A very cynical and negative point of view IMO, especially without any actual experience with gear.
Aurender N30 - To stay competitive in 2021
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I have to say that the Rotel Michi amplification feels very out of place in this company.
/ Marcus, www.perfect-sense.se
They claimed that MSB M500 give more hard sound through Trio.I see a pair of MSB M500 monoblocks in the photo.
Wonder why they were not used.
But I did not notice any horn coloration through Rotel.
The links below explain the psychology behind spending big, how pricing affects experience from headphones to painkillers.
In general, those refer to psychological phenomena that shape the shopping experience and impression of different products that are considered/positioned as "prestigious" / more expensive, and the same is true for audio equipment. In general, audio equipment isn't different in this sense from the rest.
The psychology behind luxury brands - ABC Radio National
If luxury brands are really so much better quality, why do they need to employ such a dizzying array of psychological tricks? Kirsten Drysdale investigates.
www.abc.net.au
The psychology behind spending big
What drives people to spend thousands on products and experiences that could cost far less? Tiffanie Wen investigates
www.bbc.com
This is a logical fallacy. Just because there are expensive products that don’t justify their premium price doesn’t mean that all expensive products don’t.
Also how a product is marketed says practically nothing about how well the product will actually perform. So just because some audio gear is marketed using the same tactics that luxury brands use says nothing that can be applied broadly.
I don't think this can be painted with that broad of a brush stroke. At least with audio you can listen and decide for yourself if the price is justified for YOU, unless you decide to offer an opinion based on price alone. One article mentioned, "Can a $10,000 pair of headphones really be 10x better than a $1,000 pair?" Anyone who's been in this hobby for more than 5 minutes understands the law of diminishing returns. I wouldn't expect a 10x increase in sound quality. I would expect "some", and then decide if the amount of improvement was worth the difference in price to ME.The links below explain the psychology behind spending big, how pricing affects experience from headphones to painkillers.
In general, those refer to psychological phenomena that shape the shopping experience and impression of different products that are considered/positioned as "prestigious" / more expensive, and the same is true for audio equipment. In general, audio equipment isn't different in this sense from the rest.
The psychology behind luxury brands - ABC Radio National
If luxury brands are really so much better quality, why do they need to employ such a dizzying array of psychological tricks? Kirsten Drysdale investigates.
The psychology behind spending big
What drives people to spend thousands on products and experiences that could cost far less? Tiffanie Wen investigates
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When it comes to the psychological side of things and the direct connection we make between pricing and quality I have more than enough audiophilia stories, such as people who were passionate about luxury cables, when they were not connected at all, or who quickly recognized "monstrous" and expensive amplifiers, when in fact music was played by a receiver, or those knew how to quickly "recognize" the action of a subwoofer when it was not on electricity connected, and more stories that accumulated over the past few years.
These examples don't apply at all to the lifecycle of a typical audiophile purchase. It seems like you are using terms and arguments you've heard about yet don't really understand.
Just this week i was invited to a test of Innuos statement vs. self-made computer that cost around 3.5K~4K usd in part price.
the system we tested was made out of:
Albedo Atesia speakers (120K Euro ),
Preamp's: VAC Signature Mk IIa SE and Luxman C-1000F Stereo Control Amplifier
Amplification: Luxman 800 Monoblock’s
DAC EMM
Treated electricity, interconnects, electricity cables, and speaker cables from Audio Quest and VDH
I can only say that to me and my friend ears (the setup owner) the computer source sounded far better than the statement, better resolving, better dynamics, better slam etc… the only place the statement was better than the computer was in sound liquidity.
So there you have it, 14K+ statement vs. 3.5K+ self-made computer, and the last was far much better source than the state of the art digital source.
Anyway, all I have left to say is .... stay true to your way.
So is your friend going to take his 3.5K computer to market? Can they make a living by selling the unit for 3.5K? I would bet the answer is no. Can one like a less expensive unit better, sure they can. I wonder what the unit would sell for if they had to run a company even if they sold direct? Never mind what the unit would cost if they had to develop a dealer network.
I guess we would have buy the parts much, much cheaper than end customers.
My father used to own several clothes factories all over the world, production of luxury items were fraction of their retail price.
During the 90's his Russian's buyers always demanded price raise of the goods, explaining the end buyers always looked for "the more expensive the better it is" and the more expensive I can showoff my friends.
But of course hi-end audio markets dont work that way....at least as long as you believe it.
I think it's a fairly widely accepted reference that most high end audio gear retail pricing is a multiple of the cost of the parts. I've heard this to be 4x-5x and I'm not surprised by that OR dismayed by it. By that standard your buddies unit is equivalent to a $16k-$20k steamer. @bryans is right, it's not so simple.
If you and your friend can make a computer for 3.5K that is a world beater please do. You said he paid 3.5K+ to make the unit. One would think that means he didn't pay himself a salary/benefits, etc. I'm sure your father didn't sell his clothes for the price of the materials he used to make the clothes.
This is simple economics and has nothing to do with thinking an expensive product is better or worse.
You miss the point, I was discussing the concept ofhigher price equals better/more luxury.
The point I refer to, many times price increase is not because the product is better but because manufacturers now that in audience perception more expensive precepts as better or more luxury. In the case of Aurender, Far East customers pressed the manufacturer to develop a more expensive unit not because some one complained about performance but because they behave the same as we have seen the oligarchs of the nineties and the new melanie, they just compare who has the more expensive unit/system.
Sadly, I have certainly observed the many people who cannot perceive the real difference in quality just go with the bigger brand and the higher price tag. Quite often.
That said, I have ALSO seen those with unlimited budgets ask major designers to create something sensational with no thought as to budget BECAUSE they CAN perceive the difference and do not wish ordinary budget or commerciality to get in the way of cost-no-object quality. I have seen designs in non-audio and in audio where manufacturers customized elements using ultra parts or other 'fine tuning' at extraordinary cost because the customer could afford it (and appreciated the true difference in quality that it made).
That said, I have ALSO seen those with unlimited budgets ask major designers to create something sensational with no thought as to budget BECAUSE they CAN perceive the difference and do not wish ordinary budget or commerciality to get in the way of cost-no-object quality. I have seen designs in non-audio and in audio where manufacturers customized elements using ultra parts or other 'fine tuning' at extraordinary cost because the customer could afford it (and appreciated the true difference in quality that it made).
With all due respect, I think you are missing the point I’m trying to make. IMO it’s disingenuous to dismiss something just because it costs more without at least hearing it. I have the N20 and just got the N30SA and I can assure that with my ears, in my system the improvement is not slight.
It’s more like he’s intentionally avoiding your point. He simply won’t allow for an “expensive” product to actually be better.
A question, with genuine curiosity and no intention to trigger flames:
Which computer parts are expected to contribute to better sound (which, in this case, would mean the highest digital stream accuracy) and make the difference between a Mac Mini, your friend's $4K computer and the $16K Innuos?
Where to invest?
Good linear Power supply, USB and Ethernet Card such as Jcat, Passive colling, chassis with isolation footers, SSD - except the last you'll find non of the others in Mac Mini
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