I don't think the price is a con. It is a good value as a package. However, if all you want is sheer SPL from your sub, yes, there are better buys out there, and I mention that in the review. Arendal made a sub that is terrific in nearly every single respect. To make something like that doesn't come cheaply, but $3k is a good deal for such a well-rounded package. The people coming in here talking about Rythmik just don't get it, and yes, I have experience with Rythmik products. I suppose it might be a shortcoming in the review that I didn't get across just how nice this subwoofer is as an audio product which then invited comparisons to down-market products. You don't see people commenting on why not just get a Toyota Corrola in a review of a Mercedes S Class.
I agree, perhaps I am just missing the luxury stuff that Adrenal has over other subwoofers. When other manufacturers came out with app control for setup I was originally kind of jealous and wanting it, but then realizing that I have multiple subwoofers that I place in best locations based on Harman research and then run Audyssey for EQ, that this extra feature is not really needed as far as my application is concerned. So for me, when I think of "luxury" I'm thinking of the finish on the subwoofer. Like most others have mentioned I chose the budget finish, even though I could have gone with the luxury finish, to save a bit of money and I knew that just moving the big box around or just the fact that I have kids would scratch the nice finish and then I'd just be mad about it. Plus I don't want a big glossy piano black box up front where a projector can reflect light off of it. My main speakers have solid bamboo cabinets and are gorgeous to look at, but I'm less concerned about those smaller speakers getting scuffed or damaged when moving them around, being much lighter and more manageable in terms of size.
Anyways, I don't think that your car analogy fits this situation. The "budget" subwoofer that I mentioned has very very similar performance measurements. Not just in SPL, but in distortion, transient response, etc. The Adrenal subwoofer is excellent for a ported design, in terms of group delay, which I completely agree with you. It is in the territory of a sealed subwoofer! A better car analogy might be the base model of the Tesla Model S vs. the Mercedes S class. Or swap in a Cadillac, Lincoln, Lexus or Accura where the performance of the cars are at least in the same ball park but the Mercedes S class has a leg up on some of the luxury items. Any of us can understand that seats that can massage you is a really cool luxury item and then assess whether or not we want to pay twice the cost for this and the list of other luxury items (I'm not sure if having people massaged while they are driving is the best idea for safety
). We can also understand that the long warranty of the Adrenal subwoofer is some of the best around. And things like build quality and the finish of a subwoofer. Maybe I'm just a bit more budget minded though, where it is about performance (not just SPL) and then looks, but that is as far as I can see in terms of the luxury of a subwoofer. It is probably more of an issue of my limitation there than your explanation of the luxury items in the review.
