In the middle of a pandemic, Stereophile reviews ~ $30K equipment

Stereophile means nothing, nor does any Danish audio company really except Gryphon. But this subject touches on some social fundamentals. Quarter of the working people sit at home doing non-essential work that only increases the cost of everything and facilitates the further development of the surveillance state. They often get paid quite well. For what and by whom ? And essential workers without whom things would fall apart quickly are having quite a different reality, including very often but not always low pay and high risk of getting infected. They also became the reservoir of the infection along with some other groups. 
Yeah, I saw those pictures of crowds in Brooklyn, in Central Park and other places in NYC. Level of brain power and solidarity are incredible. What kind of music would you play to them ?

"...nor does any Danish audio company really except Gryphon."

No love for Ortofon? Still bringing something to those who can afford almost nothing.

On a non-audio note about Denmark. Cafeteria at Copenhagen Business School, managed by students of business school, went bankrupt.

https://cbswire.dk/spisestuerne-files-for-bankruptcy-70-staff-members-lose-their-jobs/

simple entertainment during quarantine, no more no less...inconsequential...and yes, I'm sure the review samples were received last year...

The reality of manufacturing high-end gear. Who’s able to buy and who cannot, if the buyers are the upper 10% with that kind of disposable income that they will build for. In this great hobby early day a normal Joe could afford to but gear, now if your a family of 2 kids or 3 kids, paying for their education and all the rest, car notes, etc. and you make $60,000-$80,000 a year do you think that family is going to say let’s buy a $20,000 audio system, which is bare-bones today, no they buy a streaming Sonus, sign up to a streaming service and stream music to their Sonus speakers.

I know of no one besides a hand full of audio friends who buy high-audio gear. In my family and inlaws that number 125 and counting no one has an audio system of any quality. All in one system and perhaps made a few hundred dollars for it, or old receivers, etc, No interest. The younger ones stream only and use their phones.

Now with the cost of living the middle classes shrinking, who are they building gear for well those who have the money to blow where the middle class does not they got families to raise.

So $20,000 preamps and other gear in reviews are called a bargain. If you look today the items that are marketed are for the very rich for the most part, then towards the lower middle class, discounts store for everything thrive while quality stores go out of business. It’s what people can afford and for 99% it’s not the audio gear, it that 65" TV for $1,000 or less.

Reading the audio reviews is just to pass time when you are talking $15,000 and up for speakers, preamps, and amps, not to mention cables and power cords that can cost as much as a new car. Point is someone is buying enough of them to keep those companies afloat, and folks it not the USA buyers its overseas. Many USA companies would not survive selling audio gear only to America, the survive from overseas sales where most of their sales are. What we are seeing is what is selling and what the manufacturers are designed for.

MD VA FL CT statistics for today look bad already and it’s not even lunchtime. Shut the cave door and back to pigmy country!

https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/us/