More potential bad news for some big names...

Also, the ownership of particular brand really doesn't mean much. Either the current owners or the new owners have the potential to sink or swim. Usually, however, new owners will bring a cash infusion to help save a company on the rocks.

Everybody knows about how some of the top components at Marantz are made in a special facility in a premium fashion kinda like Klipsch RF-7's right?

During Covid, I watched the price of a JL Audio F113 go from 4K to 5K to 6K in three months.   50% increase in price.  Not worth it.

Here in the UK the younger generation are being battered by high prices for flats and houses and other cost of living pressures. New and recently built property has got steadily smaller so space is at a premium.

The high end is coping but for how long is difficult to predict.

As Clinton famously said "It.s the economy stupid"

My guess is that less than 1% of people care about the quality of the sound of music. It’s not that they don’t care about music…it’s just that music is mostly for background while they are doing something else. 
 

I’ve introduced many people to good sound over the years and while they appreciate it… it doesn’t really float their boat. 
 

Then there are the issues of cost and size. Americans in general seem to want smaller and less expensive… look how long it takes to resell big and expensive gear these days. 
 

What are the solutions… that is the real question… I wish I knew. 
 

My own focus is to buy well respected name brands that usually resell easily… but there are no guarantees.