I think that most everybody has a driving passion that they sink their time and money into. Some, like golf, are realy mainstream. Others, like sailing are even more niched than audio. Asking why more people don't get into audio is sort of like asking why more people don't get into model trains: it's either in your blood or it's not.
Regarding audio as a status symbol, having a six or seven figure cinema room in your house is a pretty mainstream status symbol for people with high net worth. I know that's somewhat different from the original point about two-channel as a combination of hobby and status symbol, but I thought it fair to bring it up.
On the other hand, plenty of people as well off as those who spend six figures for their cinema opt to spend less than twenty thousand on their A/V rooms. It all comes down to individual priorities. I've met people who didn't even blink at spending fifty thousand on a waterfall in their foyer, but getting ten thousand out of them for a distributed audio system was like pulling teeth.
Wine is another one of those hobby/status things. While I adore expensive beer and spirits, I'm a total savage when it comes to wine. Anything over ten bucks a bottle is wasted on me. And yet, my stock single malts are all $100+, which some think is outrageous, but still isn't even the deep end of that hobby...
Different strokes, ultimately.
Regarding audio as a status symbol, having a six or seven figure cinema room in your house is a pretty mainstream status symbol for people with high net worth. I know that's somewhat different from the original point about two-channel as a combination of hobby and status symbol, but I thought it fair to bring it up.
On the other hand, plenty of people as well off as those who spend six figures for their cinema opt to spend less than twenty thousand on their A/V rooms. It all comes down to individual priorities. I've met people who didn't even blink at spending fifty thousand on a waterfall in their foyer, but getting ten thousand out of them for a distributed audio system was like pulling teeth.
Wine is another one of those hobby/status things. While I adore expensive beer and spirits, I'm a total savage when it comes to wine. Anything over ten bucks a bottle is wasted on me. And yet, my stock single malts are all $100+, which some think is outrageous, but still isn't even the deep end of that hobby...
Different strokes, ultimately.