I attended Axpona 2023 in April, and the Renaissance Schaumburg Hotel & Convention Center where Axpona was being held had so many people at the show that the hotel had to constantly run a fleet of shuttle buses between the Convention Center and several outlying parking lots because their main parking area was overflowing. Although there were plenty of middle-aged and older people there, I also saw quite a few younger people.
Once people who’ve grown up accustomed to hearing their music over smartphones and BlueTooth earbuds get a chance to hear what really good sound is like, they may find themselves, like anyone who’s blessed with good hearing, WANTING to explore and learn more about this new-to-them world of quality audio. Furthermore, with a little research anyone can now put together a decent audio setup and stay within their budget, even if today’s reality with brick-and-mortar audio dealers requires that most of us must now shop for our gear, unseen and unheard, over the Internet.
There are trustable reviewers out there covering most if not all of today’s better-known brands such as Denafrips, Schiit Audio, Holo Audio, Gustard, plus numerous other brands in every category from streamers and DACs to amplifiers and headphones/speakers, not to mention all their interconnects. There is enough decent audio gear to satisfy nearly everyone’s income bracket. I think it was no accident that there were so many people in every age group attending this year’s Axpona event. Quality audio seems to me to be alive and well.