robin-hobart Posted June 15, 2013 Posted June 15, 2013 Was chatting to an identity within the hifi industry recently. Wonderful talking with him - getting an insight into design & the industry from an 'insider' perspective. One comment was that 1000% was not an uncommon mark-up for interconnect / cable prices. Which would explain why there is a bewildering choice - money for old rope. I think Alan Shaw (Harbeth) has opinions with respect to this esoteric componentry as well. 2
Candyflip Posted June 15, 2013 Posted June 15, 2013 No surprise huh... $59 for the printer to buy, $40 each (colour) for the 'genuine' consumables.
Monkeyboi Posted June 15, 2013 Posted June 15, 2013 No surprise huh... $59 for the printer to buy, $40 each (colour) for the 'genuine' consumables. Yep, it's a rip-off. Considering the cost of the printer (cheap) and unless colour fidelity is important, many third party inks are much better value IMHO. Cheers, Alan R.
davewantsmoore Posted June 15, 2013 Posted June 15, 2013 Alan Shaw He does money for old rope. Big $$$ for sure
Zaphod Beeblebrox Posted June 26, 2013 Posted June 26, 2013 Was chatting to an identity within the hifi industry recently. Wonderful talking with him - getting an insight into design & the industry from an 'insider' perspective. One comment was that 1000% was not an uncommon mark-up for interconnect / cable prices. Which would explain why there is a bewildering choice - money for old rope. I think Alan Shaw (Harbeth) has opinions with respect to this esoteric componentry as well. 100%? And the rest. I've seen 500%+ mark-up from companies like Hardly Normal. It is increasingly difficult to make any profit from components. Accessories, like cables, surge limiting power boards, et al, are one of the few areas where there is still some profitability.
robin-hobart Posted June 26, 2013 Author Posted June 26, 2013 Not 100% ZB - 1000%. Yes; I'm pretty sure it is extreme profitability that is driving the cable / interconnect market.
Carrera1963 Posted June 26, 2013 Posted June 26, 2013 My interconnects are from Blue Jeans, probably double the costs of parts, but they're well made & still quite reasonable. My speaker cable's from Repco, pretty sure they don't add 500%
Zaphod Beeblebrox Posted June 26, 2013 Posted June 26, 2013 Not 100% ZB - 1000%. Yes; I'm pretty sure it is extreme profitability that is driving the cable / interconnect market. Mea culpa. Sorry about. I should have been reading your post more carefully.
joz Posted June 26, 2013 Posted June 26, 2013 Surely this isn't new? I mean the penny didn't just drop did it? Though it makes it difficult to sift through which ones are more than less marketing BS.
Candyflip Posted June 26, 2013 Posted June 26, 2013 1000%?? easily.. I see connects being sold for $2000 regularly... what do you actually think these cost to make? $20-50... tops. get real people.
thoglette Posted June 26, 2013 Posted June 26, 2013 One comment was that 1000% was not an uncommon mark-up for interconnect / cable prices. When a DVD/HDMI player costs less than the HDMI cable you know the mark up is out of hand. Especially when comparing cable prices on your favourite auction site. Mark up on the top end hand made stuff is ironically probably less than the genric stuff
Zaphod Beeblebrox Posted June 27, 2013 Posted June 27, 2013 (edited) 1000%?? easily.. I see connects being sold for $2000 regularly... what do you actually think these cost to make? $20-50... tops. get real people. Depends. I was asked to terminate a pair of Nordost Odin interconnects. Now, I'm not attempting to justify the RRP of these things, but the construction of the cable is immensely complicated and I spent 10 hours (yes, TEN hours) terminating one pair of cables. Unlike the vast majority of cables on the market, the Odin must be hand terminated. Machinery cannot do it. That is part of the reason for the high price. Edited June 27, 2013 by Zaphod Beeblebrox 2
Rob181 Posted June 27, 2013 Posted June 27, 2013 Speaker cables for the princely sum of US $30559.00 with a RRP of $66499.00...hmmm...too expensive for this Maroons supporter...Rob http://app.audiogon.com/listings/speaker-mit-oracle-ma-x-shd-speaker-cables-2013-06-26-cables-75042
Once was an audiophile Posted June 27, 2013 Posted June 27, 2013 1000%?? easily.. I see connects being sold for $2000 regularly... what do you actually think these cost to make? $20-50... tops. get real people. How does one put a price on R&D? 1
k-k-k-kenny Posted June 27, 2013 Posted June 27, 2013 Man, I wanna crack one of those F.A.T.s. But would it be overkill on my TDL transmission line relics?
