Who buys $20,000 components?

[Mart68]

I asked the question so my motivation are these points.

Much audio advertising is trying to sell very expensive components. It may be working because the adds keep appearing.
If you buy 20K components, you may need a collection of 6 or 10 pieces for a audio system, so perhaps 250K. Some people say, that's not much today.
Gotta say, many people on this forum seem to be penny pinchers ..." I can get that Fosi for 10 bucks less".
If you have a 250k or more stereo system, what do you drive, a Lamborghini? Is your home worth 5 million?
Have you seen the photos of people home systems? Most are pretty meager.

So, I'm asking members here, tell us how many 20K components your own?
I'm admitting, my amps are all under 1500$, speakers all under 1500$ each, Sources all under 500$.
I like to drool over the ultra expensive stuff but then I ask myself, would Warren Buffet buy it?

I don't own any component I paid $20K or more for. I have some Krell amplifiers I bought on the secondary market. If still made today they would probably retail close to that amount.

My speakers are a custom build, but if they were a commercial product sold via distributor/dealer chain, with sales tax, they would also have to be priced in that region.

I like to get value for money so generally speaking I would not spend $20K on a component unless the value was there. Mostly it isn't but there are exceptions as some have mentioned above.

There's also the question of priorities. A good audio system is important to me, a big house and a flash car are not.

 

[Mean & Green]

I’m not sure who buys components costing tens of thousands.

I see Linn have announced a new plinth for their LP12 costing almost £9000. Even Linn fans and owners seem displeased at pricing levels like that for such an item from what I’ve seen from media comments.

I live in the UK where houses are small on average and prices are high so value for money on housing is incredibly low. I can’t see many people being in a willing position to spend £20k on any audio even if they could. The audiophile market is niche, not sure how many audiophiles have that kind of money to drop or even the space in which to use it properly.

There has been the recent Tom Evan’s debacle on that hideous and frankly crap pre amp. The high end market is a joke in my eyes. Audiophilea is a bit weird in ‘normal’ people’s eyes. Who knows who buys the stuff costing five figures?

I had a very enlightening experience at Linn HQ in Glasgow where I heard their full top tier £80k Linn Klimax system. The main thing I took away from that listening session was how good my ‘modestly’ priced system is and how I have zero desire to spend more than I have.

Most expensive things I’ve bought are speakers and turntable. Speakers were RRP approx £1k I paid £700. I also paid £700 for the turntable. Everting else has been between £100 - £500 each and I’ve owned some kit for over 20 years that is still in use. In my social circle what I’ve spent in total equates to paying far more than ‘normal’ people do on audio.

 

[Galliardist]

I have $20k components connected by $20 cables. Let heads explode.

You spent way too much on those cables.

 

[Mart68]

I’m not sure who buys components costing tens of thousands.

I see Linn have announced a new plinth for their LP12 costing almost £9000. Even Linn fans and owners seem displeased at pricing levels like that for such an item from what I’ve seen from media comments.

I live in the UK where houses are small on average and prices are high so value for money on housing is incredibly low. I can’t see many people being in a willing position to spend £20k on any audio even if they could. The audiophile market is niche, not sure how many audiophiles have that kind of money to drop or even the space in which to use it properly.

There has been the recent Tom Evan’s debacle on that hideous and frankly crap pre amp. The high end market is a joke in my eyes. Audiophilea is a bit weird in ‘normal’ people’s eyes. Who knows who buys the stuff costing five figures?

I had a very enlightening experience at Linn HQ in Glasgow where I heard their full top tier £80k Linn Klimax system. The main thing I took away from that listening session was how good my ‘modestly’ priced system is and how I have zero desire to spend more than I have.

Most expensive things I’ve bought are speakers and turntable. Speakers were RRP approx £1k I paid £700. I also paid £700 for the turntable. Everting else has been between £100 - £500 each and I’ve owned some kit for over 20 years that is still in use. In my social circle what I’ve spent in total equates to paying far more than ‘normal’ people do on audio.

Space isn't really an issue for electronic components. Only for speakers and you can buy small speakers costing in excess of $20K

I did have a £20K budget for speakers (redundancy payment) and I went to a few shows with the option of spending up to that amount, but whilst there were plenty of speakers in that price range there was nothing I thought was actually worth that kind of money. TAD Reference impressed me but were over twice that price!

Perusing UK and U.S forums there seems to be a fair few people who spend that kind of money, not just on speakers but on DACs and amplification too. Mostly it seems they do so because they genuinely believe it is buying them additional sound quality.

The same people seem to spend a lot on cables and power-related products and many also buy into the magic fuse/grounding box/isolation product scams too.

