Editorial: Rich’s Ramblings
Is high-end audio a rip off? Judging by some of the comments I read in some AV forums, the answer to that question would seem to be a resounding “yes”. I, of course, disagree, but I think it’s a matter of perspective.
If music is only something that you play while doing other things, or you think that sound quality doesn’t matter to you, then I agree that spending large sums of money on an audio system might not be the best use of your disposable income. On the other hand, if you love listening to music as an activity itself, then high-end audio is most certainly not a rip off.
I guess we should start by defining what we mean by “high-end audio”. To many, high-end is a fancy way of saying “expensive”, and it is true that most high-end items are more expensive (sometimes much more expensive) than their non-high-end equivalents. To me, high-end audio refers to to those pieces of equipment where the sound quality is one of the most important—if not the most important—design criteria.
Of course, there are limits to what even the most talented designer can do given certain budget restrictions, but I contend that an inexpensive high-end piece of audio gear will outperform similarly priced mass market gear that most people settle for. One of the reasons for this is the feature set of the given item: most people would expect a $3,000 receiver to have a billion different features (most of which will probably never be used), but the similarly priced PrimaLuna DiaLogue One reviewed in this issue will out perform it from a sonic point of view.
Most people who are raised on mass market gear scoff at multi kilobuck speakers and amplifiers, pointing out that they cost anywhere between 10 and 100 times more than the stuff sold by big box stores, yet they’ll drool over esoteric sports cars that cost the same kind of money more than an average family car. The high-end audio equipment is as much better than the mass market stuff as the exotic sports car is better than a cheap car.
So is high-end audio a rip off? No. While it isn’t for every one, if you like listening to music you owe it to yourself to at least listen to a well set up high-end audio system. Seek out your nearest specialist audio dealer, take some of your favourite records, and have a listen to what’s available. Even if you could never afford some of the bigger ticket items, you’ll know what a good system can do—and who knows? Maybe buying your first high-end audio system will go up your priority list a place or two...