What gear you wouldn't buy because of its name or cult status.

[fpitas]

Krell .... Same prejudices, even when I was a subjectivist.

Really? To my knowledge the power amps are quite good.

 

[Gringoaudio1]

You are the first person I ever heard who called Klipsch a "luxury brand". Ditto for Focal.

Klipsch, the consumer stuff with bronze coloured drivers, I agree with you but Focal makes some very expensive speakers. Price is a marker of ‘lux’ brands.

 

[Anton D]

Nothing with AVR in the name.

 

[snakedctr]

Schiit

Revel, Klipsch, Jbl, Polk, Bose, Sonos, Sonus faber, Genelec, Sigberg, Kii, Dutch&dutch, Adam, Kali

Elac Debut Reference

Shakti stones

Cambridge, Rega, Hegel

Topping, Smsl, Ncore, Purify, Molamola, Eigentakt (non-repairable high sinad cult)

Dirac, Baccccccccccccch

anything *Meta, Reference, Heritage, Special

 

[Sal1950]

Schiit

Revel, Klipsch, Jbl, Polk, Bose, Sonos, Sonus faber, Genelec, Sigberg, Kii, Dutch&dutch, Adam, Kali

Elac Debut Reference

Shakti stones

Cambridge, Rega, Hegel

Topping, Smsl, Ncore, Purify, Molamola, Eigentakt (non-repairable high sinad cult)

Dirac, Baccccccccccccch

anything *Meta, Reference, Heritage, Special

I'm sure you love your Bose Home Theater.
You forgot to kick Genelec

 

[fpitas]

Schiit

Revel, Klipsch, Jbl, Polk, Bose, Sonos, Sonus faber, Genelec, Sigberg, Kii, Dutch&dutch, Adam, Kali

Elac Debut Reference

Shakti stones

Cambridge, Rega, Hegel

Topping, Smsl, Ncore, Purify, Molamola, Eigentakt (non-repairable high sinad cult)

Dirac, Baccccccccccccch

anything *Meta, Reference, Heritage, Special

That's a very mixed bag.

 

[pseudoid]

You are the first person I ever heard who called Klipsch a "luxury brand". Ditto for Focal.

+

Klipsch, the consumer stuff with bronze coloured drivers, I agree with you but Focal makes some very expensive speakers. Price is a marker of ‘lux’ brands.

I wish there was a "half-Like" button at ASR: I would have given one of those to @jsrtheta for the Klipsch part... since I already gave a "Like" to @Gringoaudio1....

 

[Sal1950]

+

I believe "luxury" is credited by costs, not SQ.
$40,000 for a pair of Jubilee's isn't exactly pocket change, at least for me. LOL

 

[fpitas]

Klipsch is certainly trying to break into the "upscale" category. With some success.

 

[egellings]

Really? To my knowledge the power amps are quite good.

When not listening to music through the Krells, you could use them for arc welding.

 

[fpitas]

When not listening to music through the Krells, you could use them for arc welding.

That was my impression. Expensive, but indestructible and very long-lived.

 

[egellings]

I believe "luxury" is credited by costs, not SQ.
$40,000 for a pair of Jubilee's isn't exactly pocket change, at least for me. LOL

Hey, get a coupla pair for the kids!

 

[Sal1950]

When not listening to music through the Krells, you could use them for arc welding.

Thats what @RayDunzl uses with his Krells for speaker cables.
JK Ray, but true none the less.

 

[Angsty]

Audioquest.

 

[bethslave]

For me Apple and Bose. I recently purchased an MX-5 Miata which has Bose 'Premium' audio. It is far from premium and the stock system in my Kia Sorento is much better balanced and closer to HiFi.

 

[differenceclouds]

You are the first person I ever heard who called Klipsch a "luxury brand". Ditto for Focal.

Am I wrong?

 

[Angsty]

Am I wrong?

I would not call Klipsch a luxury brand although they do sell some expensive speakers. Their low end takes away from the “luxury” of the brand itself. I’d describe Klipsch as a “multi-tier” brand.

Wilson and Magico would be luxury brands.

 

[GXAlan]

I would not call Klipsch a luxury brand although they do sell some expensive speakers. Their low end takes away from the “luxury” of the brand itself.

But VW has Porsche/Lamborghini/Bugatti.

Klipsch Heritage is as much of a luxury brand as Magnepan is. It’s an Audi/BMW/Lexus/Mercedes mainstream luxury level. Luxury isn’t restricted to Rolls Royce, Ferrari, etc.

 

[Angsty]

Sotheby’s defines a luxury brand as “…those that offer products or services associated with rarity, excellence, and high prices. They are often seen as status symbols and are popular among high-net-worth individuals (HNWI) and aspirational consumers.”

From that perspective, I don’t think the Klipsch brand meets the mark, even though the Heritage line (sub-brand) targets some of those same customers.

 

[GXAlan]

https://www2.deloitte.com/content/dam/Deloitte/ar/Documents/Consumer_and_Industrial_Products/Global-Powers-of-Luxury-Goods-abril-2019.pdf

I think this defintion is better than Sotheby’s but yes, using your definition, you can exclude Klipsch. Using Deloitte’s definition, Klipsch should be in included as a luxury brand.

No point in arguing which definition is more accurate.