Sad day. Presumably their bean counters know their target markets and their demand curves. A few high margin sales to non price sensitive individuals may work as well or better for them than more sales to price sensitive individuals.
When I think back to my dads SME III , Shure V15 iv, Thorens 160s, Quad 33, 303, Celestion 66 system, and the impact it had on an impressionable younger me.
And where are they now / who owns them / the state of engineering led British Hi-Fi Manufacturing. Sad day indeed.
Somehow I doubt the current owners have stacked Quad ESL's in their listening room.
http://www.quadesl.org/index.php/hard-core/stacked-quads
http://www.the-ear.net/features/sme-steyning-west-sussex-england