Has the cost of HiFi gotten a bit too much?

That answer really depends on your personal definition of HiFi. 

on the bright side you can buy a integrated today for a grand that will trump a 5 grand amp built 20 years ago

@ghasley , whatever news outlet you are watching you need to dump. What you think you believe is 100% wrong. With lower gas prices utilization increased. The reason Biden stopped the pipeline, fracking and exploration was to increase prices to curtail usage and CO2 production. It worked but it is torturing the economy. Wouldn't it be nicer just to make electricity cheap? Then people will switch to electric home heating and electric cars all by themselves and happily so. I suggest everyone read up on Molten Sodium Reactors. 

Well  do what I intend to do.   Move to Lisbon Portugal.  
I’ll save 6 grand a year on health insurance and that includes private insurance over there.  No need for a automobile, and house rentals just outside the city are half the price here.
 A cappuccino is 2 euros instead of 6 bucks a Starbucks here, and all food half price in restaurants AND   and just about ZERO crime (except for the stupid USA tourists with wide open pockets on their cargo,shorts).

AND……Just about perfect weather as it is here in San Francisco .

Just plug that SS check into one of their banks and getbavD7 visa.

Then buy some higher end equipment.

@sandydennis11 - Totally agree about the weather here in SF, just not quite enough rain! 🌂