I keep a lot of old TAS and Stereophile from the 80's in the library with the porcelain throne. In a TAS letter section form 87 I think a doctor wrote in about how his income was increasing as he got out of training but the cost of the audio gear he was interested in as well as what was being reviewed in the magazines was going up way faster. He lamented the increasing cost and wondered if it was justified. The more things change the more they stay the same.
Is Hi-fi getting more expensive?
When I first get into high end audio in 2003, $3000 can buy you a very good cd player. Now $3000 just get you started. All of sudden, most of the major high end cable companies all ask $10,000.00+ for their top of the line speaker cables. The economy is bad but you don’t see high end audio getting cheaper. The entry ticket to Hi-Fi is getting more expensive and Hi-fi is getting far away from average people.
I guess the reason is that if the economy is bad, less people buy high end audio. So companies have to charge more for each unit to cover their development cost, and even fewer people will buy their equipment. This will be a vicious cycle that never ends. I think some company should cut the price by 50% to break the cycle. I know there is lots of pressure for companies not to follow the price trend when one cable company list its cable for $10,000+. If you don’t follow it, people might think you cable is not as good as the high price tag cable. But if you cut unit price by half, your sale volume can go up to make up your lower price. Volume is important. Windows 7 is more complex and powerful than Sooloos, but why Windows 7 is $200 while Sooloos charge yoy $10,000? You can also look at computers, they are always getting faster and powerful while still keep at the same price point or cheaper. Once other companies see the benefits, they will join it too. Pioneer and Sony are not incapable of making great audio gear, they just choose not to because of the tiny market size. If big companies like Pioneer or Sony see there is a big market for high end audio, they will come and join the game.
I feel Hi-Fi almost double its price from 2003-2009.We really need some companies to take the first step(cutting the price) to break the vicious cycle. Now these days more people are listen to compressed music like MP3/ipod. We really need to find a way to attract more people to good quality audio to benefit all of us, otherwise we all lose in the end.
This might be my wishful/unrealistic thinking. People are welcome to share their thought.
I guess the reason is that if the economy is bad, less people buy high end audio. So companies have to charge more for each unit to cover their development cost, and even fewer people will buy their equipment. This will be a vicious cycle that never ends. I think some company should cut the price by 50% to break the cycle. I know there is lots of pressure for companies not to follow the price trend when one cable company list its cable for $10,000+. If you don’t follow it, people might think you cable is not as good as the high price tag cable. But if you cut unit price by half, your sale volume can go up to make up your lower price. Volume is important. Windows 7 is more complex and powerful than Sooloos, but why Windows 7 is $200 while Sooloos charge yoy $10,000? You can also look at computers, they are always getting faster and powerful while still keep at the same price point or cheaper. Once other companies see the benefits, they will join it too. Pioneer and Sony are not incapable of making great audio gear, they just choose not to because of the tiny market size. If big companies like Pioneer or Sony see there is a big market for high end audio, they will come and join the game.
I feel Hi-Fi almost double its price from 2003-2009.We really need some companies to take the first step(cutting the price) to break the vicious cycle. Now these days more people are listen to compressed music like MP3/ipod. We really need to find a way to attract more people to good quality audio to benefit all of us, otherwise we all lose in the end.
This might be my wishful/unrealistic thinking. People are welcome to share their thought.
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- 55 posts total
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Mapman: If fewer people interested in Hi-Fi, fewer people will buy new high end audio and fewer used equipment will be put on sale on A’gon. Dealers and A’gon works almost like eco system. I can keep on improving my system only because of A’gon. The other thing I don’t understand is how expensive cables are getting these days. Cable is important but it is not rocket science. I think Transparent started with $10,000+ cables and other cable companies feel the pressure and just follow suit. Is a $10,000 cable involve the same amount of research/design as a $10,000 component? Price of Transparent cable doubles if you move up their chain. Transparent Opus sell for $20,000. It won’t take long to reach $1M if they come up with 6 more higher cables than Opus. |
Audiofeil, once again you've opened your mouth and removed all doubt. Do you ever wonder why nobody ever responds to your comments? Well, it's because you don't know what the hell you are talking about ever. The things you named are not cheaper than then they were six years ago, except for mortgage rates and home prices and we all know why that is don't we? That's the reason we're in the financial shape we're in now. Television prices fluctuate up and down every year so you can't qualify that and cell phones and cell plans are not cheaper and neither are clothes. and the much more.... you didn't name are: car prices cable TV college tuition heating cost food prices home owners insurance Doctor visits cigarettes Alcohol movie theater tickets furniture just to name a few... those prices are the same too right? You are as ignorant as the day is long you constantly make statements that you can't quality or prove. That's why no one responds to you and I won't either after this. So, please get a life and some education with it. |
You are a dolt. You should research more and post less. http://mjperry.blogspot.com/2008/07/for-some-products-theres-been-major.html |
- 55 posts total