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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
deep_333
2,443 posts
 

If you have the courage to explore how the pros do it and try to incorporate some elements in a home system, here’s a pathway...

https://usa.yamaha.com/products/proaudio/afc/afc_enhance/index.html#product-tabs

If you want an easier solution, more packaged and turnkey for home use, here’s one from Sony.

https://electronics.sony.com/360-reality-audio?srsltid=AfmBOorAPz8ZxuX7C0_iua9vz0IyN0RQjqqH7_aQAOXQcrQb0gnNVi9F

Such things require significant engineering R&D & investment....and can only come from the big dogs...Li’l weener dog brands don’t have the resources to deliver such things.

 

I have the Yamaha NS-5000’s mentioned in this thread paired with a Luxman Class A integrated and the Marantz SA-10 also mentioned and dissed.  It’s a great system but as also mentioned I just experienced the Sphere in Las Vegas and Eagles concert.  First thoughts are to build an igloo sphere in my living room and put a pair of Clarysis electrostats inside!  Maybe we’re all doing it wrong.

devinplombier OP
1,677 posts
 

That’s nice , but it has nothing to do with how you started the thread which is what I commented above on

@facten next time, read the thread before you post.

Anyway, what difference does it make whether components were new or pre-owned?

My point is, here is a $80K-when-new system that gets trounced by a modest $2,300-as-found system.

And my question is, what does it mean for our hobby when $80,000 doesn’t even buy you a great system?

 

deep_333
2,443 posts
 

?? @invalid  ,,,dude, if you looked at my earlier comment, i said Boseintosh used to copy the old school PIONEER amps. Pioneer has been around since the 30s.....I had all of them spread wide open, taken all apart, measured a long time ago ....decades before you all started to look at a couple of the ASR charts from that IT guy and started to feel like fancy scientists or something..

@deep_333 

I wonder how McIntosh was copying marantz and pioneer when they started producing amplifiers before either of those two manufacturers.

kennyc
2,978 posts
 

Perhaps I’m not following.

My point is, here is a $80K-when-new system that gets trounced by a modest $2,300-as-found system

If there was an audio chain grossly sonically superior but at a low cost such as 3%, is there any meaning?  Besides the 80k system is grossly overpriced?  Or is there some other reason this system sounds so poor?  

No meaning. Maybe wondering “do they sell any?”.  If someone buys then it’s “Wow, how did THAT happen, what about other choices?” Then the naughty thought,”is this guy tone deaf?”

Maybe the designer built by limiting themselves to a design concept vs actual listening to the competition in their price range.  Maybe their plan was to severely mark up then sell to suckers at a huge profit.  Dunno, don’t care much- Not motivated much to put continuing speculation into a hypothetical, not beneficial/profitable.  

invalid
1,378 posts
 

@deep_333  pioneer didn't start manufacturing audio equipment until the 1950's, they were a repair shop before that.

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