Why Is Hi Fi Gear So Darn Expensive?

@whart good for you! I know most people here are above or way above average and I am happy for them, their ability to pay for their hobby. There wouldn't be Ferraris and 30K speakers without them.

whart

... the enthusiast market, in my estimation, was never about how big the check was- it was the pursuit of building something excellent (whatever that means to you) over time--many of us gradually upgraded to get where we are after various systems that were probably more than "OK" to the average consumer ... A lot of the people I know who have long been deep in this hobby are not in the billionaire class- they are just ardent hobbyists who don’t spend on boats, Ferraris, second or third homes, jet shares or whatever.

I think that’s an excellent summation and we all started somewhere. For some of us, audio is a long-time priority, so that’s where much of the "discretionary spending" goes. Further, it’s a bit simplistic to think the alternative is a Ferrari or boat. It’s really all about the habits and practices that Thomas J. Stanley explained so well, starting with The Millionaire Next Door.

It's expensive when new and resale value is terrible for most of this stuff which is great for buyers, less so for sellers.

People who own small businesses need to make a large enough profit for them and their employees to live.

Because so few people buy it.