Speaker porn

Yes, indeed!

 

There was a recent NY Times article about Devon Turnbull and Ojas (no paywall for this link):
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/25/...urTGwgee1jqAKKhZEdJKE2TsA8FECg&smid=url-share

 

Sunship Audio, Berlin - TAD drivers

 

Just when I start thinking those could be a good audition for a next speaker purchase, I ferret out the price.... 58,000 Euros.

They look awesome, and I'll probably go hear them when I'm next in Berlin. But sometimes I wonder if horn speaker makers (whatever drivers they use) feel they can get particularly get away with dopey prices (b/c of the relative rarity of their offerings?).

Or are TAD drivers really that expensive by themselves?

EDIT: Okay, the compression drivers are $5000 each. Wow. The woofers, as best I can tell are $1750 each.

I'm sure the wooden horns require skill to make, but it still seems like quite a mark-up. Then again, what do I know?

 

A CNC Wood horn like that is easily $3000. So basically $20k for just the drivers and horns. Bass cabinets and crossover components are quite a bit too

Definitely not a high volume of sales even if it’s at cost. Low volume means higher margins

Still stupid expensive but I think the price is a bit more justified than it seems

 

Thanks for that. It's hard to tell sometimes. Many DIY to artisanal makers out there, and their prices are all over the place.

Fact is, I would love a pair of speakers along these lines, but if this is the price tag, it's hard to see that ever happening.

 

@AdvanTech wow these are gorgeous.

 

Am I the only one who can't help but see this?

 

Yes. But now you come to mention it, I'll pay more attention to how my washing machine sounds, next time I use it!

 

Wrong country - you should be thinking Bosch or Miele.

 

Miele is the real porn of kitchen appliances.

In Europe, at least. Maybe America has its own --- forged in one piece by one of your god-like super presses*.

I'm not up to date, but it used to be said that Miele was engineered to last 25 years, rather than the 6-10 of other makes.

I'd love a kitchen-full of Miele!




*Now there's an idea for fancy amplifier cases! Never mind CNC!

 

Not any more. Front loaders are now mainstream in North America. Visit a Home Depot or Best Buy.

 

Yep - my lame joke attempt was that the speakers being German, the analogous laundry gear should be too; I wasn't even thinking of top-loaders.

Anyway, sorry for the distraction. More porn please!

 

Sucks to be the person sitting in the armchair with footstool.

 

^Is that a subwoofer or a fireplace?

 

Obligatory mother in law seat.

 

Nothing wrong in high efficiency horns, but that space for them seems a bit too small I think.

 

Sure is plenty of porn quota there. More than their fair share?

My first reaction, though, is to wonder how much of that setup achieves real audio purpose, and how much of it is there to impress the clients. Hey, I have no idea how a setup like this works.