1. Home
  2. misc-audio
  3. 196308-192372

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
devinplombier OP
1,637 posts
 

Op, I’d guess that if you went to a dealer who actually knows how to put together a system for $80K , or maybe in the case of the place you went to one in any amount, you’d walk away with a different reaction

@facten 

You're right; but, in fairness, a shop that deals primarily in pre-owned hifi is, by definition, going to be constrained by whatever inventory happens to be at hand in what demo systems they are able to put together.

Notwithstanding the hate, the Marantz amp is probably more than capable. It's Purifi-based, pushes 500wpc @ 4 ohms. That ought to drive one pair of Wilson Sabrinas.

Your point about the need to actually know how to put together a system for $80K is well-taken, but all the skills in the world can't and won't make up for inadequate speakers and will not change their character. 

 

allenf1963
472 posts
 

@allenf1963

The reason these small companies charge a lot is they have rent, they need to pay employees, electricity, customer/warranty and material.   And they don’t have the volume to spread that cost over 1000’s of speakers.  Simple economics.

@tomrk -- I fully understand basic and simple economics -- the principles are the same whether you are selling pencils, cars, or audio gear.  But my point remains with Wilson (and any other "elite" brand mentioned in this thread)...I just don’t get it.

 

I think it is summed up best by @deep_333 ​​​​and @mylogic .

facten
3,113 posts
 

@devinplombier  "You’re right; but, in fairness, a shop that deals primarily in pre-owned hifi is, by definition, going to be constrained by whatever inventory happens to be at hand in what demo systems they are able to put together."

No where in your original post did you characterize the shop as such, nor did you state that the equipment in question was used and hence systems were piecemeal-ed together.  Perspective is everything before jumping to conclusions about what you can get for $80K  or any other price target higher or lower for that matter.  

audphile1's avatar
audphile1
7,830 posts
 

What is ability to drive a speaker has to do with sound quality @devinplombier 

you keep referring to the marantz as a capable amp. It might be. But it doesn’t mean much. Amplifiers have sound. And all amplifiers sound different. 
Same as preamps. Careful system matching is what it takes to make it sound the way it should. Room is a key component as well. Cables matter too. 

devinplombier OP
1,637 posts
 

@facten 

11/4 at 10:09 I wrote

I think the shop is / was a Marantz dealer but the Wilsons and D'Agostino were pre-owned.

More to discover