able to turn up the volume when I want to without disturbing anyone, or (more likely) listen at my preferred volume without other noise in the house disturbing me.

I'd like to try some flea-powered SE triode amps and extra-efficient single driver speakers. I think those would be unsatisfying, but very different from what I've had forever now. After that, I'd like a system with a pair of nice 2-way or 3-way speakers with a pair of well-integrated subs, and some really nice amplification. There is all kinds of gear I'd like to buy used and cycle through for a while, to scratch the itch I've had since I graduated: Mark Levinson 20.6, Jeff Rowland Model 2, Audio Meca Mephisto (as if I could find one now), Convergent Audio JL-1, Martin-Logan CLS (the originals), Pass Labs Aleph 0 (mono blocks, if you please), something from McIntosh, Eggelston Works speakers, something from Sonus Faber, an Aerial Acoustics 6, 7 or 8...

 

[Ableza]

I sold the AN Ongaku because I was able to upgrade to Shindo - for less money!

 

[golfbravobravo]

I just called Comcast to see how much it is to get unlimited data. It is $50 a month unless you use their modem (garbage) and then it is $25. Unreal. They don't offer unlimited as included even if you up it to 1 Gbps speed. Apparently they just changed that. It used to be included at that tier.

If you have AT&T fiber available, the symmetrical gigabit has no caps. We pay $100 per month for that.

 

[rkw]

Via cable I get right at 1 Gbps down, on wireless (802.11ac) less than 30 feet away I'm lucky to get 1/4 that, but it's usually more like 1/10th that.

You can get much better performance with a proper WiFi setup, beginning with simple things like where you position your WiFi access point.
https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/202...ntific-guide-to-wi-fi-access-point-placement/

 

[macdonjh]

I sold the AN Ongaku because I was able to upgrade to Shindo - for less money!

You must not have paid attention when you read Stereophile or The Abso!ute Sound, that's an oxymoron. Can't be done.

 

[Ableza]

You must not have paid attention when you read Stereophile or The Abso!ute Sound, that's an oxymoron. Can't be done.

TAS and SPhile are wrong.

 

[TheTechQ]

What on earth could possibly make a Bentley Flying Spur worth $225,000? I mean you can buy four Toyotas for that!

(actually I have no idea what a Toyota sells for. Maybe you could buy more than four.)

About 9 base model Priuses.

 

[Pietro Cozzi Tinin]

If you have AT&T fiber available, the symmetrical gigabit has no caps. We pay $100 per month for that.

Those prices are insane.