The relative cost appears to be several time higher. In the era of the $500 McIntosh, a luxury car was around $5000, so adding a zero to the price gets one in the ballpark. Today we have lots of pieces that sell for three to five times that amount. Recordings, on the other hand, are cheaper. Monophonic records were $3.98 and stereo records were a whopping $5.98!
The Mainstreaming of Audiophilia
So I found this just goofy enough to be fun: I picked up the May issue of GQ today and found in it a feature which takes a survey of cost-no-object material goods and provides a verdict for each on whether they're worth it. Among the few worth-it winners: Wilson Audio's Alexandra X-2, at $148,000 a pair (hence the speakers forum). The losers include Kobe beef, white truffles, pricey golf clubs, and a night in the Ty Warner suite at Four Seasons (all of which go for a lot less).
It seems to me I've lately seen a decent amount of mainstream press coverage of audiophile goods and issues, from news coverage of the evils of dynamic compression to general-readership features on great headphones, high-end speakers, and the wonders of vinyl. I was wondering if anyone else had noticed incidences of this trend and if we might compile a list--it seems positive to me, and a possible outgrowth of, or reaction against, iPod mania.
It seems to me I've lately seen a decent amount of mainstream press coverage of audiophile goods and issues, from news coverage of the evils of dynamic compression to general-readership features on great headphones, high-end speakers, and the wonders of vinyl. I was wondering if anyone else had noticed incidences of this trend and if we might compile a list--it seems positive to me, and a possible outgrowth of, or reaction against, iPod mania.