Art Dudley's "Snob Appeal"...

To me the issue isn't so much price but sound quality vs. price. Bang for the buck as it were. When one upgrades a receiver or speakers in one of the mainstream brands (Sony, Pioneer, Kenwood, Marantz, Onkyo, Paradigm, PSB, Infinity, Klipsch, even NAD, etal) one can pretty much be certain that the additional cost means higher quality sound, features, power. Visited a high end shop in Broad Ripple not long ago. I must admit that the sound I heard there was intoxicating. But there were no speakers around at half their price with which to compare in a beautifully set up environment. That's what gets me. I don't mind that some folks want the fancy hand made zebra wood enclosures or that all the equipment has to be automated and hidden. And there is probably no argument that the high end stuff looks better, is heavier, and may have a higher build quality. All of which may be inconsequential when it comes to sound at the sweet spot.

I just want honest testing that might tell me that a $400/pair set of Infinity Primus towers may, in the right environment, sound almost if not as good as a $5000/pair of leather bound Sonus Fabers. Nobody will do that. Nobody.

Got a copy of Audio Advisor catalog in the mail the other day. Pre-amp prices through the roof. DACs as well. I don't even want to get into the cables. It's the gushing ad print that really gets me though. Not the product or the price. I'm sure those who buy think it's money well spent. But until high end cleans up their act and proves that what they offer is truly superior, then IMHO it's a sinkhole and a sewer.

The thing is, they Dont owe you or anyone "proof" of anything. You want it, buy it, if not you mean nothing to them.......just like any other business in a free market.
 
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