They claim made in USA. If this is true those prices seem fair. This isn't just calling China and asking them to slap something that looks impressive together.... Papermaker can do that, as can every other "brand" that people here get excited over and I'm sure there'll be a new "brand' selling that same off the shelf Chinese fare under another brand name within the next month with a 10% over cost pre-sale price next month for those that enjoys that sort of thing.
IMO the Parts Express gen TC sounds failed because they tried to cut costs with China manufacturing and people quickly discovered they were NOTHING like the originals. Lastly, talent like Wiggins doesn't come cheap nor do drivers of that tier made in the USA. People like him and Thilo are the ones that will push innovation and everybody should be cheerleading for a company that's got some potential to do something new and useful for the hobby.
I can appreciate all that. Without a doubt that Chinese TC stuff had so many quality issues it was sickening. Glue problems, lead problems... worse than the ones found in the US production. Thilo should be ashamed.
Quality, consistency and service is most definitely worth a premium. And at that price point I would not only expect it, I would demand it. But the parts... My perspective on it is this - The truly great XBL stuff came out when parts were still pretty standard and that's just how it was. You had a great new motor bolted up to parts that were holding it back from reaching full potential. No harm in that, and it was the same for TC for quite a while. Those were good days and people were happy and having fun. TC used those same standard parts until the new tooling of their many baskets and spiders and surrounds. Nearly every motor they had experienced some benefit in performance other than the 2" coil stuff.
New Adire has a real chance at a strong comeback if they would price these new offerings at a much more competitive price just above comparable drivers with normal motors, and work on something that is really some next level s
hit for the company and the hobby as a whole. As in a true continuation of advancement for a brand that never should have died and would most certainly have pushed beyond those boundaries if they hadn't come full stop, and in a way that we would all expect from guys like Dan, Thilo, and Jacob. (Man, if they could all get along, imagine what that collaboration would give us!)
When I look at this newly released Adire product, all I see is something that looks like Eminence built it for them (I would almost put money on that guess). Mediocre black paint all over the basket and motor (except the Brahma motor which looks Chinese), cheap yellow spiders, nasty foam surrounds and plastic dust caps. Eminence will build something of pretty good quality for you at a very low price. Nothing that warrants the price the new Adire is attempting to charge in this day and age. I mean look at the aluminum cone dayton drivers that compare to the Shiva and Tempest, there's no way Adire is getting my money for those two drivers so long as the Dayton is available.
There's too much untapped potential in those XBL motors for even more stroke, while still maintaining a marked sensitivity advantage over other motor topologies. If Adire wants to be a leader in that price bracket they need to offer better baskets, larger spiders, great looking cones with rubber surrounds, and nicely machined motors that are proudly on display, not chromed or painted. Something that truly looks boutique and American made. It's the very reason I have amassed so many of the older, high quality TC drivers.