What's Going On?

What's Going On: The Insider's Guide to Inflation

Back in the day, an entry level pair of loudspeakers went for $500. That's a pair of B&W 686's, which you could use with your Rotel or NAD separate electronics. Today, you can still get that entry level pair of loudspeakers for $500.00, and go the same way. Or, you could get a B&W MM-1 pair for only $500, which includes amplifier and D/A electronics.

Truth be told, the first pair of hi fi speakers we purchased (circa 1990) was the NHT Super Zero, for $230.00 / pair USD, along with a Rotel RA-930AX amp ($300.00 USD / £160 GBP 1991), and pair of stands ($100), along with some cable. It was the cheapest system that qualified as hi-fi at the time according to the stereo review media, and while it didn't improve on our PSB Stratus Gold experience, it was at least a second system.

We tried it with the Velodyne F1500R subwoofer, which we had with our initial Klipsh home theatre system (Heressy II, x3: front left center, KG 1.2 rear), but the NHT's 85 Hz -3db cross-over point didn't work. Later, NHT came out with a digital bookshelf / sub system that really rocked, but that's a separate matter. The KG 1.2's (50Hz-20kHz(+-)3dB, 90dB @ 1watt/1meter) did fine with the Velodyne but the NHT was a different matter.

A non-aesthetic equivalent today, not taking into account inflation would be the B&W CM1 by Bowers and Wilkins, which retails for $1100 USD / pair.

http://www.cnet.com/products/b-w-mm-1-multimedia-speakers/
http://www.cnet.com/products/bowers-and-wilkins-cm1-s2/

http://www.stereophile.com/standloudspeakers/804/
http://www.hifiengine.com/manual_library/rotel/ra-930.shtml
http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/volume_2_1/subwfer.html


Part


Which includes

"New York dealer Stereo Exchange, where I relaxed in front of a system comprising the entry-level Devialet 120 integrated amplifier ($6500) and the Fire loudspeakers from Totem Acoustic's Elements series ($6000/pair), put together with a bi-wire pair of Transparent Audio's MusicWave speaker cables (approximately $600)."



One would expect the speakers, Totem Acoustics Element Fire, to retail for $500 USD/pair, the Devialet D120 (to ignore technical issues) $649, and the Transparent Audio MusicWave speaker cable, $60/pair. That's a little bit harsh.

What's going on with inflation? Dudley or Studly?

Perhaps we're only yawning. We have a pair of Transparent Cable 8' speaker cables, in the bedroom, fitted with banana's, of course. ($210 USD). Great for reviews. Lots of plugging and unplugging.

The Market is the Magic.

www.forbes.com/sites/mikepatton/2014/04/28/is-u-s-hyperinflation-imminent/

Looking at the above picture:



The speaker stand on the left looks somewhat expensive. ($800).