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In Reply to: RE: TAS serves up another crock of cognitive dissonance. posted by john.potis@comcast.net on March 20, 2008 at 09:31:43
Hi JP:
Thanks for taking the time to reply to my post.
“Gotta love the knee-jerk responses you're getting to what is a very valid point.”
I enjoy tossing the bears a little red meat from time to time. It’s “me” Irish sense of humor at work. Besides, just because their reactions are knee-jerk doesn't mean they're jerks, merely misguided. :)
“As it happens, last night I was sitting inside my $30k turbo-charged Subaru Outback waiting for my daughter to come out of swim practice and I was thinking about all that $30k bought in the way of car and the thought popped into my head of the $16k pair of Bryston 28B SST amplifiers I reviewed a couple months ago. You look at the car and then you look at the amps and you can't help but scratch your head.”
Our priorities and sense of proportionality appear to be similar.
“But I will say that to an awful lot of TAS readers, $16k probably is affordable. But like most such purchases, it will require one to assess his priorities. We're talking sacrifices. An awful lot of audiophiles drive used cars so that they can afford a killer system. It may not be comfortable and it could be a stretch, but I think $16k is indeed affordable… as in “doable.”’
Well, what’s “affordable” is certainly “doable.” But what’s doable is not always affordable. The subprime mortgage crisis is a good example of what I mean. “Doable” may very well require one to max out his credit cards and his banker’s patience in order to buy that shiny new stereo. But that certainly doesn't make the stereo affordable—at least by any definition of the word I'm familiar with. I don't wish to turn this into a tedious semantic exercise but your paragraph prompts such thoughts.
I take issue with those who seek to define “affordable” for their own selfish ends. A $30K stereo, housed in a $90K home, with a rust bucket parked out front, speaks volumes about one’s priorities, or lack thereof. Such priorities are not only overly indulgent, they strike me as being morally repugnant if a wife and children are in the picture. I realize this sermonizing is not good for business, but I wish to be clear about such matters.
I'm of the opinion that in order for something to be *affordable* one must be able to write a check for the item without it adversely impacting other areas of one’s life. There are obvious exceptions: house, car, etc. But I think we would agree that $16K mono blocks do not come remotely close to making the list of notable exceptions.
Like it or not a dependable car is a necessity for most people. Moreover, it offers a certain utility and functionality that amps do not. The amp does one thing: play music. Whereas a car fulfills myriad needs. Consider price and longevity: One can purchase a new Honda Civic, one of the most dependable cars on the road, for about $18K, and look forward to driving it for 10-15 trouble free years. Moreover, it’s fun to drive!
Lest anyone misunderstand, I have no problem with conspicuous consumption. If one can *afford* to drink Chateau Petrus each day ($1,500 per 25 ounce bottle), purchase 6 Wilson Alexandria’s for his multichannel stereo, garage a fleet of gas guzzling 12 cylinder Lamborghinis, and live in a 30,000 square foot mansion, I will be the first to applaud his success and to wish him a good long life!
I trust you and your family will have a safe and enjoyable Easter holiday.
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