Price rises.

Just noticed that the Spendor D7.2 seems to have gone up by a grand, and the D9.2 by around two. Is this happening with other manufacturers?

Eek! is all I can say...
Eek indeed, they kept that quiet. That's the second time in 2 years then. From £4500 to £5650 for the D7.2's, that's some hike.
Good job I have no plans to buy stuff for the foreseeable future.
I am sure other manufacturers made doing likewise which doesn't sound like a good move in the current economic climate
 
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I think the D7's where £3,500-ish (although I paid rather less than that as mine were 2nd hand), and had wondered about upgrading when the time comes - all I can think now is that whilst I expect them to incrementally better in many ways, they aren't going to be two and a half times better...

Looks like I'll be sticking with the used market.
 
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It’s frightening how much some have gone up by, but the parts, storage, packaging, transport etc is all shooting up too.

I suspect that the price rises elsewhere - energy, fuel, food etc - will bite into discretionary and luxury spending. Some Hifi outlets with good mail order did well during Covid but the chips are down now.
 
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Much of this is down to the greed of the countries where base materials are sourced from - everyone is cashing in on what’s going on at the moment. You’d think that this was a time to shine for British manufacturers but sadly, many of them still source certain materials/parts from overseas. I’ll say what I said when Brexit hit - this is a chance for new companies to emerge and manufacture the stuff the U.K. relies on other countries for. You know you have to address the issue when the shipping crate you used to pay £1000 for is now £10,000.
 

Edbostan

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Much of this is down to the greed of the countries where base materials are sourced from - everyone is cashing in on what’s going on at the moment. You’d think that this was a time to shine for British manufacturers but sadly, many of them still source certain materials/parts from overseas. I’ll say what I said when Brexit hit - this is a chance for new companies to emerge and manufacture the stuff the U.K. relies on other countries for. You know you have to address the issue when the shipping crate you used to pay £1000 for is now £10,000.
It was just a question of time when the proverbial hit the fan. Hi-Fi does not take priority when there are other financial pressures. I am making do with my 9 year old TV and 10 year old Kef speakers and many would be consumers are holding back because of price hikes. Tough times ahead.
 
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Gray

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It was just a question of time when the proverbial hit the fan. Hi-Fi does not take priority when there are other financial pressures. I am making do with my 9 year old TV and 10 year old Kef speakers and many would be consumers are holding back because of price hikes. Tough times ahead.
True for many.
Though for some, even now, there is no problem whatsoever. You know the type, so much disposable income, price no issue - you want it, you have it. (The type that fly round supermarkets grabbing stuff off the shelves, never once checking the prices - or more likely just getting it delivered).

I'm no socialist / communist, I appreciate there will always be difference....but the obscene differences now between haves and have- nots is becoming more visible.
 

skinnypuppy71

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Just had a look out of interest and the Avid ingenium ( I bought one in April) has had a £250 increase bringing it up to £1500....in the retailer I bought it from, I'm assuming it's probably a universal increase.
 

podknocker

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I once had a dream about owning a pair or Spendor A4 speakers. They went up to £2400 about 2 years ago and now they retail at £2850 on all sites. I can't see this trend stopping and all the kit I wanted to save for, will soon be way out of my price range. I might want to replace my speakers in 3 or 4 years, but I dread to think what I would have to pay for them. There will be some belt-tightening, for me now and I'm not sure if luxury items will be a viable option, for some time.
 
I once had a dream about owning a pair or Spendor A4 speakers. They went up to £2400 about 2 years ago and now they retail at £2850 on all sites. I can't see this trend stopping and all the kit I wanted to save for, will soon be way out of my price range. I might want to replace my speakers in 3 or 4 years, but I dread to think what I would have to pay for them. There will be some belt-tightening, for me now and I'm not sure if luxury items will be a viable option, for some time.
I've been very happy with buying used, albeit with a degree of care. Had never done so before, but can very much see me doing so in future. I paid £2,400 for the D7s.
 
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podknocker

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That's a bargain, for those speakers, if they've not been abused and still look nice. I've been searching the web for some 'B' grade Harbeth 7ES3XD, with perhaps some minor cosmetic blemishes on the finish. These are still lotto win prices, for me and it's so sad, thinking I might not get to upgrade my system, ever. Prices very rarely come down, unless in a sale, so it looks like food, fuel and technology, is going to cost much more, in the long term.
 

Gray

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Purchase Tax was 25% on luxury items. Purchase Tax was replaced with VAT
So at the time of that 25% (that I'm too young to remember ;)) there was no such thing as V.A.T.?
How many fixed rates did purchase tax have?
With 25% being the highest?

I should really know, but I don't
(One of my brothers spent his entire working life at the VAT office (he must have started when VAT did)....my other brother still works there).
 
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Samd

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Here you go - there were a few rates methinks:

Purchase Tax was a tax levied between 1940[1] and 1973[1] on the wholesale value of luxury goods sold in the United Kingdom. Introduced on 21 October 1940, with the stated aim of reducing the wastage of raw materials during World War II, it was initially set at a rate of 33.33%.

The tax was subsequently set at differing rates dependent upon individual items' degree of "luxury"[2] as determined by the government of the day.[3]

The 33.33% rate was increased to 66% for cars costing over £1000 in 1947 and this rate was extended to all cars from 1951. In 1953 it was reduced to 50%.[4]

In connection with the accession of the UK to the European Economic Community[5] Purchase Tax was abolished on 2 April 1973 and replaced by Value Added Tax (VAT), initially set at a rate of 10%, which was shortly afterwards reduced to 8%.[
 
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Edbostan

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So at the time of that 25% (that I'm too young to remember ;)) there was no such thing as V.A.T.?
How many fixed rates did purchase tax have?
With 25% being the highest?

I should really know, but I don't
(One of my brothers spent his entire working life at the VAT office (he must have started when VAT did)....my other brother still works there).
I believe VAT replaced Purchase Tax when we joined the Common Market.
 
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