@pieterkadijk- A lot has happened in audio during the 20 years you were "missing":
I don't think there is as much of a "versus" in analog and digital anymore- I'm still primarily vinyl based, but digital seems to have come a long way. I can't speak to streaming but just based on Internet boards like this one, it seems to be a popular way for people to feed their musical habit, and not only for background listening.
Vinyl playback- more tonearms, set up tools and wider variety of associated equipment (cartridges, cable, separate phono stages) than ever.
High-end tape playback has enjoyed a renaissance with 15 IPS two track and "audiophile" issues on tape at a price as well as a thriving underground for dubs.
Prices- have gone up significantly for whatever is declared the current state of the art, but there is quite a bit of beer budget gear available-- better than entry level sound quality, but without the tariff of the big league stuff. There's also a new generation of listeners--jazz seems to have become popular again (though it is still a niche) among listeners- some great releases on LP from labels like Tone Poet/Blue Note and a new series from Acoustic Sounds/Analogue Productions, among others, that includes not only the perennials or warhorses, but more offbeat stuff.
DIY-There is also a heathy DIY movement that reaches folks who are not especially technical in background offering upgrades and tweaks at low cost.
Ultrasonic record cleaning- has been in vogue for the last number of years, and as MillerCarbon mentioned above, lots of attention is paid to vibration control, from extremely sophisticated active devices to more basic, lower cost items that can enhance performance.
I think it is fair to say that audiophiles are still a small fraction of the music listening crowd, but the market is reaching people who might not spend the time in audio salons. Instead, lots of direct sales via Internet with home trial and return rights within a limited time window.
The state of the brick and mortar audio store is still somewhat precarious, as it was before Covid, but interestingly, with people stuck at home for more than a year, manufacturers and retailers of gear and music have done very well. Supply line shortages may have an impact for a while, though.
Welcome back!
I don't think there is as much of a "versus" in analog and digital anymore- I'm still primarily vinyl based, but digital seems to have come a long way. I can't speak to streaming but just based on Internet boards like this one, it seems to be a popular way for people to feed their musical habit, and not only for background listening.
Vinyl playback- more tonearms, set up tools and wider variety of associated equipment (cartridges, cable, separate phono stages) than ever.
High-end tape playback has enjoyed a renaissance with 15 IPS two track and "audiophile" issues on tape at a price as well as a thriving underground for dubs.
Prices- have gone up significantly for whatever is declared the current state of the art, but there is quite a bit of beer budget gear available-- better than entry level sound quality, but without the tariff of the big league stuff. There's also a new generation of listeners--jazz seems to have become popular again (though it is still a niche) among listeners- some great releases on LP from labels like Tone Poet/Blue Note and a new series from Acoustic Sounds/Analogue Productions, among others, that includes not only the perennials or warhorses, but more offbeat stuff.
DIY-There is also a heathy DIY movement that reaches folks who are not especially technical in background offering upgrades and tweaks at low cost.
Ultrasonic record cleaning- has been in vogue for the last number of years, and as MillerCarbon mentioned above, lots of attention is paid to vibration control, from extremely sophisticated active devices to more basic, lower cost items that can enhance performance.
I think it is fair to say that audiophiles are still a small fraction of the music listening crowd, but the market is reaching people who might not spend the time in audio salons. Instead, lots of direct sales via Internet with home trial and return rights within a limited time window.
The state of the brick and mortar audio store is still somewhat precarious, as it was before Covid, but interestingly, with people stuck at home for more than a year, manufacturers and retailers of gear and music have done very well. Supply line shortages may have an impact for a while, though.
Welcome back!