Current Trends In Home Audio

it will be interesting to see if the increasing stream of Chinese audiophile-like equipment has much impact on the hobby. if the parallels with CD and DVD player pricing are any predictor, it could have quite an impact on the more 'boutique-y' audio stuff. it is, after all the price tag that keeps most people away from this stuff.
it could both help and hurt....

Hi, you'll have to forgive me as I haven't the time today to read through this whole thread...but I'd like to throw in my two cents in response to remarks about about the lack of mainstream interest in our hobby and add my thoughts on the apparent disinterest of the younger generation.

I'm 23 years old, an aspiring audio recording engineer; from age 10 on I was raised on CD and later mp3. Please take a moment to click on my system and see that not all of us youth are lost causes when it comes to appreciation of high fidelity. I admit I AM an enigma--I was never exposed to any high-end systems growing up; my parents don't even really listen to music. I'd have to think for a while to figure out exactly where my passion for music comes from, but I have it, and I must admit that I absolutely REVEL in sharing what I have with my peers.

Most of my friends, generally age 18-30, have simply never been exposed to this sort of sonic quality. Of course they don't appreciate a good system--put simply, they don't know what "good" sounds like. Most of them, after a coming over for a listening session, tickle me by saying that, now that they know what "good" sounds like, they can indeed see the merit of such a system ("if only we could afford it!"). There is hope for my generation; however, there can be no market where there is no awareness of the product.

I humbly submit that the apathy of my generation is a result of the well-steeped "all sizzle, no steak" ethos of our parents' generation. The baby boomers, capitalists still chasing the transparent evaporations of the American Dream, blindly and blissfully running in the opposite direction of its vapors, no less, seem to have degenerated to a notion of quality which has been teribly bastardized. This is the state of affairs that my generation has grown into.

I submit that while it is unfortunatly true that the greed and apathy inherent in the majority of my peers as related to the appreciation of sonic pleasures, certainly it is a direct result of the ethos we have inherited from--and you'll have to forgive me for the unintentionally accusatory generalization, here--YOUR generation ;)

But it's not all bad. Just as you are finding that your generation largely does not appreciate fine audio reproduction, there certainly is a tight minority community (YOU) who do.

Much like the aformentioned other side of the argument, this indeed carries over to my generation. Most of my peers also don't care about high-end audio, but a tight minority community do--and I feel that I am proof positive. I will tell you, too, that it has not been an easy hobby to get into. I'm sure some of you have read one of my threads complaining that many high-emd retailers are snooty to the point of being insulting when a young ragamuffin such as myself walks into their shop. God forbid *they* might have to give the time of day to a misunderstood generation that, on the surface, seems so easy to cynically dismiss. This is one of many barriers holding high-end audio back, and as I have discussed this in other threads, I won't go into any further here--just a "for example".

The problem begins, I think, with the notion of the "tight minority community" and the defualt barriers set up by such a notion.

Currently I am itching to get out of my tiny, dumpy post-college, pre-career dive and am looking into some interesting real estate opportunities. You can bet that when I move into a house of my own, I will take the opportunity to set up a dedicated high-end 2-channel audio room with system upgrades starting with the room itself as well as a complete electrical overhauls, then working into the audio reproduction components themselves (speaker are top priority). My door will be open to not only audiophiles but absolutely anyone who wishes to hear great music from a truly high-fidelity system. I feel it is something that the majority of the populace don't know because they simply haven't been exposed to it.

Pardon the rambling-

Respectfully-
Brian aka Dirty

One other thing to keep in mind is that people stage their homes for sale to remove clutter and give the impression that the house is open and airy despite the square footage. I just got through buying and selling a home in the Bay Area, where a 1960's ranch style house (1400 to 1900 sq ft)will cost you $600K + meaning that most families do not have the luxury of a dedicated A/V room. Therefore, a lot of people (myself included) use their living or family room for multiple functions including audio and these rooms can look a little cluttered with all of the equipment. So, when we sold, the first thing I did was box up the system and the 1,500 CDs and 400 LPs and rearrange the furniture to make the room look bigger. Most people probably thought we didn't have a stereo at all although I guess an observant person would have seen the numerous equipment boxes stacked within the garage......

I agree, I think it's exposure, like my girlfriend suggests. Most people simply do not know the equipment exists and what level of fidelity is possible. once you get that established, people will spend the $$$ according to the priorities in their lives. But if one does not know, how can one spend.

Also dealers, try not to **tackle me** and other teens and twenty somethings when we walk into your store and want to crank a $100k stereo. it helps to build a customer base if you seed lust for the equipment and high fidelity experience in future customers. Just a thought.

Also, if I was showing my home during an open house, I would likely box up and hide my stereo. I don't see the point in living it out.

Over the years I've let many people listen to my system. All have had nothing but praise for the sound. When I tell them the cost, they loose interest quickly. I've even given some hi-end equipment (new) as gifts over the years (NAD amp/pre-amp, rega intergrated and CD, pair of Apogee slant 6 speakers). All the recipients thanked me for the gifts but soon returned them to me. They all said the same thing "It's really nice, but I have no use for it" so I gave up trying to convert people because they just had other priorities.