A common old ethernet cable which Denon is trying to flog for $500 has got journalists up in arms. From Australia to the UK to India and the USA tech media sites are slamming the notion of an overpriced ethernet cable.
APC Magazine wrote $500 can buy you a decent desktop PC or ultra-portable notebook, but wouldn’t you rather blow that wad of cash on an Ethernet cable?Audio products company Denon certainly hopes so, with a product that redefines the terms “overpriced” and “credulous”.
DVICE web site wrote “OK, here’s a piece of advice for you tech buyers out there next time you’re at your friendly neighborhood Best Buy: don’t, under any circumstances, spend $500 on a 1.5 meter Ethernet cable. Ever. Overpriced cables are nothing new, but this takes things to a whole new level.
Yes, Denon has the stones to sell this “Ultra Premium Denon Link Cable” for a whopping $499, claiming that it was designed for the audio enthusiast. Yes, it’s an Ethernet cable, and no, your signal won’t get any faster or clearer or better or sexier with these. It’s kind of mindblowing, actually. There’s probably $5 worth of materials in these things and, inevitably, some rich jackass will buy it, giving Denon $495 for their sleazy marketing. It doesn’t get much more egregious than this, my friends. Avoid at all costs.
Causing the stir the AK-DL1 “ultra premium Denon Link cable” Ethernet cable at $499. Measuring 1.5 metres, it’s an item that you can pick up in JB Hi Fi for less than a three dollars. “Designed for the audio enthusiast” Denon states the wire is made from “high purity copper” and offers “high performance connection parts”.
The promise is that the pricey accessory will “bring out all the nuances in digital audio reproduction from any of our Denon DVD players with the Denon Link feature”.