beagleman
Major Contributor
I think you are over estimating what it costs to do this level of sound quality and sound level.Looks like an excellent speaker that despite all the naysayers is actually competitively priced for what it does.
Designing for outboard Active amplification /DSP (remote rack mounting) has important benefits for theater applications where noise floor/heat gain from electronics /light pollution from status LEDs are best handled in this manner with the passive speaker in room and everything else in an equipment room outside the listening space. Actively driven topology avoids inconsistency/thermal issues with passive crossover components and ability to get next to perfect driver integration.
The only competitors I'm aware of in this high SPL and sound quality category would be JBL M2, genelec S360, and ascendo ccrm12-mkII. Getting 105dB peaks at your second row of seats 18-20ft from the loudspeaker isn't easy (or cheap)
Agreed with other posts that the real secret sauce is in the calibration and room planning services of Tony's outfit. I'm confident many of his rooms would embarrass most DIY efforts at high fidelity 2 channel perfection.
Just Cause the competitors to this are charging about the same, does not change the fact, that it is using 2 relatively common "Pro audio" woofers and a high output compression/horn/waveguide type high frequency driver.
Nothing "Screams" $8,200 to me.
I see 2-$200 Faitial pro woofers and possibly a $100.00 High frequency driver. That is about $500.00 in drivers.
Not to be a downer, but this looks more like a $2,500-$3,000 speaker to me.
Do you think that box and amp, even with DSP really costs $7,700??