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Nothing like spending a decade's pre tax income on speakers

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DAT

(A)

And they look like a buch of bookshelf speakers stacked atop one another. Oh well, I'm sure they're worth every penny.

http://www.kharma.com/_images/products/enigma/e-800.jpg (Open in New Window)

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I was going to buy these with some of the 27 Million I'm expecting from a Nigerian guy (nt)!! - Maprik 11:16:48 01/07/04 (0)
Looks like an arena PA system (nt) - Rob Doorack 06:53:53 01/06/04 (0)
nt
"One Million Dollar." I'm picturing Dr. Evil and Mini-Me. (nt) - Rob Thomas 21:24:53 01/05/04 (0)
nft
a typo on the web page at that price level? - suits_me 20:59:08 01/05/04 (1)
"One million U.S. dollar." [sic]
The room is tacky, too, but look at this way: The one million dollars is cheaper than the penis enlargement surgery would be for any person likely to purchase these.

- This signature is two channel only -
- No it isn't - DAT 08:48:34 01/06/04 (0)
  I'm sure that procedure would come in (no pun intended) at well under 100 grand
With out the palace that they are in... who needs 'em? - Elizabeth 20:57:12 01/05/04 (0)
And yeah, they do look like hell..
For a million, they sure could have made 'em look like more than Radio Shack overstock.... "Gee honey, I took our retirement fund, the kids college fund, and sold all the furniture to buy these p-ugly monsters! When your friends come over, tell them we are just having a garage sale on "white van" speakers...
Re: Nothing like spending a decade's pre tax income on speakers - oddmanout 16:43:46 01/05/04 (1)
For that price you should be able to hear God talking.
- You can - DAT 08:50:43 01/06/04 (0)
  He's telling you your going to hell for conspicous consumption
This was my nomination for the speaker... - Jimmy C. 15:04:04 01/05/04 (0)
...with the least "W.A.F." in an earlier thread.
I thought the exorbitant pricetag also bought you the 30,000 (whatever) cubic foot room, provided one owns the land. And, yes... 30,000 watts of amps.
What a great set of cans they would make! Need a heavy strap, though...
Bet they would sound like s**t in my family room.... - JP 13:38:34 01/05/04 (1)
as they would occupy at least half the room.
I know a couple of guys in Hawaii that could probably buy these. I think one of them invented the Pacemaker.
- these would be my family room. nt - NonA 13:53:55 01/05/04 (0)
  ...
Doesn't the Wave Radio morph into this when you turn it on ? <nt> - david hull 12:55:59 01/05/04 (0)
..
Re: Nothing like spending a decade's pre tax income on speakers - Quint 12:11:23 01/05/04 (3)
Hey, if that's how the guy wants to spend his money--and he clearly has the resources--that's his business. The story behind those speakers is pretty interesting. As I understand it, a wealthy tycoon offered Kharma's founder, Charles von Oosteram, a million bucks if he could design a speaker to his liking. The catch was, if he didn't like them, he didn't have to buy them. Apparently he liked them--and von Oosteram used the money to bankroll Kharma.
- Re: Nothing like spending a decade's pre tax income on speakers - middleground 13:22:24 01/05/04 (2)
  Great story! Love those tycoons! The world is f------g mad I tell you. The Taj Mahal of speakers! Nothing like decadence I tell you.
  - The sky is falling! The sky is falling! nt - Norm 17:25:34 01/05/04 (1)
    a
    - Re: The sky is falling! The sky is falling! nt - middleground 06:59:48 01/06/04 (0)
      Is it really? Norm, you and me don't see the world in the same light, nothing wrong with that, a lot of people in the states and the world over are into hero worship. Good day.
That would be two decades for me! (nt) - marc g. 12:09:19 01/05/04 (0)
.

