What is going on? No-one buys good stuff priced right.

If I had the $20k to blow on a tonearm without suffering my lot in life I probably could justify the expenditure without aforethought.  

Just because something is out of my reach financially does not make those who can afford it dupes - it's simply a matter of perceived value to the buyer. Excesses of the wealthy are hardly new to anyone here or elsewhere. Most of my friends and colleagues find my stuff "expensive" when by comparison with other members my stuff is relatively inexpensive. C'est la vie. 

There is no "problem" with 2 channel listening other than it requires dedication. 99% of the people I know do not have two channel equipment. Personally speaking my TV is in the den, my 2 channel gear in the living room. I do not have surround sound for the TV,  I find surround to be intolerable. Most of my acquaintances are just fine with their HT setups

The good stuff isn't moving as quickly because the audience for it is much smaller than it's ever been. I'm tired of parties where people Bluetooth their music over some big box store wireless speakers and find it acceptable. Ugh. 

I'm doing my best to sustain the purchases of good stuff but my finances ebb and flow!

I try doing my best too.

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.

I couldn't agree more!  I've attended many shows in Canada/US and over seas and have sat in front of systems worth many times the price of my home, yes they sounded great, looked great and I enjoyed talking to the designers/owners of the company.  But, I'll always come back to brands I've heard and trusted for years, Sonneteer being one of them.  The Alabaster is one that I've owned/sold for 12 years and it continues to put a smile on my face every time I hear it and that for me is the most important factor in deciding to put your money down on a piece of gear.  

Does it make you happy when you listen to it?

Scott Wylde
US/Canadian Agent for Sonneteer