Light Harmonic Sire DAC

[Andre Marc]

How about some benefit of the doubt. Like I said, I may represent them but I'm not privy to what's going on in their office. I don't see where in JI's report that it can be inferred that the thing hasn't been designed yet. Might we be just a little bit hasty with the assumptions here?

Admit it, it's the price. LOL.

Yeah, I fell off my chair too and I have a turntable and speakers that costs more. LOL.

Curious, if you did not rep them would you not be rolling your eyes with us as well?

 

[JackD201]

Who said my eyes didn't roll before I almost fell off my chair? Everybody has a value limit built in. So this one goes past mine for reasons that actually have nothing to do with how it might perform.

I just felt a bit uncomfortable with micros use of "serious" and "sota". The Da Vinci is certainly a serious piece of kit and SOTA too IMO. So maybe the guys in the marketing office landed flat on their faces on this one, doesn't mean the guys in engineering did too.

 

[Andre Marc]

Who said my eyes didn't roll before I almost fell off my chair?

Fair enough!!

 

[dallasjustice]

I don't see why LH's business practices impact upon other highend businesses. At least they are trying to offer a wide variety of price ranges to meet everyone's needs. I don't view this as a surprise at all. I think Gavin was talking about doing a wide variety of price points over a year ago.

I am curious to know whether they will be shipping the Geek on schedule.

 

[edorr]

I just felt a bit uncomfortable with micros use of "serious" and "sota". The Da Vinci is certainly a serious piece of kit and SOTA too IMO. So maybe the guys in the marketing office landed flat on their faces on this one, doesn't mean the guys in engineering did too.

No doubt if the marketing department says we need a $120K, limited production DAC, to sell to the market segment wanting to own "the worlds most expensive DAC", engineering can cram some components in a box that delivers the goods. If cost of goods on the BOM does not add up to the target number, you can always stick a golden faceplate on it.

 

[JackD201]

I'm waiting for the Pulse and Pulse X

 

[Andre Marc]

I don't see why LH's business practices impact upon other highend businesses. At least they are trying to offer a wide variety of price ranges to meet everyone's needs. I don't view this as a surprise at all. I think Gavin was talking about doing a wide variety of price points over a year ago.

I am curious to know whether they will be shipping the Geek on schedule.

Disagree. The business practices of a company within an industry can absolutely impact the whole.

One can name endless examples across other industries.

 

[JackD201]

No doubt if the marketing department says we need a $120K, limited production DAC, to sell to the market segment wanting to own "the worlds most expensive DAC", engineering can cram some components in a box that delivers the goods. If cost of goods on the BOM does not add up to the target number, you can always stick a golden faceplate on it.

I believe another company owns that title and will continue to hold it. Not sure it has a gold faceplate on it though. Well, maybe a little one.

 

[microstrip]

Micro,

I don't really know what's going on. This is the first I've heard of this new planned DAC. I'm just wondering how any vapor could hurt "serious" companies. Would you mind clarifying that statement?

1 year gone and the Da Vinci server hasn't gone into production yet. I don't see Aurender et al hurting. If anything it's LH that missed opportunities.

Jack,

You said it all - you do not know what's going on. And what is reported in Stereophile is not serious. High-end is fighting to show they represent good value, as most products are, and IMHO this type of strategy is not helping.

 

[Andre Marc]

No doubt if the marketing department says we need a $120K, limited production DAC, to sell to the market segment wanting to own "the worlds most expensive DAC", engineering can cram some components in a box that delivers the goods. If cost of goods on the BOM does not add up to the target number, you can always stick a golden faceplate on it.

Golden face plate blessed by virgins and coated with oil of the finest truffles.

 

[dallasjustice]

One can name endless examples across other industries.

Can you identify one example where an entire free market industry suffered a setback solely because one company priced one of their products/services too high?

 

[Andre Marc]

Can you identify one example where an entire free market industry suffered a setback solely because one company priced one of their products/services too high?

The first Apple Macintosh. Caused PC sales to stall for a long period of time. The electric car market is 1/10th of what it should be due to price resistance.

Telsa has gone through multiple rounds of funding and almost closed its doors on several occasions.

Pricing is but one issue. The message you send is another.

High end audio is a different beast. A 120,000 DAC is some thing you have to dream up, and then figure out how to possibly
introduce with a straight face.

 

[edorr]

The first Apple Macintosh. Caused PC sales to stall for a long period of time. The electric car market is 1/10th of what it should be due to price resistance.

Telsa has gone through multiple rounds of funding and almost closed its doors on several occasions.

Pricing is but one issue. The message you send is another.

High end audio is a different beast. A 120,000 DAC is some thing you have to dream up, and then figure out how to possibly
introduce with a straight face.

Bit of a stretch. These are all products (computers and cars), with a mass market appeal. 90% of the population does not even know what a DAC is (ask a random person). Of the 10% that do, 10% own one. Of those that own one, 99% believe anyone paying 5 figures for a DAC is clinically insane. The remaining. The remaining 0.01% (if I have my math right) of the population hangs around on audio forums talking to themselves. Bottom line, no sane person really cares about this, and we all just have too much time on our hands.

 

[dallasjustice]

Thanks for those examples. I appreciate that you limited them to freemarket businesses. I think it would easier to identify examples from non-freemarket industries.

I think the difference here from your examples is that DAC manufacture and sales is a fairly mature business now. It's been going on for 30+ years. Your examples are from nascent industry trying to launch a whole new consumer category.

I agree that the LH press release looks silly and the DAC won't be worth a fraction the asking price to anyone with the cash. I don't see the harm.

Assuming LH can be successful in actually manufacturing and delivering the Geek to it's customers, it will be really good for highend audio, IMO. I think LH is reaching out to new untapped customers and that's really smart. I just hope they deliver on it and make those new customers really happy so they stay interested.

The first Apple Macintosh. Caused PC sales to stall for a long period of time. The electric car market is 1/10th of what it should be due to price resistance.

Telsa has gone through multiple rounds of funding and almost closed its doors on several occasions.

Pricing is but one issue. The message you send is another.

High end audio is a different beast. A 120,000 DAC is some thing you have to dream up, and then figure out how to possibly
introduce with a straight face.

 

[Andre Marc]

Thanks for those examples. I appreciate that you limited them to freemarket businesses. I think it would easier to identify examples from non-freemarket industries.

I think the difference here from your examples is that DAC manufacture and sales is a fairly mature business now. It's been going on for 30+ years. Your examples are from nascent industry trying to launch a whole new consumer category.

I agree that the LH press release looks silly and the DAC won't be worth a fraction the asking price to anyone with the cash. I don't see the harm.

Assuming LH can be successful in actually manufacturing and delivering the Geek to it's customers, it will be really good for highend audio, IMO. I think LH is reaching out to new untapped customers and that's really smart. I just hope they deliver on it and make those new customers really happy so they stay interested.

Thank you in kind for your response.

Let me be clear, LH has every right to do what ever they like, they are a private company. They are doing
nothing illegal or unethical. Just silly to some.

I guess some of the comments here take issue with how it reflects on the industry in general. It has nothing
to do with it being a DAC..it could be an preamp, or a cable, or a speaker. Anything arbitrarily priced to grab
headlines shows a lack of substance.

I agree the Geek is a very interesting venture.

 

[CKKeung]

These prices are becoming a joke now.

I can only think of one contender in world : Weiss' experimental Maya that is USD200,000!