EJ3
Master Contributor
I like the meme!
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Are you buying now because you anticipate higher prices?
- Thread starter Mort
- Start date
Yes I am and it is super annoying trying to anticipate what I will need (manufactured or sourced outside the US/USMCA) and what the [insert favorite pejorative] in the white house will be doing with these [insert favorite pejorative] tariffs. Not to mention if the USMCA will get trashed along with everything else.
Muddywaters
Senior Member
Looks like mine is in the air now. Received the AliExpress email:
“Your order XXXXXXX… has left the departure place and now in transit to the destination country/region.”
Should? Get thru prior to May 2nd
Audionaut
Major Contributor
Among other things, it is a very interesting point that only about 10% of US Americans are still active in manufacturing and that the tariffs are particularly damaging to those who generate the bulk of GDP.
Soandso
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This chart indicates the trend in value of the US$ vs. a group of other national currencies. The relevant context of what one sees should be explained since looks can be deceiving.
It means the USA products are "cheaper" to buy by those nations. Statistically this favors those nations importation of USA products, while favoring more exportation by the USA.
Conversely it also means those nations' products are "costlier" to buy by the USA. Statistically this dis-favors the USA importation of those nations' products, while dis-favoring more exportation by those nations.
In terms of any trade "war" the devaluation (popularly referred to as "weakening") of one's currency is tactically desirable. In fact historically certain countries have deliberately devalued their currency to boost exports. The above chart exemplifies a positive trend for rebalancing the trade deficit in the favor of the USA.
Soandso
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Yet the time-line of news cycle goes on with evidence that non-service industry jobs will soon be increasing in the USA; as per attached screen shot below. And this specific attendant foreign investment deliberately includes the intention to increase the export of finished product(s) from the USA, while simultaneously decreasing the USA's need to import those finished products. In other words another USA trade deficit re-balancing long term "win" logically attributable to the April 2025 USA tariffs initiative.
Investment goes to where to make money ...ask the Swiss...
Not whether there will be reciprocal tariffs.
I think there is a broad assumption the tariffs are going to happen at the proposed scale and be sustained for any impactful amount of time. I don’t subscribe to that view.
I am not accelerating any purchases as I am in the minority camp that thinks the price on luxury goods might actually decrease slightly within the next 12 - 24 months.
This little “scare” has been a bit of cold water and a dose of reality on the last remnants of frivolous spending by the upper middle class and above. I think we may see a slight pull back on that front even if the tariffs don’t get levied. From an economic perspective, it’s actually not a bad thing as long as the core remains solid. It’s the medicine for inflation.
Pricing will remain flat, however there will be discounts offered. This is my humble opinion.
I’m in wait and see mode
I am not accelerating any purchases as I am in the minority camp that thinks the price on luxury goods might actually decrease slightly within the next 12 - 24 months.
This little “scare” has been a bit of cold water and a dose of reality on the last remnants of frivolous spending by the upper middle class and above. I think we may see a slight pull back on that front even if the tariffs don’t get levied. From an economic perspective, it’s actually not a bad thing as long as the core remains solid. It’s the medicine for inflation.
Pricing will remain flat, however there will be discounts offered. This is my humble opinion.
I’m in wait and see mode
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Soandso
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Sorry, I can't clearly understand what you are trying to convey with the English sentence that quoted my "cheaper" to buy statement. My impression is you are referring to a short term effect at a time when the reciprocal compromises are still being worked out.
I'll continue pointing out that the USA before the recent tariff war began with China bought (imported) about 15% of what China produced. Currently the USA is importing 64% less from China.
Previously China had a 31% share of the global total manufacturing. However their share of global consumption was only about 13%; with about a 17% share of the global GDP.
So China is searching for foreign markets to re-direct the export of it's suddenly tariffed manufacturing surplus. However Europe with it's developed economies is not keen to absorb yet more of China's exports. Europe had their own trade imbalance of about €30,500,000,000 (€30.5 billion) in China'a favor.
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EJ3
Master Contributor
I've heard that investing is something that on average they do better than most...
While have allowed tariffs to be discussed here lately, thread needs to return to audio and your specific purchase plans.
Have deleted recent posts that have specific political person or group targeted. This is not allowed any thread here.
Thanks for your cooperation!
Have deleted recent posts that have specific political person or group targeted. This is not allowed any thread here.
Thanks for your cooperation!
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A cheaper product, due to a weak dollar, will always be more expensive to purchase if you add the cost of customs duties compared to a "non-American" product without duties.
digitalfrost
Major Contributor
In case you want to buy anything from FiiO, they will raise all their prices 40% after May 1st (only in the US).
