What's happened to the used high end market recently?? Sales are tough....:0(

The equipment was always..supposed to be about servicing the music.

When you look at the whole scenario and package presented in the now, as presented to anyone looking at it, as potential to listen... you can’t blame the younger folks for going for the music first, over the equipment.

The very idea and emergence of Napster and it’s wild ride - told you all you needed to know.

First we had to build the ability to actually listen to prerecorded works. Done.

Now we are technologically evolved to the point that today’s mediocre technology, at low cost, can serve as a conveyor belt into many magnitudes more of music, as compared to all situations prior. And moreso every day.

Nevermind all the connected socio/cultural-politial-coporate/economic indicators.

The view and reality presents some very simple choices.

It really is all about the music. Not the gear.

Reviews might drive the market for some to most ...but it’s the listening on one’s own that counts.

But, such a reasonable statement does not affect a principally review driven market, where physical audition has gone the way of the dodo bird.

The proffered highly reviewed device.. may not be the best suited for the end buyer who buys by the review, and they’ll never know anything about that.

In the end, advertising might and reviews win out, except for the wise, observant and the intrepid.

What this means, is that, the final zero sum mean...is..mediocre gear tends to be the biggest selling and most highly praised gear.

Especially when we get to the most expensive items. Having money does not automatically infer a superior hearing ability and mindset for discerning quality audio. There is some tendency in that direction, but only some.

eg, in the world of cycling, the vast number of extremely expensively outfitted bicycles are sold to people who really can’t ride them. Same for golf clubs, extreme cars, and so on.

Perfection is not even close to being the market norm or center. When Richard Feynman was asked to explain His Nobel to a reporter, Feynman's replay was: I was given the Nobel because I can't explain it to you. 

The same goes for true perfectionist audio, compared to the mean of the market.