Why Don't More People Love Audio?

All hobbies which take on the characteristics you describe can seem ridiculous. What I can't take is the guy who asks "Who would pay $125,000 on speakers", inferring that it is crazy, while in the same breath asking you, "By the way how do you like my new $25K Rolex?"
The audio obsession like most others is simply an outlet for people to act out their fantasy. Some people dream of being like Ansel Adams, spending their hard earned money on camera equipment. So what. Life is short. Enjoy whatever it is that makes you happy. If it doesn't harm anyone else why bother to critique it?
I have sold $200K systems, and the people who buy them have the two ingredients necessary for any expensive hobby: Money and motivation. It seems that it takes someone really jealous finds the time to be so critical.
I don't want a Ferrari now, but give me several million dollars and my reference points of material desires would probably shift dramatically.
lrsky

10 year old thread, wow.
Part of the blame goes to the poor marketing within the retail sector.
Most high end audio shops, (before the internet did a Sherman's March to the sea) treat it as if it's brain surgery and talk down to customers. I know, I owned a shop for 15 years, then traveled the US to stores from NY to Tustin, CA, to Washington State, to Coral Gables, Florida.
Rarely did anyone within these stores exhibit the kind (note I said rarely) of professionalism that would pull a casual hobbyiest into the mainstream.
With the prices of high end gear, the sales staff needs to be very, very professional and excellent communicators, not a haughty, afectatious, superior acting twerps--the description of many I met in my travels.
Ask one hundred people to name a loudspeaker and 99+ will of course say, Bose. The only company founded by a man with two degrees--IN MARKETING.

Good listening,
Larry

The larger question is most likely, 'Why don't more people love music enough to make it a LARGER part of their daily lives?' For example, why don't more people become more invested in music as opposed to Television?
The other night, I was talking to a new girlfriend on the phone...we began talking about music and I suggested that we turn our computers on and go to YouTube.
We then spent, 4 hours laughing and talking, listening to music--some she'd never heard of...partly because of age, (she's 16 years younger) and partly because of my music 'habit'.
We came to the Nancy Wilson/Cannonball Adderley songs, 'Save Your Love For Me' and 'The Masquerade Is Over'...she was really, really loving Nancy. AND she loved Cannonball's sound and solos.
Frankly, I was thinking globally, that it was a bit sad that more people are unaware of such music--music that I've known for almost half a century, she'd never known, and further thought that Nancy Wilson 'has the most spectacular voice I've ever heard.'
I think, if more people were exposed to music that could move them, they'd become more invested in 'audio', 'cause and effect'.

The other part of the evening that I liked a lot, was the notion, that there's still a lot more music out there that I too haven't heard yet, that's exciting.

Good listening,
Larry

First of all let me expand my comment. (As long as my answers and comments generally are, how could I possibly expand, you might ask).
The issue at hand has to do with television only peripherally imho.
A given is that we have limited time during a day/night in which to recreate. With children and a job, recreation shrinks--with a wife it shrinks more...and so on.
The question is, 'What do we chose to do with our time?'
When I mentioned Television, it wasn't 'blaming television' for the lack of hobbiests...it was noting what's probably happening. People CHOSE to do what they will...television is a device that allows us to bask in the glow of something that allows our brains to go into neutral...chewing gum for the mind, if you will.
If the allure of music was stronger, people would flock to it...so in my mind, the question is, 'Why isn't the allure of music strong enough to overcome other activities?'
It is with me, even though I do gravitate to the TV all too often.
No, for whatever reasons, music does not hold the enormous 'sway' that it does with 'some people'...those of us who ask this question are obviously in the minority.
But the confusing thing is...like the girl I mentioned in my post...once shown this, she was enthralled, captivated, overwhelmed with emotion and visceral response...so apparently music--wonderful music, for all it's PR, is still the most well kept secret in entertainment--why, is the question?

One of my long time friends, Joe and I always fall back to this comment--"Music does things to and for me, that nothing else can do."
This is a mystery to me.

As Yogi Berra would have said..."If people aren't going to listen to music--you can't stop them."

Good listening,

Larry