marc g. - audiophile by day, music lover by night
At least amplification is included. - HiFiMaster 11:30:16 01/05/04 (0)
And did you know this system requires a 400,000 cubic foot subterranian room? I beleive this is geared towards the Middle-Eastern oil tycoons. I wouldn't be surprised if Sadam had a pair in one of his castles.
Re: Nothing like spending a decade's pre tax income on speakers - BIOMAN 10:12:52 01/05/04 (2)
Hmmm they are neither a "Line Source" or a "Point Source". I guess that would make them a "Pointless Source".
- Re: Nothing like spending a decade's pre tax income on speakers - Peter 15:44:48 01/07/04 (1)
  They are as much a point source as any other "point source" speaker with more than one driver.
  /Peter
  - Re: Jeeez, ignore post above, wrong thread... sorry! (nt) - Peter 15:46:57 01/07/04 (0)
    nt
Re: Nothing like spending a decade's pre tax income on speakers - middleground 09:44:14 01/05/04 (13)
At the risk of repeating myself:
money doesn't speak, it swears (borrowed from B. Dylan);
any company that can't manufacture SOTA speakers for $15,000 US a pair should find another business.
The lack of objective standards can only lead to such folly.
- Re: Nothing like spending a decade's pre tax income on speakers - Peter 03:55:19 01/06/04 (2)
  It�s totally impossible to manufacture a SOTA speaker for $15000.
  Your post is a clear evidence of your lack of knowledge about high performance audio.
  /Peter
  - Re: Nothing like spending a decade's pre tax income on speakers - middleground 07:56:17 01/06/04 (1)
    Look, you eat what you want and I'll eat what I want. Common sense is not your long suit. Sorry if I consider the speakers I mentioned to be great speakers with no ifs, ands or buts. The fact that audiophile snobs first and foremost filtering their music through their wallet is seen as some sort of virtue is truly a measure of culture, taste and intellect. Sorry if I am too shallow to equate price with value.
    - Re: Nothing like spending a decade's pre tax income on speakers - Peter 08:04:31 01/07/04 (0)
      "Look, you eat what you want and I'll eat what I want."
      That�s a good idea.. right now I�m eating a cucumber.
      "Common sense is not your long suit."
      "long suit"... hmm, I�m just a simple Swede but I�m intelligent above average if that is what you�r thinking about.
      "Sorry if I consider the speakers I mentioned to be great speakers with no ifs, ands or buts."
      Hey, I�m sure those are great speakers never said not.
      "The fact that audiophile snobs first and foremost filtering their music through their wallet is seen as some sort of virtue is truly a measure of culture, taste and intellect. Sorry if I am too shallow to equate price with value."
      How lucky we are all audiophiles aren�t snobs then. I�m a DIY "audiophile" so I guess I realise what "value" is. Also I never said that price equals value. However (unfortunately) the best pieces of audioparts out there are often very expensive and you need to use those in a SOTA design... simple as that... anything less is not SOTA. I am also very aware of "the point of dim.." bla bla... but that�s not really the point. Extreme performance costs... as good as always no matter if we talk about cars, speakers, space shuttles or whatever.
      A SOTA speaker means ultra low distortion and good power handling at ALL frequencies... that does not come cheap.
      Hope we understand eachother a little better now and that you understand that your comment was a little of ;-).
      Have great day!
      /Peter
- Did you look at the story behind the speakers? - Commuteman 14:54:38 01/05/04 (0)
  This was a one-off project to build a custom system that resides in a purpose-built room of 45,000 cu ft. Obviously, the customer had enough disposable income to be able to commission it.
  In that case, and given the amount of technology required to implement it, the $1M figure is not that outrageous. It probably really does require something like this to recreate the dynamics of real music in a large space.
  "SOTA" is an interesting term. To continue the auto analogy used by others, a competitive Formula 1 car costs many millions of dollars, and it certainly is an insane thing to build by any "common sense" measure. However, it represents the state of the art in performance auto engineering.
  Peter
- Why should they???? - panorama 11:39:39 01/05/04 (0)
  So you can buy them? Hmmm, sounds like your analogy is that car makers should make SOTA only $15000 cars or find another business. Kind of sounds rather dumb don't you think?
- How exactly did you arrive at $15,000? [NT] - LarryB 11:12:15 01/05/04 (7)
  NT
  - Re: How exactly did you arrive at $15,000? [NT] - middleground 12:29:15 01/05/04 (6)
    Well, it seems that I arrived at this using a degree of common sense and looking at some of what is available in the marketplace:
    Thiel CS 7.2s, around $14,000;
    Vandersteen Fives, around $14,700;
    Magnepan MG 20.1s, around $11,500.
    Maybe you get my point. These are merely examples. You could add Revel, ProAc and a good number of other top-notch speakers. Now if you want to stroke your ego at the same time as the speakers stroke your ears, the sky is the limit. Nobody says there should be a legal limit to the amount speakers can retail for. I'm just talking common sense, you know, the stuff that is sorely lacking in audiophiles.
    - Re: How exactly did you arrive at $15,000? [NT] - Brian Walsh 20:31:43 01/05/04 (1)
      > Magnepan MG 20.1s, around $11,500.
      Not the last time I checked. And why choose an arbitrary limit? Why not $35,000 or $100,000?
      One could say the same kind of thing about automobile prices. Why can't they make the perfect car for $30,000?
      Set your own standards, enjoy life and don't be so concerned. Prices and availability are determined by supply and demand. Nobody is forced to buy anything.
      - Brian: My point exactly! [NT] - LarryB 05:57:39 01/06/04 (0)
        
