Justifying the Cost of Speakers

Well put Dinyaar...
Just sent you a PM of my most recent acquisition.

Thanks buddy read it. Have now stopped surfing the net for tweaks etc and choose to rather wait for my friend up north to update me!!!!! HAHAHA

This hobby is going to lead to insolvency or divorce if i indulge a bit more and hence i am cooling my heels FOR NOW!!!

Regards

Hahaha... Yes, more than justify costs to yourself, it is justifying it to the significant other that matters!!

I can assemble a speaker or build an amp for much less than an established manufacturer but that doesn’t mean that manufacture must sell a product at the same price that I spent in assembly .

Being in Pune and being a Cadence customer, I had several occasions to visit Cadence factory. I have seen their manufacturing set up, their R&D set up, QA lab. Latest CNC machines foil bonding set up and the anechoic chamber. I have seen how each speaker get manufactured in fine steps. How each speaker is meticulously assembled and tested and calibrated. I also know how much money is being spent in R&D (that included patents too), I am also fortunate to see Cadence new product line up taking shape, tweaked and fine tuned to not only meet and beat the competition but also to create a world standard of reproducing music. There a lot and lot more than just wood, glue and drivers.

A small operator may not have all these leave aside some hobbyist assembling a speaker or two in his backyard. For me cost is not a sort of mathematical equation where in you put some raw material prices and get the MSRP! Why arrive or rather expect speaker cost based on raw material alone? Then what about hundreds of other products we buy on day to day basis, like Shampoo, toothpaste, Coke, a dozen mangoes, a dress shirt? Ask the same question to Coke , Colgate and Unilever.

I have seen a guy bought Marylyn Monroe’s bra for $10000+, people pay millions for painting, 1 square inch of paper called a postage stamp and what not. Do such thing really cost that much? Why pay $10000+ for a bra costing $29.95? No, but who bought it felt it was worth $10000. It is his money and his choice. Same can be applied to speakers too, if one feels that what s/he is paying is justified then others have no right to criticize him /her or the manufacture in any way.

Wow.. talk about Vintage value..!!

SuhasG, Have you had a chance to hear the new line of Siltech Cables at Cadence?

Are they better than the scanspeak revelator? That is a subject which can be debated. Many of these exotic drivers are not even mass produced. They are built to order for a few boutique manufacturers.

Having heard all 3 I can definitely state the Scanspeak Revelator is not as good as the T+P Diamond Tweeter or Alian Ribbon. The Alian had the most resolution while the T+P's (30mm) sound the best to me. It has the most natural tone and I couldn't find a single flaw.
My speakers use the Scanspeak Revelator system tweeter. All 3 are in different speakers but the difference in the tweeters can be heard.

Nothing to do with them being mass produced or not. They are being made, are freely available and many use them. In fact a speaker manufacturer in Hong Kong uses the Alian!
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Thanks to all who have participated in the thread.

The technical comments as well as the outlook to be maintained towards the cost of a speaker were enlightening.

A rich experience for me in sharing my views / queries with all of you guys.

Thanks once again.

Thanks god, you asked for Siltech cables. It could have been very difficult had you enquired for M.M's other wears on Sale !

Hi,

With all due respect to everyone I start this post ! as you all know I never indulge in fact fighting ! even the so called debate always turns out to be an argument in the later stage,so even that is a big NO NO for me !

But there are some things that needs to clarified hence my post !

Dear Awedeophile if just read the what the quote says,

Have I said that no other manufacturer uses other material ??? also when we talk its all about the majority ! I've said this time and again !!

When I say they use wood that means majority ! one for the fact,The much hyped and critically acclaimed Utopia Series from JMLAB is made from the very same MDF ! now this costs 40+ lacs per pair !! so what does this mean ??

The very moderately or cheaply priced Pacific Evolution (56K) from Wharfedale has 8 coats of lacquer ! The Usher has 13+ coats(BE718 costs 96K) so whats does this mean and imply ??

Now coming to the simple thing ! I've made it very clear that speaker making is an art not a backyard gardening (even this sometimes is art in itself) !! but even then if you have an issue then Am sorry !

Now again if you read my post !

Well is not an example to you ???? the Usher uses the Beryllium tweeters and some top of the line raw materials and manufacturing technics ( as mentioned above,the speakers are having 13+ coats), So I'll ask you now please show me a speaker that uses this very same or similar material at the same cost or less !!

Also for crying out loud this company has hired THE single most influential person in Audio field DR D.Appolito ! So does that mean the R&D is not as good as other makers ?? and does that mean DR. D.Appolito does not know about R&D ????

Well For the sake of information let me tell !! when I post I make sure I know what Am talking bout ! Am not one of those who GOOGLE COPY PASTE stuff !! I only post if I think I have some substantial facts to add ! I just don't post for sake of it !! Always I make sure that what Am talking makes sense and the same has been reflected in my 500+ posts !!

but even then if you guys think what I've said is not right ! then well Am sorry ! may be I should rethink my posting strategy or lack of it (coz uptill now I thought otherwise)!!

As always this is not to hurt anyone's feelings and as always if done unknowingly Please excuse me !!

Regards.