Speaker Asylum

General speaker questions for audio and home theater.

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RE: Insane?

Posted by triamp on July 26, 2012 at 04:56:27:
They likely do a fair amount of development to make a speaker. All those folks making $50k a year, amortized across the 3,000 pairs they'll sell... it adds up.

And, yes, there's good profit built in to that price. Profit for Harbeth and also for the local dealer.

If you could get the drivers, crossover parts and woodworking plans, these materials would possibly cost you $600 wholesale. Add R&D, marketing, manufacturing, and profit for the factory and local shop, and you arrive at $6,000.

I point out that people are buying these speakers. Not a great many, but enough that they Harbeth are still in business. So, someone out there likes their sound. WORTH $6,000? Well, value is a relative thing. If you have "$6,000 worth" of love for the way these things sound, then, yeah, they are worth it.

Remember, for a wealthy person something like $6,000 is what you'd spend on a good dinner party for your friends. From that perspective, these speakers aren't such a big deal. To someone making $15,000 a year as a McDonald's cashier*, no, these would not provide as much utility value as, say, $6,000 worth of RENT.

*That's what they make. It's $7.25 an hour, the minimum wage. See http://www.careerleak.com/salaries/mcdonalds/cashier/