Article: RMAF 2018 Show Report

[charlesphoto]

This question might be worthy of a thread on it’s own, but having read about show reports for the last few years since I became interested in hifi, I have to wonder who actually buys this five and six figure s**t? I mean, I could understand if there was say a half dozen companies or so making reference statement gear for a handful of millionaires/billionaires, but it appears as if there’s dozens of companies making this stuff, and new ones every year. And many of the wealthy people I know seem to be just fine buying a gaggle of Sonos and calling it a day. So where’s it all going? 

 

I’m a photographer, and I would be hard pressed to spend five or six figures on even on the most top end system (say Phase One medium format digital). I know many balk at the cost of say a top of the line Leica lens for $10k, but that’s almost nothing in comparison, and will actually hold much of its resale value in comparison to a pair of speaker cables at that price! It’s honestly totally head scratching to me. Plus there’s only about five or so camera companies that even begin to come close to the cost of some of the gear mentioned here. Some of it actually makes really high end cars look a bargain and there’s a lot more material, manufacture, r&d, etc that go into those! 

 

FTR I’ve never been to an audio show but would like to if given the chance locally some day. If nothing else for the amusement....

[charlesphoto]

And what I find amusing is that those ‘cosmetics’ on most $200k speakers I’ve seen I wouldn't let anywhere near my living room even if they were gifted to me! But yep, I’m pretty sure Diana Krall, Steely Dan and Dire Straits sound SO much more lifelike through those speakers styled to look like some sort of glossy cello skyscraper coming apart at the seams...

 

Maybe high end hifi is like a sports cars substitute for those that can’t handle the speed....  the demographic must be aging out though, because I just don’t see the nouveau rich spending their money on $100k speakers when now you can get similar or better for 1/10 or less of that. There’s only so much smoke and mirrors and snake oil to go around...