Is it me or is Hi-Fi getting even more over priced ?

[Sherwood]

My thoughts on the over-priced hifi debate ...

Well, yes & no.

Sure the top end of the market has gone stratospheric.
But the bottom end of the market has burgeoned, too.

There is genuinely excellent sounding kit out there in the low £hundreds (new price, not used - and electronics, mainly, speakers are more of a challenge, but headphones for sure) that wouldn't have been dreamed of as possible just 10 or 15 years ago.
You need to look at the whole picture not just at what irritates you.

I have no real opinion on whether this is good or bad although I am guess that some of the technology that is developed for these stratospheric products filters down to real world products. My interest is in the factors that have facilitated the growth in this market, not least the creation of a significant cohort of ultra rich as a result of widening inequalities in income and wealth. I would argue that this cohort was too small in past decades to support an industry where some hifi systems cost as much as a small house!

Geoff

[Macca]

I My interest is in the factors that have facilitated the growth in this market, not least the creation of a significant cohort of ultra rich as a result of widening inequalities in income and wealth.

I keep hearing and reading about this increasing wealth gap but is there any evidence to support it? Or is it just one of those things people repeat because it sounds right to them?

In the past 20 years we have had Russia, China and the far east countries like Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia all develop significantly in wealth terms. That alone would surely account for a sizeable new market for high end hi-fi that didn't previously exist, especially when you consider that attitudes to wealth and conspicuous consumption are different in those cultures. People there are impressed by it, they are not thinking 'Flash git' when they see acres of bling and ludicrous price tags.

[jandl100]

There has been £mega kit for decades - Jadis, Dynaudio and many others have always had offerings that are out of reach to most folk.
As Martin says, the £mega market has expanded as more regions of the world have gained in wealth, creating the inevitable top earning strata of million/billionaires.
You can attach your own ethical/political agenda to it if you want.

[hifi_dave]

I've always done 'high end', right back to the late 70s. Speakers at £18K, amps at £10-20K, CD players at £6-25K we often sold but now the bar has been raised with amps at £250K, speakers at £750K etc. Way out of reach for me and my customers but it does sell in small quantities to those who don't need to ask the price.

Often, these products are not worth anything like the money. The price covers lunatic build and bling, which does nothing for the performance but makes the product look expensive for those who like to show off.

[Spectral Morn]

Just picked up a copy of HiFi News, and the reviews this month are:

Metronome cd player+dac £72,000 total
Pass Labs integrated amp £11,500
Naim Uniti network music system £4100
Technics turntable £1300
Dynaudio stand-mount speakers £4300
Matrix dac £1700
Koetsu cartridge £8000
Spendor speakers £2200
1More headphones £210
Pro-Ject amps £1300

Last time I looked at HiFi Plus, there wasn't anything reviewed at less than four grand.

So, to answer the OP ... Yes!

HiFi News may like to state that they only review suitable high quality kit, but I am personally getting tired of the same old same old distributors portfolio getting dipped into, as if nothing else out there is 'high quality'.

Last two months of + I haven't bought as there isn't enough of interest in them for me. Regarding pricing of review kit, I think + has become less ultra high end than it was, but sadly for me its become more boring - it used to be more interesting in its early days. I used to look forward to it back in those days.

[swampy]

Hehehe... I prefer the idea of an AoS calendar, actually. No doubt that Geoff will want to be 'Mr January'!

Marco.

Lets just hope its not a Full Monty style one for all our sakes !!

[pgarrish]

It’s not just hifi, hi-end anything is getting more and more obscene, but when your customers have more money than some countries, and expensive=better then you just charge what you want and make it look the part.

[Oddball]

I just wish my cows milk was 'high end' and I could charge what I want

[struth]

I just wish my cows milk was 'high end' and I could charge what I want

stuff i buy is twice the price of ordinary milk. microfoams better and lasts longer I ight add milk is badly underpriced for farmers

[Yomanze]

Bring back gold top milk as a standard.

Harder to find now, but so yummy.