Is the idea of audiophile listening a dying concept as boomers die off?


I’m a boomer myself and was wondering if any other listeners have knowledge or data on how much of a declining industry high end audio is in general? Or am I mistaken and it’s not dying off at all?

tubelvr11

Showing 6 responses by ghasley

The three best years for modern era high end audio sales in terms of units sold and revenue were 2021, 2022 and 2023. 

@hilde45 Indeed, as you know better than most due to your profession of interpreting data accurately and objectively for a living, the data can convince either side of a topic that they reading the tea leaves appropriately.

 

I posit that there has never been a time in our hobby where competent music systems and specifically, access to music, has been more readily available. Now, that access is different and the definition of "what is hifi" is different to different groups. When many on Audiogon were getting interested, there was a local hifi ship and it served equals parts retail/service shop and audio hangout. We ALL remember those days and there were more than a few who hung out and never bought.

 

The pandemic shined a bright light on every segment of the industry. You discovered quickly which companies had an accidental business model and supply chain relationship, different abilities to act/react to the changing landscape and wildly different demand curves depending on the product and the manufacturer's ability to deliver. We experienced 20 years of change in three years.

 

Everything is going to be ok...hifi will live on and shift just fine with or without us. If objectively analyzing generations of data tells us anything, it is dominated by the fact that (A) the law of large numbers is actually a reasonable predictor and (B) every generation believes they are exceptional and most generations are incorrect. LOL.

@rok2id

Greed is the answer.  They seem to have  forgotten that you can't have an affordable flourishing market for Prorsche, Ferrari and Lexus, unless you have a flourishing market for VW, Fiat and Toyota.  Otherwise, it's all on borrowed time.

As The Frogman always says, The Unwashed Rule.

Aren't Toyota, VW and Stellantis(Fiat-Chrysler) #1, 2 &4 as far as sales worldwide? What could be more flourishing?

@audioisnobiggie 

Most listeners choose to support the artists who are di-khead ni--er criminals who expect everyone else except for the bitches to make them care about them.  Criminal world is like the opposite of trying to make the best audio gear at your price point.  

Your entire, miserable, incoherent treatise is delusional but, the good news is, it probably won't last until end of day.

@audioisnobiggie 

Aww, I'm such a meanie to the criminals.

To a di-k-thing ni--a criminal gangsta, it's all the same thing after that anyways.

I always find it interesting how people are capable of behaving when they can be anonymous. Racist memes and over-generalizations are typically the hyperbole of those yet to reach puberty. I do think its very cool of you though that your username pays tribute to Biggie. Very cool indeed.

@audioisnobiggie 

I’m going to move to the US, start my own company that manufactures sutures and plaster for casts, and then become a musician. I wonder how much my fans could eventually allow me to compensate myself from my stocks?

I’m unsure if there is an IQ test administered to move here, but you may want to have your guardian check on that for you.