robin-hobart Posted June 27, 2013 Author Posted June 27, 2013 I don't think anyone has a problem with businesses making a decent profit. And yes, R&D costs. (Which is why I am always a tad sceptical when DIYers claim massive improvements they have wrought on stock items with little more than a bit of gut instinct and hope on their kitchen bench.) But if I was a young entrepreneur looking for a business opportunity - and heard about a market where markups of 1000% were potentially available, that's where I'd be directing my attention.....
k-k-k-kenny Posted June 27, 2013 Posted June 27, 2013 Depends. I was asked to terminate a pair of Nordost Valhalla interconnects. Now, I'm not attempting to justify the RRP of these things, but the construction of the cable is immensely complicated and I spent 10 hours (yes, TEN hours) terminating one pair of cables. Unlike the vast majority of cables on the market, the Valhallas must be hand terminated. Machinery cannot do it. That is part of the reason for the high price. Did the complexity add to ultimate function in your view, Zaph? As an ignoramus in these matters, I am sceptical, but always willing to be informed by those who know better.
Guest guru Posted June 27, 2013 Posted June 27, 2013 Did the complexity add to ultimate function in your view, Zaph? As an ignoramus in these matters, I am sceptical, but always willing to be informed by those who know better. trevor might have had 16 or 17 too many coffees before he started but 10 hours is about 8 hours over stardard timeframe and I've done about 20 reterminations of the Valhalla interconnects. as to it's complexity, the design is important to the sound, particularly the micro filament around the wire spacing it from the Teflon dialectric. using the design principle and the same wire and dialectric material, the spacing of the conducter away from the dialectric can have a benefit in sound presentation. YMMV however.
RockandorRoll Posted June 27, 2013 Posted June 27, 2013 I love a good cable. I dont have very expensive ones, but i love shopping for them. I think once your happy with the way the system sounds theres nothing else to do but shop for pretty cables $1000 here, $500 there, not big dolalrs in the scheme of things. Especially if you have $10k speakers
Zaphod Beeblebrox Posted June 27, 2013 Posted June 27, 2013 (edited) Did the complexity add to ultimate function in your view, Zaph? As an ignoramus in these matters, I am sceptical, but always willing to be informed by those who know better. Please note: The cable I referred to is the Nordost Odin, not Valhalla. Yes, indeed. I did not listen to the cable, before returning them, as such listening sessions can be quite lengthy. FWIW, my client felt that the Odin were a significant upgrade form his previous (Nordost) cables. Certainly, I am not in a position to state one way or the other, about the superiority of the Odin. As to the other part of your question, the answer is: Yes. The construction of the Odin interconnects are, IMO, superior (in theory at least) to other cables I've examined. Theoretical superiority does not necessarily mean audible superiority. Edited June 27, 2013 by Zaphod Beeblebrox
k-k-k-kenny Posted June 27, 2013 Posted June 27, 2013 Tanx, Zaph. Somehow I don't find meself in the market for Odin, Heimdall or even Loki.
robin-hobart Posted June 27, 2013 Author Posted June 27, 2013 Please note: The cable I referred to is the Nordost Odin, not Valhalla. ???? Really????? Someone in this country has actually purchased Odin cable which sells at something like a billion dollars per centimeter?? Call me gobsmacked! You move in the rarest of rarified circles ZB!!
Luc Posted June 27, 2013 Posted June 27, 2013 $1000 here, $500 there, not big dollars in the scheme of things. Especially if you have $10k speakers Not in your world maybe RR but huge in mine let me tell you! ...and yes I understand your allusion
Zaphod Beeblebrox Posted June 27, 2013 Posted June 27, 2013 ???? Really????? Someone in this country has actually purchased Odin cable which sells at something like a billion dollars per centimeter?? Call me gobsmacked! You move in the rarest of rarified circles ZB!! Not quite a Billion Dollars/cm, but certainly very expensive. And yes, one of my clients purchased some (not from me, I might add). All I can recall are the multiple punctures in my skin and the nonsensical amount of care and effort required to terminate the stuff. It is, far and away, the most difficult cable I've ever worked with.
frankn Posted June 27, 2013 Posted June 27, 2013 I love a good cable. I dont have very expensive ones, but i love shopping for them. I think once your happy with the way the system sounds theres nothing else to do but shop for pretty cables $1000 here, $500 there, not big dolalrs in the scheme of things. Especially if you have $10k speakers if $0.5K / $1K per metre they do add up.
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