What do you think is the standard price for HI-FI, HI-END?

[Mart68]

Easy way to blow the budget with 100% snake oil

Argento Audio Flow Ultima Cables​

Prices: 1m interconnect, $6850; 1.2m phono cable, $7750; 1m speaker cable, $10,250; 2m power cord, $6850

Argento Audio Flow Ultima Cables

Full disclosure: When it comes to cables, I’m not a silver kind of guy. I’ve just never liked the sound—and in my experience, there is a sound—of that

www.theabsolutesound.com

The one that makes me laugh is:

“In speaking with Argento, I learned that their cables require a lot of break-in. I had already submitted them to about 50 hours, but that, they told me, wasn’t enough. The interconnects and speaker wire needed about 100 hours, while the power cords required several times that.”

Sometimes I do think that it's beyond reason that grown men can believe this stuff. They have to be laughing as they write it.

 

[Descartes]

Sometimes I do think that it's beyond reason that grown men can believe this stuff. They have to be laughing as they write it.

Well the name “Audiophile Reviews” implies lower IQ to start with!
What I can’t understand is how these reviewers write such BS and people believe what they write or post on YouTube

 

[Joe Smith]

This is a meaningless question.

 

[Oddball]

Sometimes I do think that it's beyond reason that grown men can believe this stuff. They have to be laughing as they write it.

I'd actually love to be able to afford that stuff instead of daily arguments with my wife about the budget issues .

 

[DMill]

What I can’t understand is how these reviewers write such BS and people believe what they write or post on YouTube

There are no credentials needed to be audio reviewer. Anyone can do it. Just put it on the web. It’s entertainment… and if you have enough followers brands will send you gear knowing you are gonna give a favorable review. I won’t single any one reviewer out. They all suck unless they can back it up with some measurement at least. Even then, some reviewers twist data to suit their review. I’d really encourage anyone who cares about money to spend some time understanding who they are taking advice from.

 

[DSJR]

I've been having a slight disagreement about the supposed costs of 'high end' gear. being on here for so long now, I've become conditioned to dacs under 250 or so being pretty much state of the art, any more money being facilities and nicer casings, streamers at £550 or less (Wiim), excellent domestic-grade amps under £500 and some more durable and simpler (?) pro models too, good vinyl sources now a grand or less with half-decent pickups and often more-then-adequate phono stages built in and finally, speakers which for domestic use, not really needing to be more than a few grand a pair, even fully active ones...

I'm baulking at the new Rega pre and power combination for FOURTEEN (thousand) UK POUNDS the pair, the power amp with seemingly dual transformers and around 160WOC at 8 ohms, the preamp looking incredibly complex inside for a line stage model, admittedly with dac built in. My pal feels this is cheap for a high end model and I appreciate the custom? transformer with multiple secondaries by the look of it, won't be the average twenty quid jobby from Vigortronics or wherever

Surely the line buffer part of these product could be done totally sonic transparently these days, with s chip or two and a handful of passives around it/them?

 

[Mort]

They have to be laughing as they write it.

It's too important to their physical survival and emotional well-being to risk disbelief. I assure you, they think they believe every piece of nonsense that comes out.

 

[Overseas]

The system you posted is analogous to a Rolex watch. A Rolex won't keep better time than something a fraction of its cost, but it will make you feel like you are impressing someone.

Another pertinent question is whether the profit margin is reasonable that is high price = better, more expensive materials. You don't need gold in a watch, but maybe you agree to pay for it. On the other hand, a high price for regular materials but a fancy brand does not make much sense.

I mean, you can slice your pizza with a 50c blade OR with an original 10k Japanese katana. None of these is a scam.

 

[Alan O]

I'm baulking at the new Rega pre and power combination for FOURTEEN UK POUNDS the pair,

Only £14? Sounds cheap to me

 

[tineared]

Being an "influencer" has become a career for some folks

This is a meaningless question.

Yes it is, but we still have 11 pages, more or less on the subject, so far...

