High End 2014

wizard

Member
Oct 17, 2010
856
2
16
wizard-highend.blogspot.com


 

puroagave

Member Sponsor
Sep 29, 2011
1,345
45
970
not feeling it.

the new owners wasted no time in 'reinventing' an a American icon and giving it an Italian twist (galileo? puhleeze:rolleyes:) jmo, but if this is the new direction for ARC the brand will loose its cachet with ARC traditionalist.
 

asiufy

Industry Expert/VIP Donor
Jul 8, 2011
3,711
723
1,200
San Diego, CA
almaaudio.com
And that price bump? How much was the old VSi75 again?


alexandre
 

microstrip

VIP/Donor
May 30, 2010
20,806
4,698
2,790
Portugal
The Galileo's are probably targeted to the emerging Asiatic markets - Sonusfaber is now selling a significant part of their production in these markets. They are now part of the McIntosh group, that will take care of the classic "look" of American high quality audio and the new stylish look will show the Audio Research. I feel long time admirers of the brand, as me, will not enjoy the new designs, but perhaps younger people will appreciate them.

Curiously Galileo is also the name of the new European GPS system being build by the European Space Agency. Perhaps each unit will have its GPS locator!
 

Kingsrule

VIP/Donor
Feb 3, 2011
1,429
680
1,430
not feeling it.

the new owners wasted no time in 'reinventing' an a American icon and giving it an Italian twist (galileo? puhleeze:rolleyes:) jmo, but if this is the new direction for ARC the brand will loose its cachet with ARC traditionalist.

I think we are seeing the demise of ARC as we have known it, not saying its bad, just a significant change in direction.
Hold on to the ARC gear you have and purchase now because you never know what is going to happen. Inevitably, new owners what to make changes and that can be dangerous....
 

edorr

WBF Founding Member
May 10, 2010
3,139
14
36
Smyrna, GA
The Galileo's are probably targeted to the emerging Asiatic markets - Sonusfaber is now selling a significant part of their production in these markets.

Most definitely this is the driver behind this exercise. Catering to the emerging market of nouveau riche audio snobs in emerging markets - slap new look on existing designs, jack up price and presto. Can't fault commercial enterprises for wanting to make a buck though.
 

BruceD

VIP/Donor
Dec 13, 2013
1,508
576
540
porsche have done exactly the same thing in recent times.


Ditto Hasselblad since the Chinese took it over---yes RIP ARC as we knew it--even Sonus F no longer the product the great Franco Serblin envisaged

Progress?--what progress--retrograde in my opinion.

Bruce D
 

katylied

Well-Known Member
Sep 7, 2011
69
0
913
Torino (Turin) - Italy
In Italy we have an old saying: "non e' bello cio' che e' bello ma e' bello cio' che piace" (that should sound something like "it's not beautiful what is beautiful, but it's beautiful what you like", but I believe that there is a similar saying in a better English). That said, IMHO the new look it's quite ugly! :confused:
 

Elberoth

Member Sponsor
Dec 15, 2012
2,007
252
1,170
Poland
I do not like the new look. I do however thing that the ARC future is perfectly secured - especially AFTER the Charlie Randall, longtime President of McIntosh and the Mauro Grange, CEO of Fine Sounds SpA, did the McIntosh / ARC / SF management buyout.

I have talked both with ARC and Mc guys at the show, and they are much more relaxed now. The position of Charlie Randall has strenhtened big time, and he is the one who nows how to make sure audiophiles are happy.
 

audio.bill

Well-Known Member
May 27, 2013
547
79
340
Chicago suburbs
In Italy we have an old saying: "non e' bello cio' che e' bello ma e' bello cio' che piace" (that should sound something like "it's not beautiful what is beautiful, but it's beautiful what you like", but I believe that there is a similar saying in a better English). That said, IMHO the new look it's quite ugly! :confused:
Would the English saying you are referring to be "beauty is in the eye of the beholder"?
 

mep

Member Sponsor & WBF Founding Member
Apr 20, 2010
9,481
17
0
not feeling it.

the new owners wasted no time in 'reinventing' an a American icon and giving it an Italian twist (galileo? puhleeze:rolleyes:) jmo, but if this is the new direction for ARC the brand will loose its cachet with ARC traditionalist.

The more I look at them, me neither. Somehow I bet that WZJ is not happy from the other side. Somebody let the Italians loose on ARC and now the products don't look like ARC gear anymore and the new prices are through the roof. ARC gear was never cheap, but in the crazy world of the high-end, it still represented something of a bargain. Those days are gone now with the "G" series.
 

TheMadMilkman

Well-Known Member
Sep 7, 2010
125
0
91
Would the English saying you are referring to be "beauty is in the eye of the beholder"?

That doesn't quite get the meaning. Translated into more conversational English, it would be like saying, "It's not beautiful because it looks good, it's beautiful because I like it."

I don't care for the new look either. I'm also very curious to see if the performance matches the new price points. From a strictly visual perspective, it "feels" overpriced to me.
 

Philb7777

Well-Known Member
Mar 11, 2013
39
4
915
It does feel overpriced. I wonder how they compare sonically to the REF series products? Although I am a fan of Fine Sounds Group and the energy and capital they are putting in to their companies, I really don't like what the Italian designer has done to Wadia and now ARC. I just don't see these products taking off, even in the overseas market. The best thing Fine Sounds can do is leave Wadia and ARC alone to design products as they have in the past.
 

blbloom

Well-Known Member
Aug 5, 2013
25
0
306
47
I'm thinking about purchasing some of this new line. I like the looks. If the quality and the sound is there, it looks like a winner to me.
 

Elliot G.

Industry Expert
Jul 22, 2010
3,255
2,910
1,360
Fort Lauderdale, Florida
www.bendingwaveusa.com
I'm thinking about purchasing some of this new line. I like the looks. If the quality and the sound is there, it looks like a winner to me.

Wow if the new gear is better than the old wont most of the people here have egg on their face?

I love the internet, no one has heard it but it sure is fun to bash !!
 

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