Has the cost of HiFi gotten a bit too much?

If you think audio equipment prices are getting high, they are flat lining compared to lumber prices,. Read this quote:

"On Tuesday, the cash price per thousand board feet of lumber was at $1,391, according to industry trade publication Random Lengths. While that’s down a bit from its $1,515 all-time high set on May 28, it’s up a staggering 288% since April 2020. Prior to the pandemic, the price usually floated between $350 and $500."

You see 2x4 studs at Lowes for $8.00. and 1/2" 4’x8’ plywood sheets at Home Depot for $57.00, both ungodly prices. Those prices have precluded building a woodworking shop at home until hopefully prices get back to pre-Covid levels next year. But that was supposed to happen this year, along with this years significant increase in lumber production. I’ve invested in a new tonearm and cartridge instead this year.

Mike

Marantz is coming out with a very favorably reviewed class A/B streaming integrated amp for $2500.00, just add a couple of mid-priced speakers, speaker cable, and a Qobuz subscription and you’ve got a very good system for easily under four grand.

The sky is far from falling for reasonably priced gear!

viva la revolution. history will repeat itself.  what happen to Reagans trickle down economy?  

@tsacremento : +1! We live in the new Golden Age - which means the Rich get richer (way richer) and the Middle Class and the Poor increasingly suffer and struggle to afford necessities. Nobody needs a $10K phono cartridge or a $100K speaker system!

@andy2 I think the root cause is the FED has been printing money. I mean look at their balance sheet...

I am not sure how the FED going to unwind their 8 trillion dollar balance sheet. Is it even possible? What if we going to have a crisis tomorrow, what are they going to do? Just adding more to the existing 8 trillion? This inflationary condition is not going to be "transitory". What if it’s here to stay.

Yes. Except that it is now pushing 9 trillion dollars and rising (see chart - opens a bit slowly, then use pointer) and the Fed is clueless about what to do.

The *rate* of increase may slow, eventually reach a plateau, as has been anticipated for quite some time. Just guessing.. But as to a decrease, the implications of doing so are scary. The Elites won’t let that happen in a hurry.

Mr Powell is indeed a clever man, being a lawyer by trade, and a member of the establishment Elite.

Add all this liquidity sloshing around the world, negative real interest rates but nominal rates rising, with supply chain constraints, inflation genie out of the bottle, massive budget debt and ongoing deficits, geopolitical tensions, and other structural issues, and stick on When the Levee Breaks. Like in the closing credits to the film The Big Short.