Retail markup in almost any product category is 100% or more so this perhaps is not out of line. That said, I am surprised in general about how cheap most of the drivers are that we buy in our speakers. Check out http://www.madisound.com/catalog.html#Loudspeakers to get a sense.
But I think in speakers we should be paying for sound - true that quality drivers play a part but beyond that it's engineering. A great speakersmith can make cheap drivers sing. A bad one can make great drivers sound like crap. Buy what sounds and looks good to you. If "economic sense" is important to you, this will prove to be a frustrating hobby/obsession.
But I think in speakers we should be paying for sound - true that quality drivers play a part but beyond that it's engineering. A great speakersmith can make cheap drivers sing. A bad one can make great drivers sound like crap. Buy what sounds and looks good to you. If "economic sense" is important to you, this will prove to be a frustrating hobby/obsession.