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- Thread Starter
- #317
Minidsp new recommendation to USA residents suggests you get your MiniDsp units before May 2 when the de minimus ends.
DHL stopped shipping from China to USA consumer.
Fedex will require US residents to have an account to be charged tarrifs.
DHL stopped shipping from China to USA consumer.
Fedex will require US residents to have an account to be charged tarrifs.
With few counties willing to capitulate on tariff negotiations this could be an interesting period for US audiophiles. Even if the China tariffs were reduced a bit it won't correct the issue. The Japan negotiations didn't result in a deal and that was considered an easy one. It could make the waters too crazy for most of us to place an international order not knowing what additional bill will come with it. It will be interesting to see how this impacts Amazon sales. A lot of their items come from outside USA.
Here's the RME ADI-2 DAC FS on sale for $300 off.
www.bhphotovideo.com
Here's the RME ADI-2 DAC FS on sale for $300 off.
RME ADI-2 DAC FS Ultra-Fidelity PCM/DSD 768 kHz DA Converter
Buy RME ADI-2 DAC FS Ultra-Fidelity PCM/DSD 768 kHz DA Converter featuring Studio-Quality 2-Channel USB DAC, High-End Headphone Amplifier, S/PDIF & ADAT Playback, DSD up to 768 kHz / DSD256, High-End Amplifier for iOS Devices, 32-Bit / 768 kHz Converters, Built-In DSP with EQ, Crossfeed & More...
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The latest word, apparently uttered by You-know-who:
[Tariffs on goods from PRC] “will not be as high as 145 per cent” [and] “it’ll come down substantially, but won’t be zero”
There's also a pretty good podcast by Ezra Klein interviewing Thomas Friedman, as Friedman likens successful PRC firms as being incredibly "fit", due to intense competition at home, to the extent that less-fit companies simply can't deliver the same value, and how supply chains evolve to support the industry. Much reminds me of what they once said about Japanese companies. By the time I could seriously consider buying audio components for myself, USA brands like Fisher, HH Scott, Marantz, Sherwood and Harman Kardon were mostly made overseas, and in many cases, their offerings seemed kinda lame compared with say, Technics. Aside from McIntosh, whose prices were far beyond my youthful budget, the only Made in USA stereo receivers that I encountered were Philips, of all brands.
Schiit Audio IMO, is the closest USA analog to the PRC hifi firms, but maybe not one of the top-tier ones.
Awhile back, @Weeb Labs did writeups about an amazingly cheap DSP unit offered by NVarcher and other AE vendors, so I decided to try one for myself. If you can believe it, at the time, the things were selling for <6 USD! His tests showed that it was far from perfectionist-quality, but nevertheless, a useful and almost-free audio widget, offering at least 20 parametric filters for L and R channels, a subwoofer output, with it's own filters, even a Bluetooth input. I currently have mine hooked up to a Douk tube amplifier I completed earlier this year.
[Tariffs on goods from PRC] “will not be as high as 145 per cent” [and] “it’ll come down substantially, but won’t be zero”
There's also a pretty good podcast by Ezra Klein interviewing Thomas Friedman, as Friedman likens successful PRC firms as being incredibly "fit", due to intense competition at home, to the extent that less-fit companies simply can't deliver the same value, and how supply chains evolve to support the industry. Much reminds me of what they once said about Japanese companies. By the time I could seriously consider buying audio components for myself, USA brands like Fisher, HH Scott, Marantz, Sherwood and Harman Kardon were mostly made overseas, and in many cases, their offerings seemed kinda lame compared with say, Technics. Aside from McIntosh, whose prices were far beyond my youthful budget, the only Made in USA stereo receivers that I encountered were Philips, of all brands.
Schiit Audio IMO, is the closest USA analog to the PRC hifi firms, but maybe not one of the top-tier ones.
Awhile back, @Weeb Labs did writeups about an amazingly cheap DSP unit offered by NVarcher and other AE vendors, so I decided to try one for myself. If you can believe it, at the time, the things were selling for <6 USD! His tests showed that it was far from perfectionist-quality, but nevertheless, a useful and almost-free audio widget, offering at least 20 parametric filters for L and R channels, a subwoofer output, with it's own filters, even a Bluetooth input. I currently have mine hooked up to a Douk tube amplifier I completed earlier this year.
Thinking about purchasing a new vehicle in the USA. This article details what automakers are thinking and doing. If you are a "car guy/girl" this is a good website to keep up on the industry.
tflcar.com
From Employee Pricing to Halting Imports: Here's How Automakers Are Reacting (Updated) - TFLcar
With automotive tariffs now in effect, automakers are responding in various ways, with some like Audi and VW pausing imports altogether.
tflcar.com
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