How could High End audio be improved?

Nicely put, Asa! In a similar vein, proponents of "good sound at home" (i.e. musical beauty) USED to be opinion leaders in their social group; now they (we) are geeks.

There is another consideration:
Activity & interactive "leisure" keeps our minds away from ourselves, it keeps us busy and away from being introspective. This hobby asks us to lie back and receive, and maybe come closer to our inner selves. We're not taught to do that nowadays, as Asa notes.

But unless this hobby enlists the proverbial 15yr old, its future is very uncertain (as Judith & others have noted).

Onhwy, "Does this mean those not involved in high end audio are not drawn to feel more beauty in music?" Reading Asa as a 3rd party, the answer is, "probably not". It doesn't follow from his words that, not using hi-end as a tool in my pursuit of beauty in music I am relinquishing that pursuit altogether. Asa's comment looks mono-valent.

Going back to the first chapter of Twl's question, I would like to idealise on how High End could be improved: if it could be offered as a SERVICE (by manufacturers & dealers). The service would be, "bringing beautiful sound to your home". This is achieved through meticulous combination of h/ware (machines, wires, etc). Following rules of personal taste, budgets, etc., of course.

The fact that there is so much discussion of h/ware combinations indicates, after all, that information is lacking from the primary sources: manufacturers & dealers...