What makes a $20,000 cd player cost 20,000?


Hi,
Listened to a Linn Sondeck CD12 (sp?) a few years back and the thing amazed me.
Was expecting that digital player development would continue to progress and that this level of performance would become available in the 2-5,000 range. It appears to me that redbook cd player development has stagnated, so I wanted to run a couple questions by for a sanity check.
1. Is there anything in the design or manufacture of top notch cd players that neccessarily results in stratospheric production costs?
2. Has anything come out in the last two or three years that really struck you as raising the bar in the price to performace ratio?
Happy listening.
jeff_jones
Anyone engaged in this hobby has already overstepped the limits of the price/value relationship. Just ask any of your neighbors. They will shake their heads in disbelief when you tell them how much you spent on your system.

Flip the argument around, and suddenly I'm the one claiming they're nuts for spending $500K on a 1400 sq. ft. bungalow in need of work. Value has nothing to do with reality, regardless of the price. It's just a story that we repeat to ourselves until we buy it as the truth.
Enjoy the music!
I have a hard time believing materials, labor, intellectual properties, R&D and what not could ever add up to a $20,000 PRODUCTION CDP. One off designs sure, thats pretty believable. Now holding this price, incorporating economies of scale to reduce internal costs and then finding willing buyers...thats an excellent business case.
Oh - all these "reliable sources" - give me a break. Your question about the price is easy to answer. Part of it is research, part of it is development, part of it is cost no object design, which means material, hand selected electronical parts etc.. Part of it is man power i.e. hand work and part of it is exclusivity and/or hype. But - hey, that all applies to ANY high end stuff, or do you really think that a 5er BMW f.e. is "worth" the money they ask? I'm driving one at the moment because my MINI has electronic ailment. The Beamer is a WONDERFUL car, but not worth 65.000! Ok, and here is my "reliable source": WADIA 270/27ix upgraded by Great Northern - forget anything else.
Happy listening!
There's an unfortunate trend in this country to equate value with cost. Because a component cost a mint, audiophiles believe it must be far better than one more reasonably priced. I believe many manufacturers capitalize on this belief. They know audiophiles will turn up their collective noses if they were to offer their units at lower prices, so they soak us for all we're worth. They can do this because we let them. As the saying goes: "I've met the enemy and it's us!"