Mega? Ultra? Supreme? Spectacle?
How about bombast?
Did you happen to see the news of North Korea’s botched naval destroyer launch? Fireworks, fanfare, flop. Oops? Imagine the embarrassment of staging what turned out to be a failed spectacle. A show of industrious might turned into public humiliation. Ouch.
There’s an interesting trend at hifi shows these days that’s meant to convey similar sentiments. But instead of a 5,000-ton warship as the vessel carrying the message of might, we have very high priced hifi. By very high priced hifi, I’m talking about multi-million dollar systems that wear their price tag as loudly as tonnage.
Look. I’m not against high priced hifi and I have reviewed, and will continue to review, things that cost a lot of money. Think six figures. What ruffles my sense of right is making price the attraction, as if putting together a $3M system is something in and of itself to be admired. An attraction not to be missed!
At HIGH END Munich 2025, German distributor Audio Reference presented a flagship D’Agostino and Wilson system costing $3 Million+—the price was in the title of the press release.
There was also this:
Throughout the HIGH END Munich weekend, Dan D’Agostino will award 50 guests with an exclusive limited-edition artist print created to commemorate this unique show presentation.
Entrance and listening time was limited by advance ticketing and 15-minute listening sessions where visitors were played “the team’s favourite playlists”. Spectacle! Red carpet red ropes and all.
Back at Axpona 2025, Magico did a similar flex with their 1,000 lbs a piece M9 loudspeakers that cost $750k/pair mated with D’Agostino Relentless electronics (the same models as used in the big Wilson room). System price was a reported $2M. While I did not hear the big Wilson system in Munich, I did step in and lend a brief ear to the big Magico rig at Axpona and I’ve certainly heard other multi-million dollar systems at shows past.
My impression? Who really cares.
Seems to me, people who buy $2M or $3M systems don’t go to hifi shows and they certainly don’t wait in line for a ticket and a 15-minute listen. That’s for us commoner folk. Perhaps the thing that rankles my feathers most with the hifi spectacle, the higher than hi-end, is simply the notion that price is the motivational factor. Music, that thing we cherish, is relegated to a supporting role replaced by a system meant to wow with price. And size!
I have to ask—is wow really worth it? Is wow what we’re after when settling down for a listen to our favorite records? When we chase hardware wow with cash, there’s no end to that arms race. There’s always something bigger and more expensive to be had.
To my mind, if we keep our wows reserved for the music and not the system, admission comes at any price.