most overpriced but popular speakers? (1 Viewer)

[mike_decock]

Even if I could afford it I wouldn't pay around a quarter mil for a pair of speakers, but I'd sure like to listen to them on someone else's dime(s).

There was a local dealer I went to. I spent about 8 hours over 3 or 4 visits to see what all the raving was about. The longer I listened to them, the less I liked them. The sound was "accurate", "balanced", blah, blah, blah. Not once did it get my foot tapping or put a smile on my face. They simply succeeded in revealing how poorly produced/mastered all my favorite albums were. Assuming I couldn't hock them for cash in order to buy something else, I wouldn't take them if you gave them to me.


-Mike...

 

[Steve K.H.]

Nuance... 'nuf said.

 

[Arron H]

B&W CDM NT.

 

[rodneyH]

B&W CDMNT set up got a "97/100" rating from HTmag, I am not sure sure I agree that they are over priced (btw, the ONLY rating I have seen higher than that is on a Revel set up that costs around 40-50K and it still "only" got a "99/100".

before you jump at me and say that HTmag kisses B&W butt, think again and read the review of the B&W CM series, they hardly kiss B&Ws butt. I guess everybody has their own opinion, going from the CDM7NT to the 804, I can tell you the CDM7 is NO FREAKING way over priced, the performance is very close to the $3500 804s. Whatever, I guess we have started another anti-B&W thread (what else is new).

 

[Eric Brunton]

Hey, I didn't hear of anyone mentioning Nuance speakers in the thread. I've read a lot about them and think that they by far are the most overpriced speaker if you are dumb enough to pay the full asking price IMO.

 

[Frank_S]

I guess everybody has their own opinion, going from the CDM7NT to the 804, I can tell you the CDM7 is NO FREAKING way over priced, the performance is very close to the $3500 804s.

Hi Rodney, I did the same thing you did but IMO, the N804's blow the 7's away. Front end electronics make a huge difference in any speaker evaluation. Your sub $1,000 pair speakers may sound fine with lesser electronics powering them but many inefficient hi-end speakers will not, they require high current and the ability to drive low impedance crossover fluctuations, expecially B&W speakers that go down to 3 ohms. Your garden variety receiver need not apply here.

 

[Scott_N]

B&W, Thiel and Legacy are the most overpriced and overhyped speakers i've heard.

 

[Mark Russ]

How about MK?

 

[Steve_D]

B&W? In this thread? Hmmm....

B&W Nautilus 805 = $1800 new
Recent Ebay Nautilus 805 after 2 years = $1350

$450 for 2 years of use, not bad, not bad...bet you spent alot more in source material to feed those speakers.

Even better,

Mint used Natilus 805 today = $1350
Sell in 2 years = $1200

$150 for 2 years use....

The problem with DIY or some of these internet direct companies is the resale is low. Your up front cost may be lower, but your total cost after getting out of them is not much different.

 

[Mark Hedges]

Bose stuff generally has good resale value but that doesn't mean it is a good product. It just means Bose has outstanding marketing.

 

[Steve_D]

Well, I should have clarified, since B&W is generally considered a candidate in speaker shopping, and even for many a benchmark (i.e. how often do you hear "better than the 805" when looking at Monitors?) and Bose is, well, Bose

 

[Chris Quinn]

Mark Hedges hit it right on B & W has name recognition like Bose. Paradigm has the name recognition too I regularly see used Paradigms from the lower lines(

 

[Martin Rendall]

Kevin,

I built the Proac Response 2.5 clone for around $800.00, which even includes cherry veneer. The commercial Proac Response 2.5 costs around $4500.00. It has been proven that the clone measures the same as the real thing. Man do I feel good.

I'll bet you do feel good. Where did you get the design? You have tweaked my curiosity.

Thanks,
Martin.

 

[Steve_D]

My point is, and there really is no argument, that total cost of ownership is a better indicator of the price side of the equation than just initial cost.

In that light, many DIY bargains are not quite such a bargain. If Marketing means I pay $1800 for $800 "worth" of speaker, but then I get $1350 back out of it, I've really only spent $450. Conversely, an equal (sound and quality wise) non-marketed speaker may cost $800 upfront, but only get $350 back (if that!)...for the same total cost of ownership.

 

[RobWil]

Sheesh! Ya really dragged one back from the dead, eh? How many pages didja have to scroll back to find this one?
Well it has been kinda boring around here lately!

 

[Frank_S]

It amuses me to read comments regarding B&W speakers "sounding like crap". I guess George Lucas likes to put speakers that sound like crap in his Skywalker sound room, oh and Abbey Road Studios in London, you know that place where a little band called The Beatles recorded also uses B&W speakers. George Lucas could afford to buy all the overpriced and overhyped speakers in the world 10 times over but he chose B&W N802, Abbey Road Studios in London uses N801's.

 

[JeremyFr]

You know its a tough question to ask because it really comes down to people's opionions and personal taste's in speakers/sound/etc.

Everyone is going to have there opinions on whats overpriced what sounds good and what does not.

At least we all agree that Bose is definately Crap and way overpriced.

Every person is going to have different opinions on whats overpriced etc and well thats just there opinion. My personal feeling on this, is that with "most" speakers you typically get what you pay for. Like for instance some people think the Energy Take 5+1's are a rip off I think quite differently and even though I didn't pay anywhere near full price for them I would if I had to. I personally enjoy them the world over and they work great in the room that I have them in. I know there are much better speakers out there that cost thousands of dollars more etc, are they worth it to me, in many ways no, why?? you ask, I cant afford them even though I'd probably enjoy them, would I enjoy them that much more than the speakers I bought to make it worth the price difference...probably not, so on and so on. I plan at one point to upgrade and have already decided what I'm upgrading to but at this time even though I could start buying the stuff I'd end up getting my wife and I evicted in about 2 seconds from our apartment.

So all in all I cant say that there are any overpriced speakers aside from Bose out there.

 

[BrianAe]

I think there are a lot of very overpriced poor subwoofers that get made as an after thought by some (but not all) companies that focus mainly on speakers (which may or may not be overpriced themselves). Klipsch is an example.

 

[HienD]

Bang Olufsens, style over substance. You must admit, they do have some very attractive looking speakers. If looks mean a lot to you, maybe they're not so over priced

 

[Brett DiMichele]

I think Dogg Digital are highly over rated..
Some guy comes up to me one day (he was driving a white van
???) And says: "y0 I got theze speakers here mah boss man
ordered way too many.. I give you a good deal... Theze
things cost like $2K a piece man!"
So I was like: "Woah what a deal"
And he's like: "Yea man!"
And i'm like: "Who makes them?"
And he's like:"Dogg Digital"
And I go: " Wurd Up Dogg Digital? Dem are da BiZbomb dom diggity y0!"
And he's like: "Tru Dat!"
The above is of course all fictional and could only come
from the mind of a nut like me...