More potential bad news for some big names...

msbel
Fully understand. The difference is obvious. The shrinking dollar. Kids nowadays must choose their preferences. Let’s back up to 1974. In the 1960-80’s (my generations) we could, and did, just about anything we wanted. We didnt have to choose one or the other. Plus, most of us had hot rod cars. Continual concerts, sky diving, white water rafting, Nascar races. Whatever was your desire. During those decades I worked at what most considered one of the crappy’est jobs in town. Just an entry level maintenance man at a really crappy factory. On those 7 dollars an hour wages I had my own nice all utilities paid apartment. 90 dollars a month. My car payment, which was a three-year loan (on a 2-year-old fully loaded 1973 Corvette) was 143 dollar a month. Health coverage was never an issue, as my union at work supplied health insurance and life insurance as part of your union dues. Every Wednesday, Friday and Saturday nights we partied till sunrise which took a fair amount of pocket change. But there was money left over for those kick ass stereo systems so you could drag the entire bar back to your house at closing time. Modern kids don’t have much of a chance. Hell, they can’t afford the hot rod, let alone anything else. The income to wealth gap has risen to where only the wealthy can live like we did "back in the day". Its sad. I was so lucky to be born a boomer...

@nitrobob 

Same here. Off topic (kind of) on the hot rod side, I worked for Motor Trend for years back in the day (we owned Hot Rod as well), and saw first hand the pride of a kid who scoured the US to find that rig. Then they would bring them over for a rebuild/photo shoot for the mag after coming by earlier or sending in photos, and the editors and HR shop freaking out that some kid found a rusted out El Camino in a backyard. Those kids became life long devotees to our brands because it was all about community. Collectors market took over and that was the end of that.

Then we were taken over by KKR and renamed Primedia, which interestingly owned Stereophile at the time. What happened? Paper stock went to below newspaper quality, photos washed out, no more glossy covers, shtty web sites (to this day - not a good look), and just bombed. The anticipation magic was gone (IMHO).

Having worked in digital content since 1992, we cannot blame digital entirely. Niche advertisers bailed due to ridicules ad rates, and the big guns bought all the space. Google threw YT out there that years later would pay anyone who drove views and affiliate links - no vetting. Purely a numbers game. Kids today know a shill when they see it.

I learn more in this forum in a few days than I ever will at a dealer (bless them) or YT vid.  A you know, forum post tech has been around for more than 30 years - Reddit built their entire platform on it.)

Point is (for me), it is more about the community than the gear that drives sales at the end of the day, so there is hope if these holding companies at least had some enthusiasts - they don't. KKR did not have one dude who owned a Hot Rod that I was aware of - not one. Don't forget that holding companies are not entirely at fault - someone got rich cashing out their brand, were going bankrupt anyway due to not paying attention, and became takeover targets vs. disappearing entirely. This is what happened to us.

All of this is my from purely my POV. I was that dude that chased 1st gen ESL's, 8B's, Eico's, Merrill's and other hazardous materials - so NO expertise on exotic gear these days. Now just a humble system I am able to live and tinker with, and rap with fellow audio enthusiasts about gear and basketball.  In-market? Soon :) 

msbel
Quite a story. And interesting. Thanks 
Until 2017 when I retired, I spent weekends inside a NHRA Super Stock'er. 25 years' worth of chasing Wallys. I won't contaminate the thread with a bunch of car talk... but take a ride with me. 

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FsYMv_JXPzI

fact number 4 : in a crumbling unstable  world the young look for easy and light audio affordable components...

Fact number 5 :

Improved technology at very low cost which did not exist before revolutionize the traditional market...

Fact number 6 :

the internet accessibility of information about acoustics among audiophiles makes the high-end products less and less attractive because S.Q. result from knowledge not from marketing, result from basic common knowledge applied not from costlier upgrade which are not always a real new technological improvement anyway .

Fact number one: nobody NEEDS hi-fi.

Fact number two: hi-fi systems costing more than $10,000 are Veblin goods.

Fact number three: fidelity is only a relevant concept when listening to acoustic music such as classical or vintage jazz.

@8th-note   +1