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What Does 80 Grand Get You Nowadays?

A system was playing in a shop. I sat down and pretty soon I thought gosh, I’m glad my system sounds better than this.

That system - just preamp, amp, and speakers - cost about $80,000 new.

I didn’t make the speakers at first, because Sabrinas look far better than the usual Wilson house look. They were driven by one of those new high-end Marantz amps, and I don’t think that was a match made in heaven. The Marantz was driven by a Dan D’Agostino pre that looked like a Minion had been crushed in a hydraulic press. Audiophile music was streaming, but I did not catch whence issued those dulcet ones and zeroes.

I suppose that system constitutes high-end for some. Now, it certainly sounded competent, but it also sounded boring. I thought, this is the Audi SUV of audio: competent and boring.

Conversely, I was impressed and pleased to no end that the end sound of my modest system from the last century could play in the same league as an almost-six figure modern system, and do so in a more engaging and fun fashion - to my ears, at least.

I’m biased, of course; and I am certain many high-priced systems out there leave mine in the dust. Still, I would have thought $80,000 guaranteed a better baseline sound.

How about you, have you heard a lot of gear whose sound was way out of whack with its price?

 

devinplombier
audphile1's avatar
audphile1
7,885 posts
 

I go to my local shop twice a month. 4 rooms, about 150 speaker pairs. Whenever the expensive ones (above 20K) are hooked up, it’s always a younger dude in his 20s or 30s.
 

I used to frequent Stereo Exchange, Lyric Hi-Fi, Innovative Audio and Sound by Singer, Harvey Electronics (I’m dating myself here as some of these are long gone). I made various purchases from some of these stores.
Never have I ever observed 150 pairs of speakers on a showroom floor. And to have such a broad price range that would present speakers that are of interest to you, and at the same time to satisfy a need of some young dude who wants to blow off 20 grand on a pair of speakers, has very low probability factor. You judge people who have $20k to spend on speakers and you imply that they don’t know what they’re doing. Dude you need to get a life. In addition, whenever you say some dumb 💩 you claim it was sarcasm. No it wasn’t. It was just you spewing your nonsense. 

parkergetdean
1,042 posts
 

I am embarrassed for you to say this but you sounded less desperate and slightly more intelligible when you were stuck on your creepy masturbation theme

audphile1's avatar
audphile1
7,885 posts
 

You must be an unemployed comedian. 

devinplombier OP
1,662 posts
 

Harvey Electronics! I bought my turntable and cartridge there, and I still have them.

 

 

audphile1's avatar
audphile1
7,885 posts
 

Nice! I bought my first marantz avr and a 5 disc cd changer there. And then Monster M550, 850 and 950 cables along with the fancy monster biwire garden hose. I still have the interconnects. One day I’ll tie a garbage bag with those. 

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