All audio, no matter the ultimate price tag, is discretionary spending and is the first to be cut in tough economic times by all income classes. Large corporations use the stock market for funding, the Sony's, Marantz's of the audio world are a different model than proprietorships like Bryston, which I believe is what we're talking about here. For these manufacturers, at the low end you need to sell a lot of units, at the high end you sell through personal relationships, the vast middle ground sells to whatever some guy can talk his spouse into putting on the credit card, but success and survival is the same for all. Manufacture lean, lean, lean. Maintain strong cash reserves. Market continually, no matter what the economic conditions are. Companies that do this will survive.