I found a way to get around tariffs that will raise the price of audio equipment.

2psyop, hear hear. I would guess that plenty of Germans who were concerned about where their country was going in 1939 were also labeled "chicken littles" or whatever the equivalent of "seagull squad" (such a cute name!) was. Half of the country has been led to believe in exceptionalism and the concept of the rugged individual (the "self-made man" myth). 

I'm very glad I purchased a car last month, and I will be engaging in what the OP proposes, no purchases unless absolutely necessary, and in those potential scenarios, used.

If tariffs remain, and it looks like they will, as pointed out electronic equipment will (is?) get(ing) more expensive and that includes equipment from American companies. 

I am in a good place as I have a nice collection of quality equipment. One thing I will watch is used equipment prices as that would likely rise as well. I would be tempted to sell my very large, well built amplifiers such as Luxman and Bryston products. I'm getting older and it's harder to lift those heavy beasts. As well, I am quite impressed with the small chip amps. So a cheap Chinese chip amp, even with a hefty tariff still isn't too bad to contemplate.

Don't get me wrong, I hate the tariff proclamations and don't want to go back to 1950 or the gilded age whenever America was perceived as being great. I think small well defined tariffs would be okay, but the sledge hammer approach is ridiculous.

@61falcon +1

There's two sides to this story...

I always hated Tariffs. It was not an equal playing field. I was charged tariffs to send my products to other countries but my overseas competitors could bring in their products here with no fees. It gave them an unfair price advantage.

I never heard anyone complaining about tariffs then. This isn't a "sledge hammer" approach. If you charge a tariff we will charge you the EXACT amount back at you. Sounds perfectly fair!

Oh, how comsumers loved those cheap prices all the while supporting my competitors.  Yes, tariffs are totally unfair when only one side has them.

@2psyop 

You can mitigate all you want but it's here and it's going to get worse. Much worse. Finding solace in your system won't help much as we're all caught in the net. No man is an island in these new times.

To think so reminds me of that old Twilight Zone episode, Time Enough At Last, where an avid book reader with a nagging wife and boss just wants to read as it gives him joy. He can't stand the interruptions. One day he's down in the bank vault when nuclear war destroys the planet and he's the only survivor. 

He comes up and rejoices as now he has salvation in the rubble of a ruined world. He looks at all the books he can read and is beside himself. As he's going through all the books, his glasses falls off his face and shatters on the steps of the bank and they were some very thick glasses. His vision is so bad he can't read any of the books he lusted after. 

Replace those broken glasses with the broken systems we're facing and others to come and the analogy becomes obvious. We're just biding time.

All the best,
Nonoise