Magico M9 The new 'norm' in speakers

Hearing about that makes me sad. We read all the time about the death of hifi in the US, and it’s blamed on iPods, the Internet, Spotify, and people’s shortened attention spans.

But maybe it’s also the ramp-up of prices in audio. Even the less expensive but well-known lines like Bryston and Parasound are increasing their prices far faster than inflation. That surely discourages many potential buyers; the inflation-adjusted US median income has barely moved in about 20 years. Who knows what it will look like in the next couple, with the impact of COVID-19?

I do think that $10k power cords make audio hobbyists look stupid. What’s important (to me, and I know to many others) in our hobby is the MUSIC. That depends on the musicians, on a chain of people and equipment throughout the recording process, and finally on the hifi system in your home. A jewel-encrusted power cord may make a difference, but does it really make the music better on a range of recordings? That’s not been my experience.

My hat’s off to companies like Schiit, who produce well-performing gear without a lot of nonsense at a price most people can afford.

Not to take away from Magico’s accomplishments; but I’d rather see more manufacturers in the Schiit space than the Magico space.

@nekoaudio : Interesting point. I know that when some users were complaining about Auralic’s increases, the CEO pointed out that they only partially absorbed the cost of tariffs.

On the other hand, it’s my impression that Bryston’s prices were steadily going up long before tariffs were imposed. And some increases (Parasound JC1 to JC1+) seem higher than I’d expect from tariff and inflation alone (and of course there are no US tariffs on Canadian electronics). So yes, I am sure that tariffs have caused some increases, but I’m dubious that they have caused the bulk of them.

My impression is that manufacturers are observing that in audio-land, Veblen’s theory holds (that a higher price makes a product more desirable), and they are jumping on the bandwagon. This is encouraged by The Absolute Sound, whose only ranking of products is by increasing prices.

@nekoaudio - Granted, global trade changes have affected prices. But really, don't you think Veblen's theory also has played a part? How else to explain wires for $10k and so on?

Got it!