I sat staring at my iMac screen for over 5 minutes trying to think of something reasonable to say. This blows my mind on so many levels. I don't know if its the weight, the price, the atomic technology. Or the fact someone can build just three products and expect to receive 3 and a half million dollars for their efforts. And to see they already sold the most expensive one. What kind of components can you match with these speakers and feel you are truly getting your money's worth? Wouldn't it have been simpler just to hire a real band on those occasions when you wanted to hear some life like music?
Moon Audio Signature Titan Speaker
Standing six feet tall and weighing almost 1.5 tons, the Signature Titan is said to employ technology derived from advanced fighter-plane design, nuclear reactor-containment construction, and atomic-submarine radar jamming to eliminate vibration and interference. The 4-way design includes a 1-inch ring-radiator tweeter, a 6.5-inch midrange driver, a 10-inch upper-bass driver, and a 15-inch woofer, resulting in a specified frequency response from 15Hz to 90kHz (±2dB) and a sensitivity of 96dB/w/m. Each speaker even includes an automatic-calibration system so it can tune itself to the room.
You might think that each pair would cost the same amount, but you'd be wrong. The first pair to be made, oddly carrying a serial number of 003, sports a price tag of $500,000, while the second pair, numbered 002, is a cool $1,000,000, and the last pair to be made—you guessed it, serial number 001—is an even-more-astounding $2 million. Why the increasing cost and decreasing serial numbers? According to Moon, as with art, the lower the serial number in a limited edition, the higher the value. And lest you think this is silly, number 001 has already been sold.
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Comments
Submitted by Ron on March 22, 2010 - 12:45pm.
Even if I had all the money in the world and wanted to buy these speakers, unless one had a home with floors of very thick reinforced concrete, there are few residences out there that could even take the weight of these things! "Functional-Acoustic Artworks"? I beg to differ. I think they are "ugly".
Submitted by In the cold from Toronto on March 22, 2010 - 12:49pm.
Another proof that there is no relationship between ultra expensive gear and anything mere mortals can experience. This is not a work of art, it's a speaker. I can see how a manufacturer would target snobbish people with the art analogy - after all exclusivity and high prices have been going hand in hand for ages; and people are known to like expensive gear better just because they paid more money for them. All is fine here... But let's not forget what art is and what it's not. Aside from a little bit of envy (after all it is nice to be able to consider spending $1 million just to get the speaker with the 001 serial number vs the one with 002), I am only intellectually confused, at the thought that a marketing person thinks that such people might be out there. If you are a potential client: How about the starving kids in our own cities? Social kindness is not your cup of tea? Why not buy a 65 feet yacht? An Oyster can be had for less than half this money... Oh, the nonsense of g
Submitted by Adam on March 22, 2010 - 1:28pm.
I can't wait to hear my I-Pod on a pair of these things!!!!! This is soooooo over the top in its ridiculousness. BUT this is super crazy cool at the same time. Its really not much different than someone who's in the Mar ket for a Bugatti Veyron, or other super limited edition vehicles or art. 1- it weighs more than the Bugatti, 2- tons of research and design went into the construction of the speaker, 3- a pretty significant company who produces relatively large runs of their product decided to go uber exclusive. I'm not saying that someone could have done something else with their money, but this is a pretty crazy exclusive thing, that some collectors and people just "NEED TO HAVE." Personally I NEED to have Lord of The Rings in Blu-Ray when it comes out and I NEED to have that limited edition tin that's coming out for it. And that's my collector side. Congratulations to whomever is going to be the recipient of these art pieces. I hope they sound perfect. don't foget
Submitted by Jerry on March 26, 2010 - 4:54am.
Its kind of amazing how utterly OUTRAGED and self-righteous everyone becomes when someone trots out equipment this expensive, but I understand people. I realize you all hate the prosperous in this age of obama and community organizing, and you would rather drive a car that burns salad oil than enjoy yourselves, but you need to stop persecuting the 'haves'. They pay the bulk of your taxes (by far) and they drive the economy with their speding. We don't live in a communist country (yet) so let the wealthy do what they want to do with their money. Who knows, maybe that nuclear reactor-fighter jet technology will trickle down to your bose systems someday.
Submitted by Steve in Manitoba on March 26, 2010 - 6:49pm.
So, does UAV regularly pull comments from readers if the comments do not agree with the writers? Yesterday I submitted comments, checked them twice to see if they were posted and today found they are have been removed. No profanity, no advertisements, no links. Just an indication that this site has gone from providing useful reviews of affordable equipment to a regurgitation of web site information for equipment that virtually no one can afford. Is UAV so afraid to be criticized that it will censor those that do not agree with them. That's just sad.
Submitted by Scott Wilkinson on March 26, 2010 - 8:18pm.
