What's going on with the audio market?


Recent retail sales reports are very bad and I am hearing that sales for audio equipment have been nonexistent over the past few months.  I also see more dealers putting items up for sale here and on other outlets.  Even items that have traditionally sold quickly here are expiring without being sold. 

To what would you attribute the slowdown?  Have you changed your buying habits for audio equipment and, if so, why? 
theothergreg

Let's keep the politics out, please.

Let's not turn a perfectly good audio forum into a nasty mess. 

@jafant lol.  Everything is obamas fault even high end audio. Anyway. Stuff is overpriced. Service and quality is lacking? I think computer audio and streaming is also a factor!
@dgarretson , right you are.
It seems that it is not a problem with your math skills so much as it is a problem with my reading skills.
I read your second number to be how many years have you seriously exercise your purchasing power on audio, not at what age did you start. So change my 27 to a 28. I’ve been playing in the high end for 27 years now, I started at the age of 28.

@jmcgrogan2  what was your system at 16? I ask because I had a complete load of crap at that age...