Synergistic New Tesla Line...Any comments?

Joeyboynj,
That's what I thought. I believe the SR trade-up policy works for those with deep pockets -- not for those who have to watch their budget carefully. With all due respect, if this does not present a money problem for you then your pockets must be deep enough to take the loss without feeling it. This is not my case.

This is what I think and have experienced myself with S.R. Set your budget and be well prepared. Because once your start, you'll need to finnish. If you have many components you will need many. And that will empty the pocket rather quick. It all depends how deep your pockets are......Sabai is absolutely correct. It's just when S.R upgrades a model more often than most companies, the user tends to want to keep current and also is too curious and has-to-have it. This very well becomes a never ending road. HiDiamond may be the end for me and some others, and for what the HiDiamond gives to my system/for the money, I am glad I researched HD and followed through.......

11-19-12: Joeyboynj
I used Synergistic's upgrade (up-trade} program. Whatever it's called. I dont have money issues with Synergistic. I have always followed Ted's program and I think its plenty fair. IMO!
Joeyboynj (System | Threads | Answers | This Thread)

BINGO!!! Only ones with money issues complain about upgrade programs. Why not just buy what you can afford or make more money?

Not surprising since we live in an ENTITLED society. Instead of taking action to improve ones situation, just complain complain …

SR is growing with new product introductions, I can safely assume there are more than enough customers with the financial means to support/grow it.

Joeyboynj and Knghifi,
Here is another way of looking at this Powercell thing. Version 1 cost you $5,000. About 2 and a half years later version 5 will cost you $5,000. How much is your version 1 now worth? At least 80% less than your purchase price -- and perhaps your version 1 has no actual resale value in the marketplace.

So, you may be forced into an up-trade policy that says you have to spend $10,000 to get a 70% value from your old Powercell. That means you have to find another SR product you want to purchase that costs at least $10,000 which will see you a further $6,500 out of pocket -- total out of pocket in 2 and a half years comes to $11,500. Who could honestly call this a generous up-trade policy? This is what I call a "we win -- you lose" policy. And if you get cheesed off or don't have another SR product you want to buy with the up-trade -- and have the deep pockets for it -- you are out in the cold. That's the real audio world -- sans hype.

Another way of looking at this is that, 2 and a half years ago, you spent $5,000 on a product that has perhaps, if you are lucky, 20% of the sonic effectiveness of the equivalent-priced product today. How do you feel about that?

If there is one cell in version 1 and there are 2 cells in version 2 and there are 3 cells in version 3 then one might come to the reasonable conclusion that all of this was part of a carefully planned marketing scheme. This may make sense for the bottom line -- but there is another side to the coin -- the customer's side. How many times can a customer afford to up-trade? How many audiophiles have pockets deep enough to play this game? Many audiophiles have to be careful with their audio dollars while others do not.

Ultimately, IMO, this kind of policy is destructive of customer base. People start to walk away -- which is what so many are doing now. The feeling is "I've taken a huge haircut in a very short time -- and I don’t like the feeling". The logical remedy for this is an upgrade policy. That’s a win-win situation. Not a win-lose situation.

Knghifi,
Thus, you have agreed with what I have been saying -- that the SR line and trade-up policy is only for the well-heeled. The Basik line is not worth a pinch of coon -- it's just a token gesture to give people without deep pockets the illusion that they can also be members of the club. They cannot. Same for the trade-up policy.

All of this has nothing whatsoever to do with entitlement. It has to do with maximizing the audio value of one's hard-earned money. I imagine there are "more than enough" SR customers like yourself who don't have this problem. But, in case you did not notice or are unaware of the fact, SR is very well aware of changes in the marketplace. Their new cables are far less expensive than their previous line and they deliver more, thus destroying the value of their earlier line for resale and forcing customers into the trade-up program if they want to see anything at all back from their old cables. SR are no fools.

By the way, you may live in an entitled society but I do not. I live abroad -- in a third world country where there is no entitlement at all.