        In Reply to: Re: How exactly did you arrive at $15,000? [NT] posted by Brian Walsh on January 05, 2004 at 20:31:43:
        
        NT
    - What is sorely lacking is the common sense that such statements are ridiculous - Norm 12:38:52 01/05/04 (3)
      If no one buys even the greatest of efforts, they go out of business. If someone manufacturers a compromised system that sells, it does not make it the world's greatest.
      - Re: What is sorely lacking is the common sense that such statements are ridiculous - middleground 13:19:07 01/05/04 (2)
        
        In Reply to: What is sorely lacking is the common sense that such statements are ridiculous posted by Norm on January 05, 2004 at 12:38:52:
        
        Are we actually dealing with "the greatest of efforts" in the true sense or a measure of overkill to impress by dint of a price tag? I still say that the only thing being compromised here is common sense, but I have given up a long time ago trying to make much sense of high-end audio. Your last sentence is the most baffling to me as an answer to what I stated. Every year you have some promoter coming out with ever more outlandishly priced speakers to raise the bar. Do you actually believe that was is being raised is the bar in terms of quality of sound reproduction or that strictly in terms of marketing hype?
        
        I just don't understand why you worry about it and wish you and others would stop whinning. - Norm 17:23:32 01/05/04 (0)
        
        In Reply to: Re: What is sorely lacking is the common sense that such statements are ridiculous posted by Middleground on January 05, 2004 at 13:19:07:
        
        As Quint says below, some find virtue in some expensive speakers. Do you expect you convert some from buying them or drive others to buy them to spite you? You think some are overpriced; fine don't buy them.
        
        Re: What is sorely lacking is the common sense that such statements are ridiculous - Quint 15:40:55 01/05/04 (0)
        
        In Reply to: Re: What is sorely lacking is the common sense that such statements are ridiculous posted by Middleground on January 05, 2004 at 13:19:07:
        
        I agree with your statements, Middle. It does seem like the price bar is being raised every other day. And the increases don't necessarily seem commensurate with the progress of technology. But the industry (read: consumers) has a knack of separating the wheat from the chaff. As the old adage goes: "Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice . . ." There will always be charlatans marketing snake oil, and the speaker industry is like any other. There will always be people swayed by fancy claims, exotic trim, and hefty price tags. The good thing, though, is that these manufacturers generally get sniffed out in the end. In the high-end world, good news spreads fast, but bad news . . . well . . . warp speed, Scottie! Unfortunately, "legitimate" companies like Kharma, who really are on the cutting edge of speaker design, tend to perceived as guilty by association. It's a case of one bad tube spoiling the bunch, I guess. :) I've heard Kharma's speakers, and I've been MIGHTILY impressed. Like every other speaker, though, they're not for everyone. It all depends on one's priorities and sense of value. But they definitely shouldn't be lumped in with the snake-oil crowd just because they're expensive. The company wouldn't be around for as long as it has if it were ripping people off as blatantly as some suggest. That money buys you some serious sound--as well it should.
        Sorry for the tangential post. Where's my lithium? :)
Re: Nothing like spending a decade's pre tax income on speakers - CONfused V 09:16:03 01/05/04 (0)
Yeah, they must be worth it....riiiiight. Anybody can jump into the audio business, charge a lot it must be good. They must use the best wires that's why?
Re: Nothing like spending a decade's pre tax income on speakers - McDave 09:05:05 01/05/04 (2)
"one million U.S. dollar" eh?
Hmm ... so they DO make a "million dollar bill"! I saw a fifty once. Or I think it was. Right before mama snatched out of my hand.
Is a million dollar bill longer 'cause all them zero's ? :^)
Dave Whitley
- $1,000,000.00 bill - Joe M 16:16:21 01/05/04 (1)
  not worth the paper it's printed on ;^D
  - Re: $1,000,000.00 bill - McDave 17:02:11 01/05/04 (0)
    Holey Moley, I was joking & and someone actually went to the trouble of making one up. How about that.
    That "bill" and my paycheck have one thing in common - like you said, not worth the paper it's printed on.
    dpw

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