Our Responsibility

I think this is a fascinating question, and clearly one that triggers passion.  One thing I would add is that quality has a staying power second to none.  The main reason we get to enjoy Shakespeare’s plays is that they are damn good, and generation after generation will discover them anew with passing time.  Time has a way of winnowing out what might be retained and what might fall by the wayside.  They kept getting printed because they had quality, and even though they went through long periods when they weren’t popular, they were rediscovered and bing, some group of artists and artisans puts one on.  It’s like it’s brand new again.  Think of all the stuff, ideas, arts, that have stuck around.  They have ups and downs, but if it has a quality that gets recognized, it’ll have legs.  My point is that quality will always get recognized, and once that’s done, it will be with us for awhile.  
So I don’t fear for the demise of our hobby, the satisfaction and thrill we get when we absolutely love how our system sounds this fine summer evening is us experiencing quality performance of art.  I think that appreciation isn’t going away. It may be that because of the ebbs and flows of the audiophile hobby, the snake oil will be left by the wayside, and quality will be available to whoever comes by to have a look.  It’s a truth about the human experience, we, as a whole, are always interested in quality.  In arts, in politics, in experience, whatever.  Quality never goes away for long.

Dave