An unfortunate phrase indeed

Posted by John Marks (M) on July 3, 2012 at 07:00:15

In Reply to: Twice the price posted by Bill the K on July 3, 2012 at 05:58:44:

I think that there are not likely to be many occasions when that phrase is helpful or credible. However, there have been a few products to which it could apply; one example that comes to mind is Benchmark's DAC, which JA found very similar in sound to a few DACs costing a lot more. The difference, however, is that JA named those other DACs.

Loudspeakers are funny in terms of price and performance. You state that you doubt that a $2000 speaker would sound as "good" as a $4000 speaker or that a $25K speaker would sound "like" a $50K loudspeaker. Well, I can envision specific cases.

Case I: A person really likes the sound of Harbeth's $2200 P3ESR. I can easily imagine that person's preferring the $2200 Harbeth to a $4400 floorstander with different design goals, and which might just excite unfortunate room resonances in that person's room.

Case II: If you were playing music without much bass and with restrained dynamics, such as a recital of Elizabethan laments for baritone voice and lute, I think that Wilson Audio's Sasha and Maxx 3 would sound very close.

My general view is this: as prices go down, the design goals and the essential sound of loudspeakers tend to converge, although there are always outliers. As prices go up, the design goals and the essential sound diverge, in some cases radically.

Cheerio,

JM

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Follow Ups Full Thread

Topic - Twice the price - Bill the K 05:58:44 07/03/12 (23)

Magnepan 1.7... times 2.4 equals 3.7... times 2.8 equals the 20.7 - Elizabeth 12:03:05 07/04/12 (1)

RE: Magnepan 1.7... times 2.4 equals 3.7... times 2.8 equals the 20.7 - huynguy.enlatoi1988@gmail.com 23:44:01 07/06/12 (0)

Most speakers are poorly designed - badman 13:05:50 07/03/12 (12)

RE: Most speakers are poorly designed - Belgarchi 20:39:13 07/05/12 (1)

RE: Most speakers are poorly designed - Bill the K 04:35:06 07/06/12 (0)

Maybe you place to much importance in diffraction ? - Mike B. 15:43:20 07/03/12 (9)

RE: Maybe you place to much importance in diffraction ? - Doug Schneider 06:36:56 07/04/12 (8)

Well put - badman 09:41:02 07/06/12 (0)

RE: Maybe you place to much importance in diffraction ? - Mike B. 09:39:26 07/04/12 (6)

RE: Maybe you place to much importance in diffraction ? - Inmate51 10:49:09 07/04/12 (5)

RE: Maybe you place to much importance in diffraction ? - Doug Schneider 13:49:41 07/04/12 (4)

So that would pretty much relegate anything by Audio Note to the scrap heap? - David S. 10:10:55 07/05/12 (3)

RE: So that would pretty much relegate anything by Audio Note to the scrap heap? - Doug Schneider 10:47:25 07/05/12 (2)

No arguments here... - David S. 10:58:44 07/05/12 (1)

RE: No arguments here... - Doug Schneider 14:27:23 07/05/12 (0)

Take it for what it's worth. - Presto 12:24:02 07/03/12 (0)

Great point, and I'd chime in that the used market is the great equalizer (of prices). - David S. 11:29:41 07/03/12 (0)

Dali Epicon 6: $14k. Sony SS AR1: $25k - Prisoners 08:14:33 07/03/12 (0)

An unfortunate phrase indeed - John Marks 07:00:15 07/03/12 (2)

RE: An unfortunate phrase indeed - Bill the K 08:46:13 07/03/12 (0)

Yes, unfortunate. - kr4 07:58:22 07/03/12 (0)

RE: Twice the price - lord addleford 06:57:15 07/03/12 (1)

RE: Twice the price - Bill the K 08:19:43 07/03/12 (0)

Follow Ups

An unfortunate phrase indeed - John Marks 07:00:15 07/03/12 (2)

RE: An unfortunate phrase indeed - Bill the K 08:46:13 07/03/12 (0)

Yes, unfortunate. - kr4 07:58:22 07/03/12 (0)

An unfortunate phrase indeed

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