Are you manufacturer's paying attention?

i've heard pigs whistle. even saw one fly. never seen a big-name amp maker beg for ideas about $1k amps, tho. must figure it's better to float bellyup than cater to the mid-fi crowd, eh?

The high end companies will not put out lower priced components because that will lower the " Value " of their name, or they just find they can't produce what they feel the name deserves under the restrictions of that budget. They can't deflate the value of current gear and alienate their customer base by putting out sub-par cheap stuff. What are you complaining about? You all ready listed several companies that make good bang for the buck type stuff. If Conrad designed and put out a lower priced amp it would have the same limitations as the Anthem amp due to the budget constaraints. Come to think of it they allready have an amp. Sold under the name Sonograph " by CJ " again, changed the name to protect the "CJ" reputation. Also why Anthem is not called Sonic Frontiers.

Cars lose their value due to the number of moving parts, competition in the market place, and exposure to the immediate environment. Which, again causes extreme wear on the automobile, thus making it less than pristine and eventually a bucket of rust.

You can buy a $20,000 dollar car and in ten years it may only be worth $2,000. All due to the above factors.

On the other hand, in 1987, I bought a new Adcom GFA 555 for $550. In 1998, I sold it for $350.

In 1993, I bought a new Adcom 565 pre-amp for $750. In 1998, I sold it for $450.

These are not high end by any means, but I think it demonstrates that stereo gear holds a better value than automobiles and I would bet that percentage wise it hold as well as other consumer electronics or products.
Just look at the used golf club or bicycle market.

-2,-2 for telling the truth? Give me a break. I suppose it is too much to ask for an actual reply or something else of intelligence.

Don't buy the stuff if it does not deliver good value for the money. Just focus on high value-for-performance gear. Is there truly not enough high value/performance gear available?

Can anyone compile a list of high value/performance amplifier manufacturers? Let's examine if there are enough to choose from.

Everyone knows that audio performance does not go up in direct correlation to cost. It is our choice to go beyond the "knee" of the cost/performance curve or not.

Do you want good sound or bragging rights? Have we all not heard mega-buck systems that sounded awful? And cheaper ones that sounded better? Exercise your choices; vote with your purchases.

People paying outrageous prices perpetuate the pricing. The exclusivity, expense, and sheer audacity of some manufacturers appeal to some buyers. We don't have to participate.