Steve, I do not normally pull comments as long as they are not profane, etc. And I'm certainly not afraid of criticism or disagreement. I pulled yours because it was completely irrelevant to this posting and because I've answered similar objections elsewhere. If you don't like the site any more, why are you sticking around?
Submitted by Steve in Manitoba on March 27, 2010 - 4:45am.
Scott, I was checking back in the hope that you started doing reviews of affordable equipment again. As I said in my post that was pulled, when UAV did do reviews they were informative and well written and that, and I'm sure I'm not alone here, I missed them. I am finishing a dedicated home theater. The stage, raised seating area, carpet, and paint all installed, just finishing the ceiling now. So my desire for reviews is ramping up. I am still undecided on a receiver or pre/pro so the reviews would have been welcome. A review of the Integra DTR-80.1, of which I am seriously considering, would be helpful. I agree, what I posted last time was not directly related to the above equipment but it did relate to the review of very costly equipment such as the one above and reviews of equipment that would appeal to a much wider audience. However, I would not call it completely irrelevant. Using the same standard, some of the other posts would have been pulled as well, but they remained.
Submitted by Scott Wilkinson on March 27, 2010 - 11:51am.
One thing to keep in mind is that these Ultimate Gear pieces are not reviews, so calling them by that name is misleading. On the other hand, I understand your disappointment at the lack of real reviews here; I feel it too. Unfortunately, the combination of dwindling resources faced by all media outlets and the requirement that daily content be posted on the website means that I can't post many real reviews, which take a relatively long time to do well (and I refuse to do them any other way). Also, this site was not well-differentiated from our sibling site, HomeTheaterMag.com. As a result, we decided to take the word "Ultimate" in our title to heart and post these Ultimate Gear profiles, which can be done quickly, as candy for the eyes and imagination, much like the "extreme home" shows on HGTV. More in my next comment...
Submitted by scott Wilkinson on March 27, 2010 - 12:03pm.
This isn't to say we don't do any reviews at all; I posted a review of the Digital Projection M-Vision Cine LED projector in Jan uary and the B&W Zeppelin in Feb ruary, and I will soon post a review of the Stax SR-007 headphones and the Samsung UN46C8000 3D TV and BD-C6900 3D Blu-ray player. And I will continue to post real reviews as much as I possibly can, but they will tend to be of "ultimate" products, in keeping with the name of this site. As for your particular situation, you will find many comprehensive reviews of AVRs and pre/pros on HomeTheaterMag.com. And a review of the Integra DTC-80.1 pre/pro, which should perform very much like the DTR-80.1 AVR (except for the lack of power amps!), will appear in the May issue of Home Theater and shortly thereafter on the HT site. I don't know if editor Shane Buettner plans to review the DTR-80.1 as well.
Submitted by Adam on March 27, 2010 - 7:42pm.
Scott, I love your ULTIMATE newsclips and reviews. Clearly this isn't a audio review, and I only wish that one day one of the owners of these giants would let there system get a review. Also just to back you up, I love the fact that the trifecta of HTmag, Stereophile, and UAV have really differentiated themselves over the last two years. UAV is like the ROBB REPORT of audio for me. Stuff I can't have and get to dream about, just like all the Bugatti's Ferrari's and Lambo's. As an A/V professional (installer, designer, integrator) it makes me happy that somewhere out there in our world of A/V someone is putting out the Ultimate, and someone else (that's you Scott and UAV) is talking about it.
Submitted by Ed Mac on April 1, 2010 - 7:04am.
Wow...I can hardly wait for the trickle down technology to become available! By then, can we expect a $249,999.99 economy version? You know, the ones that weigh only 1950 pounds each? And come in your choice of "fantastic custom car finishes"? After all....today is Apr il Fool's Day!!!
Submitted by LordOfTheRings on April 10, 2010 - 6:17pm.
Scott, I've been reading your reviews and articles since the very beginnig from the 60s, keep up the good work my friend! Oh, and your new podcast; Bravo! Well done, informative, entertaining, exhilarating... But I still want that pair of Moon Audio Signature Titan Speaker with the serial number 001. ...I'm sure my bank manager can relate...
Submitted by Ryan Fuller on April 10, 2010 - 11:26pm.
Wow. I really enjoy seeing the be all/end all solution for the ultra high end. Reminds me of the top Wilson and Westlake products from the previous decade. Those were also just as "out there" then as these are now. If the technology justifies the cost, it typically filters down to product that more of us can afford. It has in the past, at least in my experience. If you have an empty bank vault to put them in(empty for a good reason), and also a room with a floor that will keep them from plummeting towards the planet's core, enjoy! I am actually more interested in the final resting place of such a system. Not the address, but the environment. Wouldn't you have to build the room around the speakers? The construction, the electronics, the acoustic treatments, the room design itself. Can you follow up with this? I do not care about the decadence, but the info on the successful application of such a system would be cool to check out.
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