I'm 52, started in hifi at around 18, ??.
I have been saying/feeling this for the past 3-4yrs now. Audio gear pricing has been increasing for no reason at all, other than greed by audio companies. If you want to stifle sales of anything, just raise the price and keep raising it, at some point people will stop buying.
And this is not just about the "vinyl craze", all gear has been on a price run. I have been looking at getting a new set of speakers, take for example Wharfdale Jade 7s. Came out at $4200.00 in 2013, from what I read they did not sell well and now you can get them for about $2500.00 discounted. I have seen cartridge mfg increase prices last year by 30-40%, same carts just a higher price.
I think there is an audio price bubble that is at least 20-25% over inflated...
Now there is some business going on in the super high end audio......I read a review of the new Marten Coltrane 3 speakers, $100K a pr. The owners stated that at a recent audio show they had taken orders for 7 pr, not bad for a speaker that when originally came out were priced at $50K.
Just like anything else, labor is the big % of sales prices these days, you can't tell me the Coltrane 3 has $50K worth of materials in those speakers.....
Maybe the bubble is breaking but I am not sure what is going to happen....
I have been saying/feeling this for the past 3-4yrs now. Audio gear pricing has been increasing for no reason at all, other than greed by audio companies. If you want to stifle sales of anything, just raise the price and keep raising it, at some point people will stop buying.
And this is not just about the "vinyl craze", all gear has been on a price run. I have been looking at getting a new set of speakers, take for example Wharfdale Jade 7s. Came out at $4200.00 in 2013, from what I read they did not sell well and now you can get them for about $2500.00 discounted. I have seen cartridge mfg increase prices last year by 30-40%, same carts just a higher price.
I think there is an audio price bubble that is at least 20-25% over inflated...
Now there is some business going on in the super high end audio......I read a review of the new Marten Coltrane 3 speakers, $100K a pr. The owners stated that at a recent audio show they had taken orders for 7 pr, not bad for a speaker that when originally came out were priced at $50K.
Just like anything else, labor is the big % of sales prices these days, you can't tell me the Coltrane 3 has $50K worth of materials in those speakers.....
Maybe the bubble is breaking but I am not sure what is going to happen....