What makes an expensive speaker expensive


When one plunks down $10,000 $50,000 and more for a speaker you’re paying for awesome sound, perhaps an elegant or outlandish style, some prestige ... but what makes the price what it is?

Are the materials in a $95,000 set of speakers really that expensive? Or are you paying a designer who has determined he can make more by selling a few at a really high price as compared to a lot at a low price?

And at what point do you stop using price as a gauge to the quality? Would you be surprised to see $30,000 speakers "outperform" $150,000 speakers?

Too much time on my hands today I guess.
128x128jimspov
Bottom line is there is a strong market for these speakers.  Many who can't afford them are jealous and will say their X cost speakers are as good or better, but I've rarely found that to be true. Some companies do over charge based on cost of production (all costs from utilities to R&D are in the final price), however many do not. I know how much it costs Vandersteen to make their higher end speakers and they are very expensive to produce. I am sure that some of the brands using esoteric drivers are the same.  it's incrementally better and in some cases wildly better.  If I had the money, I'm sure I'd be running the Vandersteen 7 mk 2's.  No doubt in my mind. It's the best sound I've heard.  I used to love the older Avalon's, but their value will go steadily down like Thiels and others who have changed hands recently.  The irony is that I loved the older Avalons and even Sonus Faber and now I don't.  Things change, but it's no different than the auto industry.  They have to have safety items and the costs of both R&D AND newer materials along with THEIR R&D drive the cost of vehicles just like speakers using high end caps and carbon fiber drivers or even ceramics/diamonds etc... can become very expensive to produce, plus what many don't realize is the cost involved in matching drivers and crossovers to make sure both speakers are within tolerances isn't cheap either. Again, all manufacturers have a sweet spot in their lines that represent best value.  The highest end speakers in the lines are not best value and are obviously not priced that way, but they are worth it to many who DO hear a difference and to THEM it's worth it as they have it.  I take NOTHING away from those folks and they actually help support great speaker technology and R&D trickling down to our favorite speakers that are attainable for many of us.

The reverse snobbery is amazing to me to be honest.  It really just hit me.
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It's not always reverse snobbery.  I own three different speaker models that retail at over $10k.  While I spend time in front of each, I spend more time these days listening to a system with speakers that ran me about $2700.

Gentlemen,

       Please! Hard cold facts there are only (5) quality speaker component manufactures in this world today. I.e. the fiscal itself

 Now who or what High end speaker brands buy from them. Take any
mega brand line like my Wilsons. I've looked inside them. I have several audio buddies with one having Sonus Fabers, other with Vandersteens.

who took there speakers out of the cabinet also. We examined them

carefully. Hmmm! Alum basket >>Hmmm Steel basket. Hmm paper cone

or Aluminum, or composite. Hmm all had magnets, compliances support rings. The only component parts of a speaker that would UP its cost to a very, very  high degree .CONE materials YES! certainly not the baskets or magnets and not wood cabinet materials,. I.e. MDF, PLYWOOD,

CONPOSITS. I left Magico out (METAL). The price for wood cabinet materials is dependent quantities they buy maybe several hundred 4'X8' sheets. other maybe a thousand sheets.

Engineering! Testing! all influences the cost for sure. BUT add-on 50Kea

Take a tower cabinet.   Sorry! NO new engineering required,

Cross-overs 1st order, 2nd,3rd been around for decades. You pay the big

buck 100K systems.+. Because U can EASILY afford the TAB of entry.

The difference in my Mid priced 48K Wilsons do not sound only a third as good as  there XLF $200k. Having audition both side by side. Same amp-pre-amp same record, same cartridge. Made 4 showroom visits before     I opened my wallet.

                ***  I HEARD 5K difference maybe..***

In closing. Should I win the Mega Power Ball lottery. Them would have

the money to do it RIGHT.

 Hire a live Jazz band or a small String group to perform LIVE in my listing room every weekend for @ $ 1,500 for a 2 set gig including a female vocalist every Saturday night. For 200 weekends+.

                ****   TOP THAT  *** Mr. Fermer. Ha!!

OK,OK.  A Lambo  sounds better  than a Honda Civic at full song to..

Tubes 444


Lots of good information and analysis above.  One thing not mentioned is what are the actual street prices of the $$$ speakers?  Leaving aside "industry accommodation" pricing, what do real consumers actually pay for a $50K or $100K speaker?  I have no idea and I imagine it varies widely, but it would be interesting to know what the average discount is on these uber high-end products.  The only speaker I bought new in the last 20 years was obtained at a very substantial discount from list.  It was not in this price category but still, it didn't take any arm-twisting on my part. 

Of course, the most basic answer to the OP's question is:  "Price".