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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.
yxlei
jmcgrogan2's avatar
jmcgrogan2
6,346 posts
 
I am in my thirties and we need to find a way to attract new blood.
Yxlei

While I don't disagree with this comment, I can't see how it's going to happen. The first thing that needs to change would be to make better music. Many of the old time musical stars were ugly (to be blount). Today, looks is the first 'talent' needed to be a music star. "Video killed the radio star" is so true.
I'm almost 50, and I have three sons, ages 19, 22 and 25. The music they mostly listen to is between 20-50 years old.

Secondly, there are too many other distractions today. 2 channel audio peaked before cable tv, VCR's, iPhones, computers, etc, etc. There was far less competition for one's attention.

My boys do listen to music, but mostly while "multi-tasking". I don't see this generation dedicating themselves to a listening session enough to warrant an investment in the hardware end.

Cheers,
John
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mapman's avatar
mapman
22,099 posts
 
Tvad is probably right.

On the bright side, fewer people interested might result in increased availability of good used pieces and drive down the cost for many fine pieces for the remaining dinosaurs like us.
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docdan50
71 posts
 
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.
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