LOL
Westlake Audio has always been priced way out of my reach, but it certainly hasn’t made me stop buying loudspeakers from other manufacturers or stop buying equipment in general.
Then again, this isn’t a hobby for me either… It’s a passion, as is music.
If that’s your understanding of what the term “audiophile” represents, I think that says more about your perception of the world than anything else.
This is not a topic I’d like to discuss.
By audiophile in this discussion I’m referring to the expensive audio equipment crowd. I’m referring to the predominant demographic as, factually, being older, white, men of reasonable means. A world view does not enter in. Does it take any particular world view to see the sun is shinning?
So the real question is why do some older, well off, white men have an issue with being referred to their demographic description? What’s the big issue? Companies analyze their demographics all the time as a common course of business. Stereophile has few ads targeting teenage girls of color, why should they?
scratching my head
I guess that’s the difference then.
Why on earth would you skewer what “audiophile” means to include “expense” or race, sexuality or age.
As per cambridge dictionary’s meaning: a person who is very interested in and enthusiastic about equipment for playing recorded sound, and it’s quality.
https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/audiophile
I know several children who are on the audiophile journey. I started that journey when I was about 12 years old and got handed down my fathers old system and started to analyse musical constructs and sounds which I then translated to piano riffs and synthesizer breaks. It was a dead cheap system, pretty poor quality, muffled mids and bass and waay too bright highs. But that didn’t matter, it enabled me to HEAR the music and started me on a journey towards bettering that experience.
One persons view of “expense” is very different from anothers. My system now, is more expensive than I’ve ever had before, but that doesn’t lessen how much of an audiophile I was previously. Does someone with a basic second hand android phone they got for £50 with stock headphones and a second hand Audioquest Dragonfly not qualify for the esteemed “audiophile” badge simply because they didn’t spend enough money? Even though the resulting quality is streets ahead of an iphone costing 20 times the price with Labelled headphones like “Beats”?
If you’re just looking at a particular set of results, then that is all you’ll see. There’s far more out there if you’re more inclusive to the rest of the world.
Went to a demo yesterday, very nice turntable system, Brinkmann’s top direct drive and phono, plus a limited edition Lyra SUT, Trilogy hybrid amps and Wilson Sasha Daw. Probably £150,000. Was sitting next to a young married couple. It was a fabulous system, the Sasha’s are a great speaker and were easily driven by the Trilogy running in 40w Class A mode (they can operate 200w in A/B). Seriously thinking about getting a Trilogy 907 phono amp.
I think this is another classic example of a disagreement that likely wouldn’t have played out this way if it was an in person conversation.
It’s so odd to so often see so many people respond to each other but not really read/digest the other person’s responses.
I’ve now reread @dancingsea comment, it could be taken several ways, obviously my passion at the time was only seeing one side, but thank you for making me re read it.
I struggle to swallow the true definition of Bigotry, but it does seem that I am just as much of a bigot in this instance. This kind of thing really gets to me.
@dancingsea I get where you’re coming from regarding bigotry, it’s something I will be mulling over.
Just an observation.Disagreeing about music, equipment etc. are good topics for a forum like this. It seems like interpretations about someone else is saying, often cultural, leads to back and forth exchanges, which only seem to engender more disagreements.
Electronic communications easily lead to misinterpretation. Believe me I’ve sent and read emails that didn’t accurately reflect what was intended. Think about all those discussions with your significant others when you said or heard “That’s not what I meant, honest”. And that was face-to-face with someone you know and cherish.
Peace out,
Mike
Back and forth exchanges are wonderful, the reason for the forum’s existence.
But we are too often easily offended merely because another expresses a differing view.
…where do we keep our ten foot pole?
Generalizations are at times necessary, and are OK as long as there is enough accompanying context. This helps to validate or support the statement and avoid situations such as this.
For me, I live in the United States. Geographical context is important when making these types of general statements. In other words, you would not expect the “white” part to hold true in any regions where “white” is not the largest representative group in that country. I have been to about 6 hi-end audio shows over the last 4 years in the USA. They were located in Orange County, Los Angeles, and Denver. Having observed the participants at each of these shows, if I was asked to provide my opinion as to the most prevalent demographic at these shows, it would be male, white, over 50 years old. I have not been to any other shows in the USA or anywhere else in the world so this majority group may differ depending on where one lives. I imagine if I went to a high-end audio show in Spain or China, my observations would have been different.
This observation was of audio show attendees and does not necessarily represent the audiophile community at large - just those that patronized those shows.
Happy Two Year Anniversary Ron! Seems like yesterday, doesn’t it? 
Thanks Jeff. (I wondered what that slice of cake was about). Two years and a considerable pile of money. But this hobby keeps me off the streets–so to speak.
Wow, I am above 50 and was able to afford my first high end piece of equipment. So I don’t see why @Byrdman‘s comment would make him what you said.
And it’s everybody’s right to complain about price increases that go by exponential factors faster than inflation.
I just don’t understand why people bringing this to the attention are being hammered like that.
FWIW, I am put off by most, if not all, of the comments complaining about PS Audio kit prices. Must be a personal thing, but if I don’t find value in something that I want to buy, then I don’t buy it; and it just strikes me as inappropriate to complain about how much a “luxury item” costs on a forum devoted to customers and devotees of a manufacturer’s products.
Perhaps other’s feel similarly and have chosen to express their negative opinion in that regard.
This is an open forum so one can complain as much as they want as long as things don’t get personal. Likewise, others are free to criticize the complainers. I just find the whole vibe to be unproductive and off-putting.
Cheers.
What about people being pushed out of the hobby by ridiculous and immature attitudes?
I think there is more of a chance of that instead of a company going direct.
My best guess is that with the margins and development costs of the new speaker line and the server/platform, and the devaluation of the entire line by internet “box movers,” PS looked at the bottom line and realized that making a grand or two on these new products would take too long to recoup. The other choice was to raise prices a lot and they didn’t want to do that.
True, if you don’t see the value Or can not afford it simply don’t buy it. But price increases are different. People invest in a system not in single components, so, having made the first investments just to find out that you can not keep the pace is rather sad.
Why should one not bring that to the attention in a forum or would that put an individual off?
Some people buy “systems,” others, like me, buy components.
But if I decide to buy more than one piece it is not the manufacturer’s job to make certain I can afford the next bit of kit whenever I decide to buy. This is my responsibility.
There are also many individual pieces available which will fit wonderful well with PS Audio components.
Well, you might consider the fact I (and I expect I am not alone) simply don’t agree with any of what you wrote, that I quoted above.
We simply appear to disagree.
But, we obviously share a passion for, and enjoy this Hi-Fi stuff!
Be well,
Scott