"Here we are today, high end bigger than ever..."
We like to fantasize that way, but how big that high-end really is? How many high-end speakers are sold these days? Pick virtually any definition of high-end. Include Tekton, Wilson, Wharfedale, Magico, whatever you desire and at various price points and let it be high-end. Same for amplifiers and other devices. I know only one person that has anything anywhere close to resembling the thoughts of it. Some years ago, all my friends had what was decent systems for their time. Only one has it now. The market has gotten smaller not because those who were once interested died, but because they lost interest in having some system beyond basic reproduction. They could afford it now even easier than then and still no real interest.
The fact is that technology has advanced so what was high-end then is just an average performance today. Maybe people simply do not need anything better than a certain, but still decent, threshold.
Not to go into calculations about vinyl sales again, but that market exists and is so small that it is silly to constantly bring up that they sold more than CDs. Two is double than one, but is still only two.
Really, are there any numbers anyone knows that could be attached to "bigger than ever"? Quality for sure, number of units sold who knows.