It would seem to me that there is an unsustainable amount of premium audio product in the market. It is hard to believe that the market is large enough to sustain all of these manufacturers, and it is not clear to me why these new manufacturers are expending the capital. I recently looked at a Stereophile from about 12 years ago and many of those manufacturers are out of business. Best Buy is not the problem for the true high end as it is only sold through dealers. I have no idea how the non core high end audio attracts enough volume to be profitable.
??? Are Manufacturers Killing Our Hobby ???
I had struck me recently that there is a GLUTTONY of equipment manufacturers these days & that,if not careful,the unchecked saturation of every corner of our hobby could bring about the demise of the entire industry..
There are only so many consumers of audio reproduction equipment to go around.The younger generations,as a whole,seem uninterested in the pursuit of music reproduction in the home..Live music events are less & less about the music & more & more about the "show"being put on..
Vendors at the last hi fi show I attended recently commented on how small the crowds were compared to previous years.
Too much of anything is never a good thing in the long run...Is it possible that the unbridled ability of manufacturers to saturate the market with too many choices could be a DEATH knell to our hobby in the not to distant future?