ARC announces price increase effective Mid-March '24

[vintage_tube]

Practically a 25% increase across the board effective mid-March '24. The only component not affected is the REF750'SEL's. Here's the current vs new prices:

Model Current New Retail
REF10/REF Phono 10 $35,000 $45,000
REF6SE/REF Phono 3SE $19,500 $24,000
LS28SE/PH9/DAC9 $10,000 $12,500
REF160M – pair $38,000 $48,000
REF160S $24,000 $30,000
REFSOS $16,000 $20,000
VT8OSE $11,000 $12,000
450 $5,500 $6,900
50 with DAC & Phono $7,200 $8,650
REF750SEL – pair $85,000 $85,000

Best to all,

Bob

 

[Adam L]

Ouch, those are serious increases!

 

[Djcxxx]

Guess that's one way to try staying in the big leagues especially when coming back from a hiatus.

 

[vintage_tube]

Sure closes the competition gap with other manufacturers -- VAC now enters the picture with their 300IQ monos at $42k each.

Best to all,

Bob

 

[AudioLibertarian]

Wow, that is just what they needed, yet another price increase! Dead company walking.... but then again , what do I know?!

 

[KeithR]

It’s almost if a company wasn’t pricing its products to achieve appropriate profit margins and something bad could happen…oh wait.

 

[Chrisl]

Or, just to worsen the outrageously over priced high end scene. No wonder friends and family thinks we're insane for ever spending this kind of money on sound. No one can ever convince me of the value we get out of this hobby...which worsens every spring with these kind of price increases.

 

[Djcxxx]

High and ultra high end audio products have characteristics of Veblen goods where demand does not decline or even increases as price increases. Some audio component manufacturers have established their requisite cachet in a highly rarefied market that does not obey normal demand curve behavior. Mr. Acora may believe that ARCs future, if any, must be upmarket. Downmarket is an inevitable dead end where the ARC historic brand value will quickly dissipate. The 320M monoblock is reported to debut at Munich 2024 at $80K/pair. Other new products will need to come forth to restablish the vitality of ARC going forward.

 

[AudioLibertarian]

High and ultra high end audio products have characteristics of Veblen goods where demand does not decline or even increases as price increases. Some audio component manufacturers have established their requisite cachet in a highly rarefied market that does not obey normal demand curve behavior. Mr. Acora may believe that ARCs future, if any, must be upmarket. Downmarket is an inevitable dead end where the ARC historic brand value will quickly dissipate. The 320M monoblock is reported to debut at Munich 2024 at $80K/pair. Other new products will need to come forth to restablish the vitality of ARC going forward.

Veblen Shmeblen....We shall see how long the Audio Research will last....I highly doubt longer than couple of years. although I sincerely wish them success!

 

[Lee]

I'm rich!

LOL.

 

[Lee]

Veblen Shmeblen....We shall see how long the Audio Research will last....I highly doubt longer than couple of years. although I sincerely wish them success!

Come on. ARC has been needing a price increase for a while. They have been eating a lot of crazy increases in parts costs for a while. They remain a bargain at these prices.

 

[AudioLibertarian]

Come on. ARC has been needing a price increase for a while. They have been eating a lot of crazy increases in parts costs for a while. They remain a bargain at these prices.

Well, congrats on being rich! Its still somewhat semi-free country, so by all means, who am I to prevent anyone from paying more and getting less...However, having seen the insides of lot of Audio Research products, and having owned quite a few in the distant past, as any competent tech will tell you, there is very little inside most modern AR products that is pricey. Ongaku they are not!

 

[Lee]

Well, congrats on being rich! Its still somewhat semi-free country, so by all means, who am I to prevent anyone from paying more and getting less...However, having seen the insides of lot of Audio Research products, and having owned quite a few in the distant past, as any competent tech will tell you, there is very little inside most modern AR products that is pricey. Ongaku they are not!

yeah, this is not true. There are lot of expensive parts from tubes to capacitors to labor in putting together an Audio Research product.

I’m far from rich but I am tired of people complaining about pricing without any first hand knowledge of how much it costs to produce the product or run the business.

 

[vintage_tube]

There are lot of expensive parts from tubes to capacitors to labor in putting together an Audio Research product.

