Why has focal raised their prices so much on Sopra line


I was looking at the Sopra 2 ,thinking about buying it ,it is a very good speaker it has not changed 
in 5 years thst I can see ,but the price has increased $4,000. Thst sounds like gouging to me ,
from $15 k to $19 k  if thatis thecase  the Wilson Sophia2 is a better speaker for the same price 
as well as night and day better resale value .
128x128audioman58
Our area has a real shortage in base paint material. With any luck this will remain so until my wife loses interest in repainting the living room. 
@roxy 54

Not so sir … materials and related costs CAN cost that much more !

My HARBETH dealer lamented the the perfect storm of BREXIT and COVID introduced a recent 2021 large price hike.

why ?   Some examples, inter Alia: 

(1) Post-BREXIT: the shipping costs have skyrocketed exponentially due to post-BREXIT divorce being an available container space total  FUHBAR to actually get product container shipped. There is a huge backlog of all stripes to clear post COVID AND post BREXIT catchup that horribly delay most stock to be shipped into NA, forcing audio distributors to now use $$$$ expensive airfreight at many many multiples of their prior ship laden containers 

(2) Simple shipping pallets for airfreight and container are in huge short supply post COVID  … he quoted me a distress price of $1500+ for ones that used to be sub $100 for late orders of audio components ordered. 
(3) Many audio product materials just to make the audio components are up 25-50 percent due to similar shortages post COVID and post-BREXIT.

(4)  For the latter, the tax treaties permitting fast and EZ transport have now been scrapped and ground the paperwork requirements clearance to a glacier speed AND  introduced new tax and duties unilaterally until the new tax treaties can be renegotiated at some time in the future, 
It’s an excuse for all of them, to raise the price on a really bloated market to begin with..

Decware hasn’t raised prices in 5 years. They just re-source, like they should, to keep cost down and quality high. They produce Hardware faster NOW than they ever did 15 years ago.. They pass that same decrease/increase via faster production and the cost savings of better resourced parts on to you.. It’s a high value product for the price point..

Just because people had to pay more doesn’t mean the product is worth more, I’m pretty sure actual RD PLUS was recovered a long time ago and 25% for total parts and finish is probably a push.. A LOT of mark up WAY to much..

I can't think of a single speaker in production now I'd want to buy.. NOT ONE..

Regards
roxy54, I assumed we were still speaking mostly of Focal. Obviously, very little of my reply relates to a 12 year time span with any maker, sorry.