"The challenge is to find, say, the $10K speaker that sounds like those $100K "high-end" ones",
That all depends on the speaker. For example, take a look at the Vandersteen Model 5 speaker. I think the website or an old mag review shows the construction. Labor intensive for sure. Materials have gone up, and cost of health care went up in some cases close to 50%. Hard to run a business without hiking up the prices. Plus nobody makes money selling speakers as everyone has made and marketed a speaker. It is not hard to make a speaker, just hard to make a top speaker and not something that is just competitive. Most Goners have never heard a really top system like a system that Michael Fremer has. You can learn so much from hearing a system like that and how each component, cable, etc., changes the sound. In addition, the cost to experiment to develop something that is better than the original is quite costly. I build a preamp and it took me three years to try different parts to see what parts worked the best. I'm still trying different parts to see if I can improve the sound. That cost me $10K in parts that I don't use alone. he pram is hand build with custom parts, what would Audio Research charge for this preamp???
"Well, there are some giant killers out there Ack, largely the small manufacturers selling direct. I spoke to just such a small manufacturer a couple of years ago, who estimated the material, labour and delivery costs of a $80000 loudspeaker, was probably $20000, including a modest profit. The rest is marketing, dealer and distributor margins, which can easily add 50% to the cost+ a large margin to the manufacturer."
I think the list you show in your post are very good speakers but I am not sure what giants you are slaying with them. Magico, Hansen, etc.???
Look at the price of drivers in the speakers you own or think about buying. Paper, carbon, aluminum drivers are expensive. $80K no but go ahead and try 20 pairs to see what works the best in your speaker design, cabinet construction materials, finish, etc., not to mention cross-over parts, do you know how many capacitors there are to try? Look at the cost of Dueland caps, who are they kidding? That is where the cost comes in for the original design and research. Yep and then the 50% mark-up for the dealers. Look at how many good speaker designs are no longer around, Meadowlark comes to mind for me.
So I am carrying on and on. Sorry. I hope I made a point!
Happy Listening.
