Light Harmonic Sire DAC

[wizard]

Announced today at 5pm was Light Harmonic's new DAC with an eye-popping price of $120,000. Add $10,000 to include the server option.
Why is the company's Steve Holt standing there with his arms open? They don't have the product yet, so we'll have to guess if it'll look as out-there as the company's Da Vinci DAC. Holt did say they'll have a prototype at the Munich Show in May.

The company's promo sheet states: "Even Da Vinci must kneel before his sire." Other details include: 2 femto clocks, 7 sets of digital inputs, "Ultra-high speed" DAC that will handle both 32/768 PCM and DSD 256, "Digital+Analog" hybrid volume control and 5 year unlimited upgrading at no additional cost to future-proof your purchase.

They'll also throw in a Lightspeed USB cable and plan to make only 24 per year.

 

[wisnon]

These prices are becoming a joke now.

 

[egidius]

expensive does NOT equal "best"

These prices are becoming a joke now.

We may just - once and for all - find out, that more expensive may not be "best".
As much as I like the title "whatsbestforum" as it unashamedly takes the hidden aim into the open, it obviously attracts "fortune hunters"...

I know - in my field we decelop thousands of projects which are high or highest quality, and we cannot dream of refinancing it with one concert. It's called art ;-)

 

[Elberoth]

These prices are becoming a joke now.

+1

A true death spiral. There have been an interesting comment made by Rober Skoff posted on Wizard's blog, which is spot on:

http://cybwiz.blogspot.com/2014/01/a-high-end-death-spiral.html

 

[microstrip]

Announced today at 5pm was Light Harmonic's new DAC with an eye-popping price of $120,000. Add $10,000 to include the server option.
Why is the company's Steve Holt standing there with his arms open? They don't have the product yet, so we'll have to guess if it'll look as out-there as the company's Da Vinci DAC. Holt did say they'll have a prototype at the Munich Show in May.

The company's promo sheet states: "Even Da Vinci must kneel before his sire." Other details include: 2 femto clocks, 7 sets of digital inputs, "Ultra-high speed" DAC that will handle both 32/768 PCM and DSD 256, "Digital+Analog" hybrid volume control and 5 year unlimited upgrading at no additional cost to future-proof your purchase.

They'll also throw in a Lightspeed USB cable and plan to make only 24 per year.

IMHO this is a finance and marketing matter, not high-end any more. They are promoting a non existent product, with promises of 5 year unlimited upgrading. This type of company is only hurting the serious companies who supply really existing expensive goods with SOTA performance. This is not a fact for WBF, it is good for WBSF - what the best speculators forum!

 

[GaryProtein]

These prices are becoming a joke now.

no question about it

 

[edorr]

Mind you this is a product category that innovates so fast, that the life cycle of technology is a few years. Committed audiophiles like myself know this and take big depreciation hits to enjoy sota gear and being a few years ahead of the curve. However, there is a limit to this insanity. This is like announcing a 20,000 laptop. I suspect they actually cater to the Asian and Russian nouveau riche, and assorted ultra rich domestic snobs.

 

[audioline]

These prices are becoming a joke now.

Indeed, out of reach too most of us

 

[edorr]

Indeed, out of reach too most of us

Even if I won the lottery and this would be within reach, it would still be a joke.

 

[Andre Marc]

These prices are becoming a joke now.

the joke is on us.

 

[Andre Marc]

IMHO this is a finance and marketing matter, not high-end any more. They are promoting a non existent product, with promises of 5 year unlimited upgrading. This type of company is only hurting the serious companies who supply really existing expensive goods with SOTA performance. This is not a fact for WBF, it is good for WBSF - what the best speculators forum!

Micro, agree completely. Publicity stunt and carnival barking.

 

[MasterChief]

I think it is in order to link to the original text when starting a thread like this so they get credit for it.

http://www.stereophile.com/content/light-harmonic-sire-dac

 

[JackD201]

Micro,

I don't really know what's going on. This is the first I've heard of this new planned DAC. I'm just wondering how any vapor could hurt "serious" companies. Would you mind clarifying that statement?

1 year gone and the Da Vinci server hasn't gone into production yet. I don't see Aurender et al hurting. If anything it's LH that missed opportunities.

 

[Andre Marc]

Micro,

I don't really know what's going on. This is the first I've heard of this new planned DAC. I'm just wondering how any vapor could hurt "serious" companies. Would you mind clarifying that statement?

1 year gone and the Da Vinci server hasn't gone into production yet. I don't see Aurender et al hurting. If anything it's LH that missed opportunities.

I think what he means is that it sort of makes a mockery of the industry, that is already in short supply of credibility.

It is a publicity stunt, and not very original.

 

[edorr]

I think what he means is that it sort of makes a mockery of the industry, that is already in short supply of credibility.

It is a publicity stunt, and not very original.

He looks the part of a comic though - in fact, I though Penn Jillette had diversified into high end audio.

 

[JackD201]

Is it the price or the fact that it has yet to be built and released?

 

[Andre Marc]

He looks the part of a comic though - in fact, I though Penn Jillette had diversified into high end audio.

Lol..

 

[Andre Marc]

Is it the price or the fact that it has yet to be built and released?

It looks very much like they arbitrarily picked a price out of their back pockets ( I am trying to be polite, lol) and decided
to write up a clever press release, then figure out the details later. This is not a "serious" approach, as micro complained.
Designing to a price point is the ultimate cynical move.

 

[GaryProtein]

Is it the price or the fact that it has yet to be built and released?

Both. He won't really know his costs until it is actually produced. His statement that "only 24 will be produced" really makes it more a collectable than a true high end product, and that he arbitrarily set his price ridiculously high to raise the bar, not to have an honest profit after realizing actual costs of manufacture and R&D.

 

[JackD201]

How about some benefit of the doubt. Like I said, I may represent them but I'm not privy to what's going on in their office. I don't see where in JI's report that it can be inferred that the thing hasn't been designed yet. Might we be just a little bit hasty with the assumptions here?

Admit it, it's the price. LOL.

Yeah, I fell off my chair too and I have a turntable and speakers that costs more. LOL.