Del monaco
Del Monaco
Some obviously buy them! If you can sell a pair that’s major profit.
Absolute Sounds ££
- Thread starter graystoke4
- Start date
Tony L
Administrator
I guess the markup/profit margin may be so astronomical on some Veblen kit they only need to sell a couple to make a very healthy living. How much does a $200k amp actually cost to make? Amplification is a mature technology so not much if any original thinking required. Most will be class A, so a fair bit of metal, but I can’t see them costing more than a few $k in parts and then a big block of alloy to CNC into something blingy somewhere.
PS I find Nelson Pass such a refreshing personality in this in that he’ll design stuff right at the top of this market, sell it to those who want it, but also publish schematics and assist those who want to build similar for themselves for a fraction of the cost.
Arkless Electronics
Trade: Amp design and repairs.
Strongly disagree! People with that much money need taxing till the pips squeak to redistribute wealth... ie redistributing it to the NHS or to increase benefits payments... not to buy Ricardo another Ferrari! The people not getting the operation they need or having it postponed for the 4th time are the ones being harmed.
I agree in progressive taxation, but once done, I am not in favour of preventing people from spending what's left on what they like. At what point should we prioritise the NHS over personal spend? Perhaps if we were all collectively more altruistic nobody would be buying (relatively) expensive phono preamplifiers or other HiFi kit and would instead be donating money to the NHS.
The technical merits of cable-lifters is another topic!
Sue Pertwee-Tyr
Accuphase all the way down
With respect, Jez, that's a different argument. Riccardo employs staff, who are paid from the proceeds of sales of this stuff. If he didn't sell it, those staff would need to find jobs elsewhere or live on benefits. Neither of which helps the NHS. And employed staff pay tax, which helps the NHS. Save your ire for the obscenely wealthy who don't pay enough tax, rather than the individuals who 'tax' them by making them pay over the odds for stupidly overpriced product.
pocketkitchen
Registered User
I’m with you on that. Spending £70,000 grand on a car could also be seen as “obscene” when quality versions of any particular type of vehicle (sports, suv, saloon, hatch etc) are available for far less. However, people rarely complain or throw opprobrium the way of the car makers, for example. If someone wants to spend a couple hundred grand on a watch, they’re very welcome, too, as far as I’m concerned. I’d much rather the far bigger issue of corporate tax avoidance was tackled. I suspect that then Absolute Sounds could charge whatever daft money for silly, blingy stuff they like and no-one would feel the NHS was being short-changed.
well maybe they only need to sell 2-3 a year in the UK , and 2-3 elsewhere etc
Enfield boy
pfm Member
Crikey, I thought I'd tuned into "The Flat Response" forum for a bit, where's my NAD 3020?
geetee1972
pfm Member
We've tried that approach several times and unfortunately, much as it may harm your sense of decency and fair play, it just doesn't work. All that happens is that the very wealthy leave (because they can), while the rest of the middle to high income earners (i.e. those earning PAYE above £75,000 but below say £500k) pay the vast majority of the tax take. I'm all for progressive tax systems and tax systems that make it less easy for people to minimise their tax liability buit I am not in favour of marginal rates of say 70% like we used to have, just because some people feel a deep sense of grievance and resentment that others are doing well.
paulfromcamden
Baffled
I'm always astonished that some people are apparently happy to drop hundreds of thousands on blingy high-end gear but just like most daft luxury products it does feel like it's a separate and distinct thing to the wider audio scene.
It's a bit like those diamond encrusted Rolexes that footballers and gangsters buy. Meanwhile watch enthusiasts are far more likely to appreciate a vintage Speedmaster or whatever.
It's a bit like those diamond encrusted Rolexes that footballers and gangsters buy. Meanwhile watch enthusiasts are far more likely to appreciate a vintage Speedmaster or whatever.
Arkless Electronics
Trade: Amp design and repairs.
Nope my opprobrium is highly focused on even this level of wealth.... the mega rich billionaires are a deeper level of evil again. I doubt ricardo has more then 10 or so staff and they prob get around £35 -45K a year whilst ricardo himself gets >£ a million
I've just seen an article in the grauniad saying that in 2019 nearly 800 homeless people died on the streets. Everyone of these people should have been saved by state funds being thrown at the problem. They should all have received basic council flats and whatever medical care and counselling they needed. £38K on an equipment rack (a completely useless item even if it were £380!) would have paid for a council flat to be built. I literally cannot think of anything more obscene than one person dying on the street for the want of warmth and a roof over their head whilst someone else pays 10's or 100's of £K on trinkets, watches, jewellery or wine etc.
wylton
Naim and Mana member
I find myself in the odd position of agreeing with @Arkless Electronics ! It is an obscenity that the privileged few have such a vast amount of disposable income at their finger tips, to waste on such trivial purchases, whilst others struggle to meet their own basic necessities of life.
paulfromcamden
Baffled
Yes it's hard to argue against that.
Salamander
pfm Member
My apologies Tony
russel
./_dazed_and_confused
Doubt he gets that much, the shop looks like it could be a curry house from the outside and the company accounts show about a million in asset’s.
https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/01521125
Tony L
Administrator
Taxation is 100% a government issue. I don’t blame those who are successful for having earned money as long as they pay the tax they are asked to pay. Homeless people (all too often the mentally ill) starving to death in doorways is a decision made year on year by our Conservative politicians. They choose not to fund it. They own it.