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.
Macro, as rational as your explanation sounds, it can never fully explain the situation. Funds and physical accomodations can be limiting factors for a period of time. So just because someone doesn't own a nice system doesn't mean they don't care. I think ALL people are fasciniated and excited by great audio (is it not a major selling point for movies?)
The difference is, that for a small minority of us, that fascination somehow "takes hold" and we want to have that kind of wonderful sound in our personal environment. I don't need to validate my interests by foisting them on others, or gloat that "those peons just don't know what they're missing". But I always have a minute to share my system with people who have no clue about high-end audio, and if they are fascinated like I was/am, they don't need me to push them into it. "Audio" creats addicts on the first snort -- or never!
Why this point is so elusive to so many of you I cannot imagine but because I am patient and caring and a credit to my race, I will try once again to move this point close enough for y'all to grasp.
I don't personally care about hang-gliding, canasta, rodeo or bowling. Golf does not matter to me. many of the things that obsessive proponents adore and recommend reside well beyond the circle of my interests.
MANY PEOPLE FEEL THE SAME WAY ABOUT AUDIO. They just don't friggin care. It is not because they haven't yet heard your system. It is not because they are still on the near side of the great awakening. It is because the things that matter to a crazy few generally do not appeal to the greater population.
Let it go. It just means more for you. Sit back and gloat. The masses will be fine without indoctrination. They don't need you to "save" them.
I was born in 1953. This was an era when(I believe) music was spreading out into wonderfull new directions. My parents were fond of music and had many slate 75 albums. They covered artists such as Elvis, Carl Perkins,Beach Boys Ventures,Doris Day, Frank Sinatra,Dean Martin,and Motown artists of all kinds.From the time I was a baby I was exposed to music.It did not take much time until I was buying 45s of music that made me happy.By 7th grade I was a lost soul for music. I carried around a 45 record case (plastic) with a sporting handle. A dashing BSR plastic turn table with detachable speakers that could spread out to at least 3 feet apart!I watched the Beatles get discoverd, the Rolling Stones come into fame.Jim Morrison make Ed Sullivin furious when he sang (Girl we couldn't get much higher)after agreeing not to. The Who,Elton John,Doobie Brothers,Moody Blues,Hendrix,Janis Joplin,Three Dog Night,Pink Floyd,it goes on and on. This was a special time in history! I sang in choir and ensemble and loved it. My equiptment was run of the mill at best. Before my basketball games I would get pumped up by listening to Funk 49 .The means to play the song was a General Electric cassete player with head phones. I was in perfect bliss listening to music on the lousiest of mediums. Then one day when I was shooting baskets at home and in the summer of my senior year, my neighbor that was a fireman called me over to his fence. He said to me I have noticed that you like mucic and thought that you might like this. There it was this heavy amp that had glass bottles inside.I thanked him not knowing what was about to take place. That evening I hooked up that amp, a Scott tube amp I might add and plugged in my headphones and put on an album by a band called Grand Funk Railroad. It was an album that was gold in color and the title was, "Were an American Band". Now let me tell you the goose bumps I got from hearing an album that I new inside and out, was intense. How in the world could such a feeling be possible. Dude I about cried. That man changed my life! I often wondered if he had not given me the amp if I would have discovered the level of joy I have in listening today. My tastes have expanded and my system is sick. All I can say if you know a person or persons that have a passion for music it is of little sacrifice to expose them to an experience that may change their life. Some are moved and some are not. I had a neighbor that would invite me to his and his wifes house for parties and they would have a boom box playing XM radio. Any time I visited the XM was playing. I made a comment that if they liked music so much they may want to get a better sound system. The wifey said that was all she needed and that the music was all that mattered. Later that summer I invited them over for dinner. After good food and wine I suggested that they might want to hear some music. Upon entering the dedicated sound room they were like children in Macy's toy department. Eyes wide and heads pivoting back and forth they were excited. I played an album by Dire Staits. Just so happens that the choice of music was the husbands favorite album. The look on both of their faces was of utter bewilderment. Six hours later I had to put an end to the session as I was very tired. Upon leaving the wife asked if there was any way possible I would go with them to purchase a system of cost of around $2000 and I said I would be glad to.They how have a system that brings them great pleasure. Rock on audiophiles!
I think some have touched on one good reason or another, but what it comes down to is they just "don't care". It needs to float your boat. With that said, why would one spend money on a high end system?
Mhedges... I totally agree with your answer. My sister-in-law who can well afford a nice system has nothing. The last time she was in town she talked about a concert she attended and how much she enjoyed the artist's work. I mentioned I like his older work and put in a CD of one of my favorites. Prior to this she had never heard my system because whenever sheÂd come to town, my wife and her would shop shop shop 24/7. I hit the play button and her face went blank and didnÂt change till the song was over at which point she said I think IÂm going to cry.
