[ansel1]

I think that in today's world there are a lot more opportunities to make money with the internet, social media, new technology etc. which has subsequently increased the market for these high end headphones, cars, electronics etc. Marketing is a lot easier to reach people today compared to 20-30 years ago and regular sharing their impressions of products such as this site makes people want to spend money to get a taste/same experience.

I'm sure that's true. Niche, technical hobbies are much easier to get into now than 20 years ago. Well, any hobby really. Which means more enthusiasts, with more awareness of how far down the rabbit hole their hobby can go. So it behooves the market to offer deeper and deeper holes.

 

[LetTheKidsTechno]

The consumers are absolutely to blame. Prices will ultimately reflect what people are willing to pay. I'm fairly new to the hobby, but I've noticed it growing in popularity year by year just by the number of Canjam attendees, Youtube views on headphones, or even seeing expensive IEMs out in the wild. With that growth comes more people who are able to afford the extreme prices. At one point or another there needs to be a "correction" or a limit of what these companies can get away with charging. We haven't seemed to reach that point yet sadly.

The major positive is that the lower and mid-fi tier market is seeing great improvement. You can find some great headphones and gear at every price point.

 

[JLoud]

The very TOTL stuff is really only intended for a very small market. For some people 10k isn't a lot of money. But far more mid and entry level stuff comes out every year as opposed to TOTL. Overall the quality options have exploded in number compared to 10 years ago even. I think it is a great time to be in the hobby. Buy what you can afford or justify, and just enjoy it.

 

[jlbrach]

I realize that, but there's a point at which prices are no longer reasonable for like 99% of the market. Is a $3k profit on each headphone justifiable for example? I'd say absolutely not. While I know that is subjective and different for everyone, it is also just bad for the market as a whole, products can be improved further for lower costs as well, although they might improve at a slower pace. It can take alot of resources to improve already really good stuff, like a Ferrari for example, but it shouldn't break everyone's bank. If we want this hobby to have a long term future, we'd better make sure that the point of entry isn't insanely high and out of reach for most people. Entertainment shouldn't be for just the lucky few, but for all.

Obviously, I'm trying to get people to think about this, which is a good thing, that and discussions are what forums are for. Whether you agree or disagree isn't all that important.

not sure I see the problem here..there are all sorts of HP's that are outstanding available for far less money...nobody mandates you have to spend the money for this HP...get what you can afford..the truth is the Immanis may well sell a few hundred units so it is not meant as a mass market product any more than a rolls royce is...there is no such thing as justified in terms of profit for a particular item...is it justified that a ticket to a concert costs 300 dollars...it is if you pay it...go out and get a well cared for used susvara for say 3200 dollars and as good as the new Immanis is I can guarantee it wont be head and shouldners better