"malcolm" wrote in message
news:rxGJb.739539$Fm2.663166@attbi_s04...

"bored malcolm" wrote in message
news:LbGJb.50481$xX.270653@attbi_s02...
hello folks
why do people go out and spend multiple thousands on Loudspeakers.
when you can build your own for a fraction of the price.
are people lazy, stupid or just have too much money to spend
regards malcolm



any takers

Sure. I'm a sucker. People spend lots of money on speakers because
they buy into the theory that you get what you pay for, and that it
applies to speakers just as it does elsewhere in life. The issue then
reduces to how much quality you want and how much you can afford to
pay. If you ask the internet for recommendations for the best sound
under $3000, you may get a dozen different answers, but you can be
sure they will all be close to $3000--possibly even more ("If you can
stretch that budget a bit farther there's the wonderful XXXX
speakers.") What this boils down to is the belief that speakers,
alone among hi-fi components, are perceived to return value for your
dollar to a greater degree than receivers, CD players, etc.

As you might imagine, I don't believe any of this. I think there's a
price for every component--including speakers--beyond which you're no
longer buying recognizable quality. You're getting something, maybe
something worthwhile, but it isn't sound quality. What is that
price? Let me go out on a limb and say $200/pr. Then what do you
get for $3000/pr?

1. Better looking furniture
2. Ability to maintain quality to a much higher SPL
3. Further extension of the frequency range--especially into the
bass.
4. Bragging rights
5. A place to put your money where others might approve.

If you don't play music at such a level that your wife complains,
don't have expensive furniture in the listening room, don't listen to
a lot of pipe organ music, and your friends have no idea how much
speakers cost, you can do quite well for $200. Just tell your friends
and neighbors that they cost $3000.

Happy New Year,

Norm Strong