It would appear that, whoever they are, there are enough very wealthy people out there to support that market. When profit margins are very high you don't need to sell in large volumes of the product in order to make money.

 

[Mean & Green]

Space isn't really an issue for electronic components. Only for speakers and you can buy small speakers costing in excess of $20K

I did have a £20K budget for speakers (redundancy payment) and I went to a few shows with the option of spending up to that amount, but whilst there were plenty of speakers in that price range there was nothing I thought was actually worth that kind of money. TAD Reference impressed me but were over twice that price!

Perusing UK and U.S forums there seems to be a fair few people who spend that kind of money, not just on speakers but on DACs and amplification too. Mostly it seems they do so because they genuinely believe it is buying them additional sound quality.

The same people seem to spend a lot on cables and power-related products and many also buy into the magic fuse/grounding box/isolation product scams too.

It would appear that, whoever they are, there are enough very wealthy people out there to support that market. When profit margins are very high you don't need to sell in large volumes of the product in order to make money.

Notice I said ‘the space in which to use it properly’.

 

[Mart68]

Notice I said ‘the space in which to use it properly’.

I did notice but not sure what you mean, I pointed out you can buy expensive small speakers and for expensive electronics the amount of space available isn't relevant.

In any case there are lots of very large houses in the UK and wealthy people don't tend to live in small houses unless they are getting on a bit and have downsized.

My house is about as cheap as it gets these days (under £100K value) but still has a 12' x 29' room so even house price isn't necessarily related to available space for a hi-fi.

 

[Mean & Green]

I did notice but not sure what you mean, I pointed out you can buy expensive small speakers and for expensive electronics the amount of space available isn't relevant.

In any case there are lots of very large houses in the UK and wealthy people don't tend to live in small houses unless they are getting on a bit and have downsized.

My house is about as cheap as it gets these days (under £100K value) but still has a 12' x 29' room so even house price isn't necessarily related to available space for a hi-fi.

What I mean by the space to use it properly is a dedicated treated listening room, where the room is correctly calibrated and preferably in a detached abode.

Spending tens of thousands on speakers to house anywhere else would in my mind be completely pointless. Most audiophiles I see on social media in the UK (I don’t know any in real life excluding my Father In Law) have very average living rooms with gear crammed into a sub optimal space and their speakers have hardly any room to breathe.

My Father In Law has to be very mindful how loudly he can play his system through fear of constantly upsetting his neighbours at that is at levels that are not even loud. I fell lucky that I live in a detached house and play my system any time I like at any level I like, but I still don’t have a dedicated listening room and I’m sure room acoustics could certainly be improved way before the gear needs to go into tens of thousands.

My point is most average UK domestic situations are not really set up for tens of £K worth of hifi. Being rich doesn’t go hand in hand with being an audiophile and being an audiophile doesn’t go hand in hand with being rich.

 

[Mart68]

What I mean by the space to use it properly is a dedicated treated listening room, where the room is correctly calibrated and preferably in a detached abode.

Spending tens of thousands on speakers to house anywhere else would in my mind be completely pointless. Most audiophiles I see on social media in the UK (I don’t know any in real life excluding my Father In Law) have very average living rooms with gear crammed into a sub optimal space and their speakers have hardly any room to breathe.

My Father In Law has to be very mindful how loudly he can play his system through fear of constantly upsetting his neighbours at that is at levels that are not even loud. I fell lucky that I live in a detached house and play my system any time I like at any level I like, but I still don’t have a dedicated listening room and I’m sure room acoustics could certainly be improved way before the gear needs to go into tens of thousands.

My point is most average UK domestic situations are not really set up for tens of £K worth of hifi. Being rich doesn’t go hand in hand with being an audiophile and being an audiophile doesn’t go hand in hand with being rich.

Largely agree. I'm not sure the room really needs to be totally calibrated to get the benefit of expensive speakers (assuming they actually are good speakers since many very pricey models are not), but certainly some attention needs to have been paid to making it acoustically benign.

I know quite a few UK enthusiasts personally, their set ups run from exactly what you describe, to being extremely accomplished. Dedicated rooms aren't that unusual, even in the UK. There's plenty of large houses where that is easily possible, especially if you're fifty plus and the children all grown up and left home.

I'm thinking of a friend who has no children but he and his wife still live in a three storey, six bedroom house - bedrooms repurposed as gym, sewing room, office and home theatre. Or another who lives alone in a four bed - he has a full home cinema rig in the largest room and pinball machines in three others.

 

[Liberal Democracy]

I have an Altitude 16 on loan which is sorely tempting me to significantly dent my savings...

I met a Russian girl in a strip club in San Francisco circa 2002 that elicited a similar response., fiscally speaking., I assume .