Correct -- I was astonished to learn from KH at VAC, the Vishay Z-Foil metal resistors he likes, pre covid were around $25-30 depending on value(s). Post covid, he mentioned, depending on value(s), some have shot up to around $90 each. I have an SE product he expressly uses those resistors in - there are, IIRC, 37. Do that math - if all were at $30 & $90 -- the difference pre & post Covid is $2,220. Ouch.

He also mentioned his metal pre-covid -- perfect from the MFG -- post covid -- not any more -- warps in the metal upon receipt. So much so that he must do inhouse reshaping or send out for planing/straightening.

Best to all,

Bob

 

[retired farmer]

My thoughts are it is a hobby in decline there are very few people under sixty and way less under 50 years old. The products have all seemed to have skyrocketed over the past 25 years. A 100k 25 years ago bought one of the best speakers made now that takes 7 to 10 times as much. Every area of the system costs have gone up way more than inflation but there are less people buying so the base cost of business has to be covered by fewer sales. I am sure you all remember multiple page ads of hifi gear advertised by two different retailers in stereofile. Unfortunately the sales numbers of hifi by number of machines is down. Fits the new idea of living I want lots of stuff new stuff and I want it every day. Lots of new cheap stuff is better than one good item. Unfortunately that is what the world has changed to.

 

[Another Johnson]

Well, congrats on being rich! Its still somewhat semi-free country, so by all means, who am I to prevent anyone from paying more and getting less...However, having seen the insides of lot of Audio Research products, and having owned quite a few in the distant past, as any competent tech will tell you, there is very little inside most modern AR products that is pricey. Ongaku they are not!

This is typical of the large number of ill-informed kibitzers at WBF. They come out of the woodwork to bash some products. Ancient ownership history is trotted at as proof of current knowledge.

If ARC fails, it will be due to their continued commitment to tubes that are politically incorrect for Western markets. This is the reason I’ve moved away from them.

ARC pricing is just catching up to their main competitors. In this odd world, they still look quite reasonably priced to me.

 

[retired farmer]

This is typical of the large number of ill-informed kibitzers at WBF. They come out of the woodwork to bash some products. Ancient ownership history is trotted at as proof of current knowledge.

If ARC fails, it will be due to their continued commitment to tubes that are politically incorrect for Western markets. This is the reason I’ve moved away from them.

ARC pricing is just catching up to their main competitors. In this odd world, they still look quite reasonably priced to me.

Politically incorrect how is that?

 

[Salectric]

Correct -- I was astonished to learn from KH at VAC, the Vishay Z-Foil metal resistors he likes, pre covid were around $25-30 depending on value(s). Post covid, he mentioned, depending on value(s), some have shot up to around $90 each. I have an SE product he expressly uses those resistors in - there are, IIRC, 37. Do that math - if all were at $30 & $90 -- the difference pre & post Covid is $2,220. Ouch.

He also mentioned his metal pre-covid -- perfect from the MFG -- post covid -- not any more -- warps in the metal upon receipt. So much so that he must do inhouse reshaping or send out for planing/straightening.

Best to all,

Bob

I am skeptical. I just checked Michael Percy’s Audio catalog and he sells the Vishay TX2352 bulk foil resistors (their top model) for $11.95 each for most values. Now it’s true that values over 100K do cost more, up to $39.50 for 249K, but you can still buy the vast majority of values for $11.95 each.

 

[Elliot G.]

I dont think its the questioning of the costs versus the price that is a bit strange but rather this is a very large increase on products that are already in the market for a period of time. I don't have a dog in the fight but as an old dealer a 25 percent price increase is difficult for potential customers to swallow. When any of you look at products and you read a review for example and it says the amps were 38k a pair and you go to listen at the store and now they are 48k a pai that is a huge shock. IN my own experience I own a car that is 3 years old and I just went to get a new one and now the same car ( 3 years later) is 22k more which is almost 30 percent increase my reaction was ok I need to find a different vehicle.
I have seen customers react badly to 5 percent increases so 25 percent is a big bite. I hope they survive and prosper but I think this may be a difficult hurdle in the short term.

 

[Djcxxx]

If ARC has new or significantly updated models to replace the current line up and the there is no or minimal price increase the new/updated line pricing will be easier to sell. If no new/updated components emerge then then the road ahead may prove rather rugged.