Good statements Toby.
This quoted part is the key to the current situation in car stereo, I think. Sure, stuff is cheap now. But a lot of it is junk. I wont throw any brand names out there because I dont want to offend anyone, but a lot of people are buying this cheap trash and getting burned when it blows up soon after. Then they're tired of wasting money so they go buy things other than car stereos, even though they really would like to have great tunes. One main culprit is the power wars BS. You've got companies all over advertising 1000, 1500, 1800, 2000 watt amps that in truth can't do 500 watts cleanly, but people are buying them because how do they know the difference? I have people all the time come in and ask for a 1500 watt amp, but don't like the price on a real one. The next time i see them they've got a 300 watt amp with a 1500 watt sticker on it and they're here to ask why it keeps cutting out or sounds so bad. Unfortunately they've spent their money on weak product with lies printed on the box and now they're stuck with it, which stinks for them and for the industry as a whole.