 

[Roland68]

Another pertinent question is whether the profit margin is reasonable that is high price = better, more expensive materials. You don't need gold in a watch, but maybe you agree to pay for it. On the other hand, a high price for regular materials but a fancy brand does not make much sense.

I mean, you can slice your pizza with a 50c blade OR with an original 10k Japanese katana. None of these is a scam.

But we mustn't forget the development costs.
Sometimes the last 3% cost 10 times as much (or more) as the first 97%, and that has to be paid for, too.

Or does anyone here work for months or years without pay?

If a device consisted only of components, then any of us, and everyone else for that matter, could build excellent devices with perfect measurements and no room for improvement.

 

[Ropeburn]

Tangential point: "mid-fi" is a funny term. Supposed to be between "mere" hifi and "high end", but somehow sounds kinda bad. Who wants a mediocre system? Personally I prefer hifi. Sounds better () and is actually affordable for the working class. Heh.

 

[Joe Smith]

I'm ok with "mid-fi"...it kind of works for me as a label for the level of equipment I have...

 

[Multicore]

Who needs HI-END HI-FI when you can get good sound instead?

Rhetorical question. We all know who.

 

[Sal1950]

Sometimes I do think that it's beyond reason that grown men can believe this stuff. They have to be laughing as they write it.

Yea they're laughing all the way to the bank.
There ought to be a law

sometimes I do think that it's beyond reason that grown men can believe this stuff. They have to be laughing as they write it.

They've built a whole religion around this BS, with everyone (reviewers, marketers & ad writers, manufacturers, all of them) making a bundle off the sheep.
Like a cult, they have their believers on the hook, while the folks on each branch of the tree pony up the cash to pass up to the top.
I can't think of another "luxury goods" market that is quite so corrupt and greedy. Sure watches and other jewelry contains huge markups, clothing has it's own marketing jive but doesn't claim to do some ridiculous thing. Worst I can think of says it'll make you look like a million bucks. LOL I'm not a lawyer but I do wonder sometimes if much of this doesn't really skirt the lines of being prosecutable.

 

[Mort]

I can't think of another "luxury goods" market that is quite so corrupt and greedy.

You might be right. Health, supplements and generally biohacking are not considered 'luxury' but there are some pretty damn expensive miracle cures out there. Health is probably bigger in total sales. Interesting question.

 

[Descartes]

So what do you all think of Esoteric, I love their designs but are frightened by their prices!

This is what I call jewelry audio, but are they any good?

 

[Ropeburn]

So what do you all think of Esoteric, I love their designs but are frightened by their prices!

This is what I call jewelry audio, but are they any good?

I'm put off by the name.

 

[Sal1950]

I got The Absolute Sound march issue a few days back, I contains the 2026 Editiors Choice Awards listing.
This one is completely over the top.

Speaker, Magico M9 $750,000
Subwoofer, Wilson Subsonic $45,000
PowerAmp, D'Agostino Master Relentless Epic $385,000 pr
PreAmp, D'Agostino Relentless Pre $187,500
Phonostage, HSE Masterline 7 $89,000
CD Player, dCS Varese (complete 6 box) $402,167
Streamer, Wadax Referense Server $84,140
TechDAS, Air Force Zero Turntable $600,000
Needle, DS Audio Grand Master EX $25,000
Reel to Reel, Mataxas Papillon $94,000+

Now this is for your basic rig, not to include Record Washers, Racks, Grounding Boxes, Power Conditioners, Interconnects, Speaker Wire, Power Cables, Room Treatments, much more. I'll estimate another $250,000 for this lot but that's very conservative IMHO.

Total for a 2026 "Recommended Components Rig" $2,911,807.00
Elon Musk, give me a call please.

 

[Mart68]

So what do you all think of Esoteric, I love their designs but are frightened by their prices!

This is what I call jewelry audio, but are they any good?

Just the Lexus brand of TEAC. I don't like the styling, prefer TEAC.

All perfectly competent equipment just crazy money, for those who think the price tag is a spec.