paulr

...this is from a company called quadresphere.Its £280 for basically four bits of wood and some legs,..ok..its a bit more than that,but its still expensive IMO.

Why is hi-fi furniture so expensive?

ChrisB

They know anyone that will spend £00s on cable alone must be an easy fleece

paulr

I think there's a lot of truth in that.I'm sure the margins must be pretty high,....i want it,but just resent paying over the odds for something.

ChrisB

Just to add..

I'm not saying that anyone buying decent interconnect cable is mad. I'd love a decent stereo and would happily spend a couple of grand of something if I had the cash spare.

It's just there must be a point in time where the quality doesn't go up with the price? I'd suspect at a certain point in time you're paying for the hype.

paulr

Agreed Chris....when you see reviews of bannan plugs in what-hi-fi then imo..its starting to get a bit daft.

C h a z

With cable and other equipment it is a law of diminishing returns. For example a cable costing £500 will not be five times better than one at £100 hovever lower down the market you can get a great leap in performance going from a £5 lead to a £25 one. Furniture is very expensive. However you are paying for a design. Like artwork if you add up the cost of the raw materials you will struggle to get above £20 for for a Van Gough! (correct spelling?)
There you go I've said my piece, and I am in no way connected to hi-fi furniture at all.
http://www.soundstyle.net/

Mike P

<rant>

As well as costing a bomb most of the stuff looks like it was designed by a 16 year-old on a job placement at MFI's design studio.

I have a decent hifi setup myself, but I'm not mug enough to pay a fortune for allegedly getting "increased punch in the mid-range" or "a tightening of the soundstage" by propping my gear on something that looks like a cross between an office cabinet and a hostess trolley!

grrrrrrrrr.

</rant>

C h a z

The question I allways get asked at shows is


"What should I get next for my system?"

My reply,

"More CD's"

Luke

Sure if you you want a good stand get one.. They do make a difference. BUT not that one......... Its pants.

C h a z

Luke,
What do you think of the sound style?

Dave T-S

Got a Soundstyle, and it's the biz Don't care it is expensive, as it's a cool furniture item

Sitting on it is a Linn Ikemi, Naim NAP180, NAC72 and HiCap, and Acoustic Energy AE1 speakers with it.

Tiggs

my hifi sits on the carpet- does that effect the tight soundstage? it certainly saves hovering that bit!

T

C h a z

It could effect the soundstage but it depends upon the colour and pattern of the carpet.

Luke

Soundstyle are good ..It depends on what you want??? We can now enter into the debate of Glass or wood shelves?????!!!!!
At the end of the day it has to be very rigid. If its hollow tubed .I would fill with dry sand etc. If your putting a turntable on it then The stand must be a goodun.. Have a good look.... some of these stands are so week they wobble all over the place!!!

Luke

ChrisB

Wouldn't you be better with some hi-fi gear on your nice table Dave?

hades

Have spent far too much money myself on hi-fi (although my stand was only about £80). I subscribe to the idea that there ain't no substitute for trying it. Most "proper" hi-fi dealers will let you try things out in a listening room at their shop, and some will let you borrow the kit to take home.

My advice - if you like the table, and you try it and it makes your hi-fi sound better, buy it. If it doesn't work for you, don't. Read magazines but don't take what you read as gospel - sound is a subjective thing, and what works for someone else won't be right for you.

All very deep and meaningful - sorry!

Dracoro

Speak to the people who actually built/designed the thing. They probably sell a similar thing as a normal piece of furniture at a much lesser price. The call it 'hi-fi' stand & prop up the price 50% I reckon. Or get a normal stand at a normal price and spend the extra on upgrading the stereo, getting decent CD's to play on it, more beers etc.

Gordo

I agree - have been looking out for one for a while but all the ones I've seen have been nasty and overpriced.

Anyone have a supplier to recommend?

am currently exploring doing my own with glass shelves suspended with steel cables.

paulr

I think i'll just pay IKEA a visit........probably better to spend the extra £300 on a upgraded DVD player...

mega_stream

I read a review in What Hi-Fi a few years back actually testing stands in terms of how they "sounded"

Some stands made the CD player sound better apparantly.

Saying that I did pay £350 for my stand

Dave T-S

ChrisB


Maybe I should have got a nice Panasonic stacking system or something.......