DEC/21
How much?! That’s not an uncommon response to the price tag hanging from more than a few of the very high-end audio products that have featured in Hi-Fi News over the years. The £137k Engström ERIC Encore tube amps [HFN Nov ’21] raised a shackle or two [see p119] but I remember even greater outrage greeting the arrival of Naim Audio’s Statement NAC/NAP S1 preamp/monoblocks [HFN Jun ’15] at £155k, now £179k. The debate about the cost of these very limited edition pieces, all typically comprising years of product development, countless staff payroll hours, custom components and requiring unique tooling, will rumble on. Our cover stars this month, the astonishing-looking, fabulous-sounding and back-breakingly heavy NHB-468 from Swiss brand darTZeel will doubtless spray more jet fuel onto the fire [see p40]. At £81k…