There have been several interesting answers above and I'd like to offer some more.....
We are living in a time when even relatively "inexpensive" gear has gotten really good sounding. If you've been in this hobby for any length of time, you start to realize that the more expensive the gear is, doesn't always mean better sounding. Having gone to several shows like AXPONA, it becomes clear that most of the uber expensive rooms sound ok....not great. I started making it a game to seek out the lesser known companies to hear their gear and compare them to the better known names. In almost every case, the smaller companies produced gear that sounded as good or better than the others. Many of them were also made in the US which is a big plus for me. The customer service tends to be stellar with these manufacturers.
I also believe there is a move toward simplification with gear. I'm over 50 and I'm getting tired of lifting amps and preamps that weigh over 75 lbs or 45 lbs respectively. After 2 back surgeries, I'm not willing to take the chance anymore.
I've decided to move to speakers that are higher efficiency and integrateds that don't weight 65 lbs, but sound really good. An example would be to compare one of the choices the OP gave: Lavardin. I've owned the IT and it sounds good, but I recently heard about a small company from the UK by the name of Sonneteer and decided to give them a try at a fraction of the price. In my system, the Sonneteer Alabaster is a much more musical and enjoyable integrated amp. It retails for $2400 and the Lavardin IT retails for $9500 (I believe). A no brainer.
I also hear from other audio friends that they are nervous about the economy and with the prices of used gear falling like a rock, they are holding on to what they have. I think the word used above by audiotomb was content.
I've also noticed that more and more of my friends would rather spend some extra money going to local concerts now rather than keep chasing the unobtainable.
Just my 2 cents.
