What's up with Ridge Street Cables

Ridge Street Audio cables were a popular small boutique brand back a few years ago. I have owned many of Robert's cables and cords myself, and yes, they are very good. However, from my understanding, even if Robert is still in business, which I am not sure that he is, he has been laying low for the last few years.

When the proprietor of a small boutique company goes into retirement or hiding, the resale value of their products suffer. It's just the nature of the business. Not that RSAD ever had great re-sale value, but the pieces I have seen for sale lately have been way over-priced. Not for the quality of sound that they deliver, but for their place in the market. After all, the market determines what a product is worth, the market is fickle, and likes to be entertained. When the manufacturer stops entertaining the market, the market shrivels up and eventually dies.

You ad is a good example. Maybe you could have gotten $500 per cord several years ago when RSAD was still actively marketing themselves. Now that they have fallen off the face of the audiophile world, you may only get $600 for both cords. The market has dried up, sorry. I still have a Poiema!!! Signature cord from Robert, and it is a very good cord. I am not currently using it, but I would never consider selling it because I know that I would not get the amount of money in return that the cord's value has to me. I have a pair of interconnects from another small boutique manufacturer that I won't ever sell either, for the same reason.

You are welcome Pat. I would be interested in hearing them, since I have owned many of Robert's cables and cords, but I never heard any of his copper cables or cords. I even owned an Alethias! power cord once, but it was also the silver version. All I've ever owned from RSAD was silver. Robert didn't start using copper until the Alethias, which was near the end, when he seems to have disappeared.

I currently own way too many cords as it is now though, so though I am interested in how the copper would sound....I'm not that interested. LOL!! Good luck with your sale, or just enjoy them.

Cheers,
John

LOL!! Sell a power cord that list for $1500 and is worth $400 used as scrap metal for like $75??? Now THAT doesn't make any sense to ME. I think it's worth just holding on to in case of emergency. I have already been through a major downsizing, who knows what the future holds? If I have to sell off some of my current cords that I am using, I would be happy to have the RSAD cord to fall back on. It still finds it's way into my system every now and then when I am in between cords.

Then I guess you would not approve of me having extra interconnects, speaker cables, cartridges, tubes and other stuff lying around unused either, huh?? I currently have five pair of speaker cables, but I'm only using one pair, that's gotta drive you nuts!!! LOL!!

@Csmgolf, do you have the silver or the copper Alethias cords.....or both?? If both, how would you compare them?

LOL! Oh well, I was just curious. As I said earlier to Musicfile, I've never heard any of Robert's copper cables/cords. The only Alethias I ever owned/heard was silver, just as all of the other RSAD cables and cords I've owned.

10-17-13: Jimmymac
I would think if Ridge Street is down the tubes then there would be a market for their used cables since new ones can no longer be purchased.

Well you may like to think that, especially since you are trying to sell some of their product. Unfortunately, in the real world, that is not how things work. People tend to shy away from products when customer service becomes a question mark. Also, since the company no longer advertises, or puts the products name in the public eye, that also drops the value. There are always a few exceptions to every general rule, like classic designs (Magnan Vi), but RSAD cables are more the norm, not the exception. All you have to do is watch how they move on Audiogon to know that. The market will tell you what their value is, and unfortunately, that is not a good sign for RSAD sellers (though it may be a good thing for RSAD buyers).