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
Hi ctsooner, actually I bought a pair of Vandersteen 1ci's about a month ago. I bought demos (with full warranty) and believe I received very good value.

I'm still getting to know them and am second guessing myself.
Congrats Jim.  What I've noticed in the years with all good speakers are that they won't wow you necessarily, but give them time to get to know them.  Often times it's what they don't do rather than what they the opposite.  Just like some stores turn up the brightness on their TV's to wow you in the store, may speakers are made to sound more exciting in a store do they show up better in demo's, but in the long run the best choice is often the one that you listen to and enjoy and you get to know them better and better during the journey.  At first when I went from my Proac towers to the Vandersteen Treo's, I noticed a difference for the better, but I wasn't blown away.  The longer I listened, the more I realized that I was reaching for all my recordings and not just the best recorded ones.  I also was listening on average an extra couple or hours a day on days I was able to.  I started to really heard the layering difference. Kind of like when I started to learn about wines in my 20's.  It wasn't until I was told what to look for or taste that I really understood the huge but subtle differences in wines and cost.  The detail retrieval is real on the Vandersteen speakers, where on some of the competing speakers in the 1's range, it's just tipped up on top and distortion.  Too many folks hear that and think it's a 'cleaner' speaker or more open when in fact it's not.  Just isn't so.  That goes for expensive high end speakers also.   Vandersteen puts tweeters on the backs for the 5 and 7 I believe, but no one I know uses them. They keep them on off all the time. I asked Richard about this and he said that in order for him to be competitive in the market, he decided to include them as some folks feel that makes the speaker better as it has more ambiance.  It really doesn't.  It's just more waves that aren't needed in the room.

The more folks I speak with about Vandersteen in the industry, the more I realize that they privately own them for their personal listening.  Some of the largest names in audio use them for personal use when they get other stuff for free or high reduced rates.  They are often purchase and torn apart to try and recreate what he's done and it's been like that since he broke onto the scene with the 2's back in the early 80's. 

Feel free to email me about your thoughts and system.  I just like seeing folks happy with their purchases and listening.  Pete.
YOUR EGO.. when audiophiles are willing to shell out a hundred thousand dollars + for an audio speaker I remember the words " If you build it they will come" from a Costner movie and so true is the rational behind mega buck speakers that sound greaty, but arne t any better than one costing half the price. Audio gear is the same. There was a  website..            " Whats inside"  that showed the inside of audio components and I was amazed to see a $60,000. phone stage with one transformer and a circuit board with a few caps. The inside box was 70% empty.. The Buyers feed the market as to whats made. If no one buys a super priced speaker.. no one will make it. Companies will have their flagship speaker but dont look to sell tons of them at over $100k . I wish the stereo reviewers would do shoot outs. I challenge Wilson Audio Alexandra XLS at over $100k+ to go up against Legacy Audio V $50k and have a panel of judges determine which speaker sounds better. Its a matter of each individuals taste in sound but i bet dollars to donuts the sound is not 3 x's the price better. Subjective.. you bet.. A  rip off.. for those that can t afford it..lol. Thats why I thank God for Audiogon as it puts the costlier gear that I could never afford, at my reach years down the road when I could potentially buy it used at 60% off retail. Now does that $150 K speaker sound the same at $60k ?  It sounds better..lol.
Not at the $150K level as an owner but have heard wilson and legacy at shows in the past years.. This is my second Audiogon profile as my original one was deleted due to snoopy x wife. Does that answer your question siddh?
Do you have any actual experience siddh?