Comments on: CanJam NYC 2024 Highlights: Is $108,000 Too Much for a Headphone Amp?

By: ORT

ORT — Sun, 17 Mar 2024 03:46:06 +0000

$108,000 in today’s money is roughly equivalent to $13,500 in 1970 dollars. Kinda sorta makes ya think, huh?

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ORTson Welles

By: Asa

Asa — Sat, 16 Mar 2024 23:08:07 +0000

In reply to Ian White.

Thanks for the reply, Ian. My ceiling for headphones would be about double that sweetspot. Everyone has different needs so we’re lucky to have so many options, even if some seem other-worldly.

I also play guitar and it’s a similar thing for amps, guitars, pedals and everything that goes with it. There’s a good sweet spot of equipment that sounds great and still be able to pay the mortage.

Side note: I’ve enjoyed “The Audiophile System Builder” series and seeing what’s workable at various price points. Keep it up, and thanks again.

By: Ian White

Ian White — Sat, 16 Mar 2024 18:56:42 +0000

In reply to Asa.

Asa,

$400 is the sweet spot for headphones. Audeze can’t keep their gaming headphones in stock. There is a market for very expensive headphones but it’s still niche and the companies that sell $2,000 to $5,000 headphones need to sell a lot of $400 to $600 headphones to keep the lights on.

I think $100,000 headphone amplifiers are kinda off. I remember when Alex Cavalli launched his line-up many years ago of $3,000 to $5,000 headphone amplifier and thought…”who the F would pay that much for a headphone amplifier?”

They were tremendous sounding and I think my ceiling would end there. Audio-Technica will certainly sell some of the amps. But I do think it’s funny that the headphones are $4,000 and the amplifier is 25 times the price of the cans.

Just saying.

Ian White

By: Asa

Asa — Fri, 15 Mar 2024 20:07:25 +0000

I’d be interested to know what the sales data is on creating such high-end equipment for manufacturers. Do the relative lower-priced offerings in their line-up subsidize the higher priced items? What kind of sales numbers are we talking for a $4-10K pair of ‘cans’? $100K+ for speakers?

I’m not their target market, but it is fascinating to see them push the envelope on what is possible at any $$$ for audio hardware. So-Cal is probably the closest CanJam to me, but still too far to travel for an already expensive hobby.

To answer your questions: no, no. Funny how all these things are relative. To my friends who come over and see various pieces of audio/video equipment…they are like, wow, but to folks in the know, they’d be like, ya, solid, but have you seen/heard…to infinity and beyond.

Thanks, as always, for the exposure to the Bugatti’s of the audio world.