Why is Connect more expensive than Play?

Clearly if you are part of the guys that think that an amplifier needs to cost 3k+ to be a quality one,
$400 to $3k+, that's a real big gap, no, you don't need to spend $3k+ but you'll see definite improvements going to $1k (for example).

But that's irrelevant anyway, if you cared about sound quality at all, you wouldn't be using an AV amp for music in the first place.

$400 to $3k+, that's a real big gap, no, you don't need to spend $3k+ but you'll see definite improvements going to $1k (for example).

But that's irrelevant anyway, if you cared about sound quality at all, you wouldn't be using an AV amp for music in the first place.

True. Anyone who prefers a surround DSP instead of direct mode for a 2-channel signal is not really interested in sound quality, they are interested in using as many speakers as possible. This is fine if one likes simulated surround over stereo, but one should not mix this opinion into a 'purist' discussion of sound/amplifier quality.

True. Anyone who prefers a surround DSP instead of direct mode for a 2-channel signal is not really interested in sound quality, they are interested in using as many speakers as possible.

As someone that uses a 2 channel amp for the HT as well, in order to drive 2 good speakers for the same price of 5 ordinary ones, I am still not sure I agree. Yes, given the extra hardware in the AV amp, one would need to spend up to twice as much to get the same quality as from an equivalent 2 channel amp. And of course, likewise for the speakers. But if one did that, there may be merit in surround sound audio? Even for music recorded in 2 channel stereo as almost all pure audio is?

PS: This is now way off topic....:o

As someone that uses a 2 channel amp for the HT as well, in order to drive 2 good speakers for the same price of 5 ordinary ones, I am still not sure I agree. Yes, given the extra hardware in the AV amp, one would need to spend up to twice as much to get the same quality as from an equivalent 2 channel amp. And of course, likewise for the speakers. But if one did that, there may be merit in surround sound audio? Even for music recorded in 2 channel stereo as almost all pure audio is?

PS: This is now way off topic....:o

My point wasn't about price, my point was about preferring the simulated DSP surround modes over 2.0. Any purist who is serious about sound quality would never listen in anything but 2.0 stereo. Heck, I'm no purist, but I don't use DSP's. Matter of fact, I still listen to the mono track on older movies, even if they've been remixed to 5.1.

No, 90% of 2012/2013 receivers, including ALL most popular (Yamaha, Onkyo, etc.) and high-end receivers, have a delay which is simply driven by the processing happening inside the receiver. And this will be more and more true as time goes by.
Secondly, the "direct" mode simply reduces the delay, while having the "little" drawback that you seem to forget that if you have, say a 5.1 or 7.1 system connected to your A/V receiver with the direct mode on you are left with a pure 2.0 speaker set. Wow, what a party.

I took the liberty to read the manual of two surround receivers in the normal price range, both the NAD T 748 and the Onkyo TX-NR515B actually have "Direct stereo mode". This is still the standard!

From the NADs manual:
The analog or digital sources are automatically played in their native formats. All the source’s audio channels are reproduced directly.

Stop your shenanigans!

My point wasn't about price, my point was about preferring the simulated DSP surround modes over 2.0. Any purist who is serious about sound quality would never listen in anything but 2.0 stereo. Heck, I'm no purist, but I don't use DSP's. Matter of fact, I still listen to the mono track on older movies, even if they've been remixed to 5.1.

You probably prefer the old movies in black and white too (I do).

Anyway, DSP or not, is about the same as seasoning on food. I have a friend who is into major seasoning while I am a minimalist. With my cooking there is a medley of individual flavors. With her cooking there are a few strong seasonings, but not much food taste. These seasonings can be interesting because they might kick in at different stages, but I prefer subtle. Naturally, she does not like my (bland) cooking.

There seem to be two camps in the audio world. The purist views the track as a work of art that should not be violated. The other group feels that the recording engineer has no artistic sense and one needs equalizers and DSP processing to undo the damage done in the control room.

Audio wise I tend to be a purist, but one could view the DSP modes as a way of translating one acoustic space into another.

Occasionally, I'll encounter a recording that I think is a little too "dry" (close miked, no reverb) and a gentle application of some DSP can help. But my application will probably be too subtle for most. After I get my hands on a surround system, the user will typically remark: "the rear speakers are not working". They are working, of course, but they are not constantly grumbling. Legitimate effects will come through nicely.

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An interesting figure of merit is to divide the retail cost of an A/V receiver by the number of amplifier channels. Of course, this does not account for the DSP, but it is a quick and dirty way of dropping the amplifiers into a class of product category.

A cooking thread!!! Anyone interested in talking about garlic??? :D

Great analogies and post. Proves the theory that music (and everything related to it, including Sonos) is subjective.

Still not seen any justifiable explanation regarding the overpricing of the Connect when compared to the Play3/5s. Especially when Bridges are now (pretty standardly) bundled with Plays.

This makes the Connect appear to have gone from Overpriced to Rip Off.

Still not seen any justifiable explanation regarding the overpricing of the Connect when compared to the Play3/5s. Especially when Bridges are now (pretty standardly) bundled with Plays.

This makes the Connect appear to have gone from Overpriced to Rip Off.

Cost of manufacture has very little to do with the final pricing of luxury items. Squeezebox charged $2000 for their Transport, and the electronics weren't that much different than their lower priced units. It's all in what the market will bear.

Especially when Bridges are now (pretty standardly) bundled with Plays.
You're surely not comparing a Bridge with a Connect? (I ask, because people have.)

The former is basically a link-layer bridge between wired and wireless. The latter is a fully equipped multi-room-sync streamer.