 

[PierreV]

I have two systems well above that 20k threshold. The only thing I can say in my defence is that I listen in fairly large rooms, that speakers are 90% and 95% of the costs of the respective systems and that I have trolled a couple of my "authentic audiophile"TM friends with Chromecast as DACs.

 

[Martin]

Who buys $20,000 components?

1. People who bought $20k components for much, much less than that on the used market. I have a pair of speakers that cost $27k new that I bought for $5k.

2. The wealthy who can afford them. I have listened to systems in acquaintances homes that were in the high 6 low 7 figure range.

3. The insane. I once knew a guy whose system cost more than his suburban home.

Martin

 

[D2013]

People who can afford it and (mostly) don't care about science...

This is a pretty ridiculous comment without knowing what someone is buying, and what they are buying it for.

 

[Leporello]

I wonder what those 3 people do for music listening. The can afford anything that would strike their fancy.

Bluetooth, I would guess. When you can afford anything most things lose their aspirational aura.

 

[Lsc]

Whomever that’s interested enough in his hobby that want to get to a level that makes them happy.

The argument that they could have gotten there for less is a valid argument but irrelevant. Everyone’s financial situation is also different. Some have excess disposable income where these purchases are trivial and others who find value buying gear that is potentially above their means but they save money elsewhere. Only the foolish buy stuff this expensive on credit but again that’s their choice.

 

[Liberal Democracy]

1. People who bought $20k components for much, much less than that on the used market. I have a pair of speakers that cost $27k new that I bought for $5k.

2. The wealthy who can afford them. I have listened to systems in acquaintances homes that were in the high 6 low 7 figure range.

3. The insane. I once knew a guy whose system cost more than his suburban home.

Martin

But he draws the line at rolling on the Sabbath/Shabbat

 

[DonH56]

I met a Russian girl in a strip club in San Francisco circa 2002 that elicited a similar response., fiscally speaking., I assume .

Nice to see you posting again, sir Thomas! But gotta' say not as nice seeing your new outfit in the avatar... You're going to get Amir all excited again, sure you want that? I say bring back the horse!

Edit: I was going to post some on-topic content, but upon reflection decided why bother.

 

[Flaesh]

If you have a 250k or more stereo system, what do you drive,

My stereo system costs something like 250 thousand (noT US dollars). So does my auto. The last one is a 1997 Ford Explorer.

p. s.: My stick and slag home (60 m^2 apartment) is now worth probably 3+ million in the same currency.

 

[Liberal Democracy]

Nice to see you posting again, sir Thomas! But gotta' say not as nice seeing your new outfit in the avatar... You're going to get Amir all excited again, sure you want that? I say bring back the horse!

Edit: I was going to post some on-topic content, but upon reflection decided why bother.

Hey wise choice , reflexion is in short supply these days , especially in over acoustically treaded listen rooms.. ( I really should of left the explanation out of that joke ) .

Alas , I'm pleased to read the back and forth between you both here , however, and I'm not making assumptions as we are all friends but until you've worn figure ( possibly we are all 20 years too late for that word ) hugging satin hugging in all the right places ( assuming it's reachable , times a bitch ) ones just not lived nor can one lay claim to any sensory knowledge whatsoever.

Anyway I know I need not tell you this , after all you picked out the outfits . Now is amirm brave enough to show his pictures , we are after all ment to be disarming and I for one need to make some space in the NAS drive ( whatever that is) .


Too far ? Oh well , you've always been encourageable, what's a girl to do .

 

[DonH56]

Hey wise choice , reflexion is in short supply these days , especially in over acoustically treaded listen rooms.. ( I really should of left the explanation out of that joke ) .

Alas , I'm pleased to read the back and forth between you both here , however, and I'm not making assumptions as we are all friends but until you've worn figure ( possibly we are all 20 years too late for that word ) hugging satin hugging in all the right places ( assuming it's reachable , times a bitch ) ones just not lived nor can one lay claim to any sensory knowledge whatsoever.

Anyway I know I need not tell you this , after all you picked out the outfits . Now is amirm brave enough to show his pictures , we are after all ment to be disarming and I for one need to make some space in the NAS drive ( whatever that is) .


Too far ? Oh well , you've always been encourageable, what's a girl to do .

I was going to make some comment about drinking before breakfast, but then realized it is evening over there, so have at it!

But I have a figure, I am in shape, pear is a shape...

 

[Liberal Democracy]

I was going to make some comment about drinking before breakfast, but then realized it is evening over there, so have at it!

But I have a figure, I am in shape, pear is a shape...

I was going to come back with something about peeled tin pears all together in wonderful thick sweet juice but I'm glad I thought about it and decided not to ...