The internet.
I am only 70, but I know where you are coming from. I live outside Portland Oregon and there are three great stores. I am really good friends with one and he will drop components by my house that he thinks I might like. No check.
But the internet has caused folks to focus so much on cost that the buy stuff on line. I am certain that the vast majority of people with mid-high end systems these days have suboptimal systems because they are assembling from only reviews and buying on line. They sound good… but if auditioning was included in the process, their systems would be much better (given their tastes).