At least here in the UK the price of the IC-7300 has not dropped. It seems like the UK dealers have a cartel on prices. I am not saying this is so, just that one could be forgiven for thinking this.
By now, I would have expected the price to be less than £1000, possibly well less. The RX is simpler. I expect the dealers are charging what people are (still) prepared to pay. This, in my view, is still too much. More mugs the punters.
These are personal views. Maybe when the IC-705 appears prices for the IC-7300 might drop. When the FT891 is less than half price one gets funny feelings. OK, it is not the same radio - I do understand.
Here in the U.S, the IC-7300 is about $1100 -- or 1000 euros. That doesn't include any VAT, however. The U.S. price hasn't dropped in the past year, either.
ReplyDeleteI think the main effect of the IC-7300 has been to lower prices on *other* radios to keep them priced competitively.
This is how I see it:
Most people with an avid interest in HF operation *already have* an HF rig. Upgrading to a radio with no VHF/UHF capability (for >$1K) seems like a "non-starter". We've probably already passed the point where large numbers can be tempted by a price drop of a few hundred dollars. It would be working the margins, at best. And a lot of the IC-7300's target demographic have solid allegiances to a particular brand that may not be Icom. So, price drops at the retailer end are unlikely to produce dramatic sales.
Fancy *me* giving an operator of your stature advice, but... have you looked at the used gear market? I've seen used IC-7300's going for $850 here, as some are pinched by the pandemic economy. They've only been out for a few years, so how bad can a used IC-7300 be?