I feel that there are a lot of people who can afford excellent audio systems and would be very interested in them if they knew that they existed. The people in this country on the whole have little if any exposure to great audio compared with other countries that I have existed. In some parts of the world a great system is as much a status symbol as an exotic car is here(this is in response to the threads asking why people by Ferraris but not exotic audio....because they know that Ferraris exist!). I am sure that if there was a larger exposure true high-end audio be it an the form of $2K systems or $200K systems and a quick explanation of such things as staging and imaging, more people would buy into the hobby. I have had plenty of friends come over and listen to my reference rig that had not heard a real system before, most of them leave thinking that I am not the crazy person that they thought I was and as for tips on putting together a reasonable system. This hobby isn't just for us rapid electronic nuts but anyone that can enjoy music and appriciate better playback quality.
Why Don't More People Love Audio?
Can anyone explain why high end audio seems to be forever stuck as a cottage industry? Why do my rich friends who absolutely have to have the BEST of everything and wouldn't be caught dead without expensive clothes, watch, car, home, furniture etc. settle for cheap mass produced components stuck away in a closet somewhere? I can hardly afford to go out to dinner, but I wouldn't dream of spending any less on audio or music.