2. misc-audio
  3. 135539-76532

High End is Dead?

Browsing used audio sites such as Audiogon and the Marts, high end gear ads are dominated by several dealers. Non-dealer ads are usually people trying to push 15+ year old off-brand junk at 60-70% of MSRP (when they were new). They don't sell anything. You could slash Wilsons, Magicos, etc, 50% off retail and no one will buy them.

No one buys if it costs more than 1k. It's not that they're not interested -- the ads get plenty of views. It's that the asking prices are just way over the ability of buyers to pay. Fact is, if you see a high end piece for sale it's probably by a dealer, often times trying to push it at 15% off retail because its a trade in, but also often they are taking a good chunk off the price 30, 40 sometimes 50% off. They can be famous brands with a million positive reviews. No buyers.

Are we just poor, and that's all there is to it? 
madavid0

Showing 1 response by electroslacker

electroslacker
375 posts
 
For many of us, the central thing that was happening in the 60's and 70's was the sudden surge in creativity of relevant music, and we wanted to experience it as fully as possible.  Our experiential lives were directly related to the music we experienced. It was our window into the world. HEA was a magical lens into the amazing musical events that were unfolding daily.  Now, the Internet and clever apps give us that lens into the world, so HEA has lost its value proposition.

In a world of batteries driving something as powerful as an iPhone, the big, heavy, dumb offerings of HEA seem dubious to greater numbers.




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