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> But it was also born as a reaction against the cheap, mass-produced audio products that litter the marketplace today. We are entering a world where the cheap

> But it was also born as a reaction against the cheap, mass-produced audio products that litter the marketplace today. We are entering a world where the cheapest mass-produced items are just about as good as the high end versions. Products are plateauing in many ways which means the cheap versions catch up. Say on a scale of 1-10, where 1 is the worst product ever, and 10 is the best you could ever imagine. Over the last decades we were jumping from 1, to 2, to 3... etc. Now we are at the end of the spectrum in many ways. So instead of jumping entire digits, products increment by .003 for example, and demanding higher prices. To the normal consumer, that fraction of an incremental advancement isn't worth the price. What Princeton Audio is feeling is the sting of competition as they catch them in quality. > We steadfastly refuse to be purveyors of cheap, plastic, mass-produced, craptastic speakers made on an assembly line in China that contribute nothing of value to the lives of our customers or the town we call home. That "cheap, plastic, mass-produced, craptastic" Chinese made stuff, if you go back 100 years, has given most of us a life of unimaginable luxury.

amyjess 9y ago
Agreed. Reading the article, Princeton Audio reminds me of the independent bookstore from Something Positive: http://somethingpositive.net/sp09092004.shtml http://somethingpositive.net/sp09092004.shtml http://somethingpositive.net/sp09102004.shtml http://somethingpositive.net/sp09102004.shtml
colmvp 9y ago
Yeah I find it annoying when high end producers complain about cheap alternatives. I'd be willing to bet the average person probably couldn't tell the difference in audio quality between a pair of sub $50 Logitech speakers and these speakers which cost $335.00 each. Or at least, it wouldn't be worth the extra $620 for most people. I'm not suggesting there isn't a difference (I've bought higher end headphones and speakers myself), but rather, when the difference is marginal for the average person, most people are content with a cheaper alternative that fulfills the need. We see the same with furniture and clothing. As a designer, I can certainly appreciate the craft, care, and detail that goes into creating objects. But I also appreciate companies that produce well-designed, fully functional objects that almost everyone can afford. Like, when I was recently shopping for a desk, I was floored to find companies selling desks that were 10 to 20 times more expensive than my old IKEA desk that had zero scratches after a decade of use.
- kinkrtyavimoodh 9y ago
  Doesn't this apply to literally everything? Cheap programmers v/s expensive programmers, cheap photographers v/s expensive photographers, etc. When it's their own field, people suddenly become very attached to the nuances and about the additional value they can provide which the cheap counterpart does not.

amyjess 9y ago

Agreed. Reading the article, Princeton Audio reminds me of the independent bookstore from Something Positive: http://somethingpositive.net/sp09092004.shtml http://somethingpositive.net/sp09092004.shtml http://somethingpositive.net/sp09102004.shtml http://somethingpositive.net/sp09102004.shtml

colmvp 9y ago

Yeah I find it annoying when high end producers complain about cheap alternatives. I'd be willing to bet the average person probably couldn't tell the difference in audio quality between a pair of sub $50 Logitech speakers and these speakers which cost $335.00 each. Or at least, it wouldn't be worth the extra $620 for most people. I'm not suggesting there isn't a difference (I've bought higher end headphones and speakers myself), but rather, when the difference is marginal for the average person, most people are content with a cheaper alternative that fulfills the need. We see the same with furniture and clothing. As a designer, I can certainly appreciate the craft, care, and detail that goes into creating objects. But I also appreciate companies that produce well-designed, fully functional objects that almost everyone can afford. Like, when I was recently shopping for a desk, I was floored to find companies selling desks that were 10 to 20 times more expensive than my old IKEA desk that had zero scratches after a decade of use.

kinkrtyavimoodh 9y ago
Doesn't this apply to literally everything? Cheap programmers v/s expensive programmers, cheap photographers v/s expensive photographers, etc. When it's their own field, people suddenly become very attached to the nuances and about the additional value they can provide which the cheap counterpart does not.