High End is Dead?

I don't understand the proliferation of new turntables/arms at this year's AXPONA and Munich last year.  I just saw two new $23,000 turntables w/arms  from Einstein and Thales (the former's first turntable).  I think Levinson just came out with a VPI made table for $10,000.  That's a lot of money for new turntables.  TheAudioBeat had several other turntables reviewed this year at $37,500 for a Monaco 2.0 and a $9,000 Thales Compact.  It makes me think something is wrong with my VPI VI w/SME IV (modded) arm which cost less than half of most of those tables.  Am I mistaken, or are all these new $23,000 tables/arms really that good compared to 10 year old VPI tables (SME IV still sold at Acoustic Sounds)?

I am lucky to have both a dedicated listening room and a living room with music. The listening room includes seating for 5 people between the speakers and the ability to add more chair listening. (That’s why I don’t want speakers that are directional, they limit the enjoyment for friends in sharing the music). The living room system is simpler with a high end CD based system, a smaller stereo tube amp, a very size small pre-amp with a pair of Legacy Signature IIIs. All located at the far end of the room with about 8 listening seats and sound that emanates throughout the family room and dining room as well (good for parties with 25+ people).

I really enjoy sharing my music and do not talk about the equipment to non-audiophiles. The only thing they bring up is that LPs are reportedly superior to CDs and vice versa. I end that discussion by playing both to their satisfaction.

I was an avid stamp collector 45 years ago. Although I enjoy the artistry of engraved stamps, they are about as interesting to friends as showing them slide shows of my travels-in other words, it’ll quickly you to sleep.

My flat (not curved) 75" TV allows good viewing angles for friends and family of about five people when I share my video collection.

I like sharing rather than solitary listening/viewing audio and video; however, when my wife goes to bed at 12 am, I am free to enjoy my music til’ 1:30 am.

I purchased used quasi high end equipment up until I was 34 years old when I could afford things like a VPI turntable, SME IV arm and Dynavector MC cartridges. When I was in my 40s, I started purchasing more high end gear and cabling became important. In the last 20 years, I have now got two high end audio systems. The most important thing for me was buying records, lots and lots of records. Now I buy CDs, lots and lots of CDs because classical music boxed sets are so cheap and good jazz which generally remastered to my liking.

Wrong, I was a big stamp collector until the 1980s.  I loved the engraved stamps for their artistic merit.  Now, especially U.S. stamps, are photographs with self-adhesive backs, printed with a row of plate numbers which make buying sheets rather than blocks of old, collectables.  A sheet often has four or more pictures on it rather than a continuous loop of engravings.  I don't want to be a sheet collector and don't value the mere photo stamps versus the personally engraved stamps.   

Thank you.  I'm not in mourning over the situation as I am primarily into music, with 42,000 records and CDs as well as a mastering engineer for local orchestra and choirs.  Music is my primary avocation since I was 3 years old.  Coins are also nice but there are so many commemorative issues that I lost interest in collecting them decades ago.  

I built my house with a dedicated music room 25' X 23' with an 8' X 6' equipment alcove.  Unfortunately, I kept buying records and CDs since 1993 when I moved in.  I built in seismic reinforced shelving along most of three walls (worked great in the 1994 Northridge earthquake), I have 10 drawers from CAN-AM for CD storage and several racks on the walls for additional storage (overage).  I also have about 2,500 LPs and 2,000 78s in a storage building I installed in 1998.  So, yes, I have several 1000s too many records.  I sold 18,000 records in the past.  I have a rule for myself, if I don't potentially want to hear a recording three times annually, out it goes.  Those 2,000 78s are for sale for $1,000.  They weigh a ton.

As to knowing where my recordings are, over 75% are in alphabetical and/or label order by music type (rock, opera, vocalists, pop, jazz, instrumentalists, etc).  Also, about 70% are listed alphabetically on computer files in order per music type.  Now that I have so many business responsibilities, I have less time to edit my computer files.  I just spend 1.5 hours nightly listening to music and whenever I can grab more time, such as on weekends.

Actually, I have friends who have warehouses filled with records.  Tom Null (owner Varese Sarabande/Newport Classics) has over a million stored nearby, the late Rod Mckuen (who hired a staff for his huge collection), the late Music Man Murray and another late collector-seller in San Bernardino had over a million records each (their collections were purchased by the Brazillian collector who has at least 8 million records). 

My friends who are mastering engineers Kevin Gray, Steve Hoffman and Robert Pincus should keep at least a carton of each of their remasterings in a warehouse.  It would have made them rich if they did-note the prices of DCC LPs and CDs alone. 

I cannot spend time ripping my LPs and 78s.  I have a life other than audio.  I could rip my 7,000 CDs but I don't want to bother doing that either.  I have friends who primarily play only digital hi-res rips and streaming.  One has over 350,000 music files and sells high end audio.  Thanks for your advice but I really enjoy holding the LP/78/CD in my hands and reading CD booklets.  For younger people with smaller collections ripping to a digital file can be rewarding in simplicity in finding music and portability. 

Just met a guy working for Best Buy (computers) who said he ripped his 1500 CDs to a computer drive and sold his CDs.  He hopes to one day purchase LPs and a turntable when he can afford it.