I think one problem is that so many people just don't know how good music really can sound. Most people probably have never even heard a system set up to image properly.
I certainly have known audiophiles who were into impressing people with their equipment and its makers. One such physician lived down the street. He and his wife dropped in one day. After listening she said, "Honey, this sounds like music." He said nothing and they left.
Later a package of mine was wrongly delivered to his address. I went down to get it. He invited me in to SEE his system. I did and took my package home without one peep of music being played.
On the other hand, I just heard a fairly expensive system in a million dollar room. All I can say is that it is the best reproduced music I have ever heard. The speakers were a known brand, but little else is widely known.
I really don't know what the issue is here. The original post asks why many want the best of everything save audio gear, but it has evolved to why anyone would want expensive and poor sounding gear.
I think the answer to the original question is the competition of other "things," such as golf clubs, cars, private schools and colleges, face lifts, etc., and computer games and other amusements.
An increasingly small % of people have all the pre-requisites to love audio (as opposed to just loving music).
The pre-requisite that is the most increasingly restrictive is perhaps the desire to spend a lot of time just listening to music. Time is increasingly short these days for many in that more things than ever compete these days for peoples leisure time.
We audiophiles need to own up to the fact that we are a cult. As true believers, we cannot conceive that others fail to understand the redemptive nature of the object of our obsession. Too bad for us.
For most people, a sound system is just another appliance. They want to plug and play. They want to forget about it and to simply exploit what it can do for them. They do not obsess about the vintage, the specs or the pedigree. They upgrade when, and if, it breaks, or when they become convinced of its obsolescence (cassette deck to C.D.)
The rest of this palaver simply betrays our cluelessness.
high end audio is an example of conspicuous consumption. i have heard of individuals who assemble expensive components to impress their contemporaries, without actually listening to them. such a "group" is probably very small, in comparison to those who listen to music.
Are you saying that even the (larger) group "who listen to music" own their system for its status value?
Maybe that's not what you meant? As I said earlier, in my view a home audio system is a lousy choice for a status symbol. I mean, who's going to see/hear it except that relatively small group of people who will be invited into your home. . . . . . . so I don't think many people would own them for that purpose.
And for those who covet audio equipment as "bling", well I think it serves their own ego-gratification rather than a need to impress others . . . . . which I think can be a healthy thing if not taken to rediculous extremes (and we've all seen examples of that!)
high end audio is an example of conspicuous consumption. i have heard of individuals who assemble expensive components to impress their contemporaries, without actually listening to them.
such a "group" is probably very small, in comparison to those who listen to music.
however, if many people view audio not as a vehicle for the enjoyment of music but as an indication that they possess material wealth it would serve as another explanation as to why the hobby is not popoular.
Branislav, correct me if I'm wrong, but I think what you're saying is that high-end audio systems can never be a status symbol like the other items you mention, primarily due to lack of exposure -- you can't wear it, drive it, etc? In which case I would agree -- to a large extent. But I don't think that's the whole story.
Over the past 40 years, I have (and before that, my father) shared my system(s) with probably a 1000 people (I'm guessing,) I know they were all very impressed -- obviously excited and stimulated, foremost by the realism, and yet only a fraction, I bet 5% or less, were actually moved to put together a system, even a small one. Most of them had the means and the space. Some of that changed when CD's came along; maybe because of the (perceived) convenience? I'm not sure.
I think it may simply be that only a small percentage of people actually receive enough pleasure and stimulation from a (pretty credible) illusion of live performance, right in their home, to own even a modest audio system. And let's remember that for centuries, "music in the home" was a privilege (and a status symbol) only a few could enjoy! So I've always found it ironic that once "performance level" reproduced audio was widely available -- certainly by the beginning of the 60's, a period rich with status symbols -- that more people didn't acquire home audio systems. It certainly wasn't for lack of exposure ;--) .
I wonder about it too...especially considering the fact that pretty much majority of the people listen to music, have favourite bands and songs and so on...It cannot be money issue, I see too many 40K trucks and SUV's and big houses with few spare bedrooms to think that it's a money issue. I honestly think that 99.9% have never heard a nice "high end" audio set up so of course it the idea of building a nice system wouldn't even cross their mind. People want want they see ( quote from Silence of the Lambs?) and they see expensive cars, homes, clothes, jewelery, whatever so that's what they're after...
More would love audio if they could be convinced to give it a go. But, people have their priorities, and the art of music reproduction doesn't occur to many as worthwhile.
Sonic excellence? Maybe; but not precise enough a term for me to understand what's in YOUR mind whan you say it. That's why I used words like "sonic stimulation" and/or "illusion of realism" etc.
what about all the scientists with their phds and doctors who have no interest in art? they may be busy or have other interest. i think it's a bit harsh to cast aspersions.
regarding what audio means, i consider it the pursuit of equipment for the purpose of creating what one considers sonic excellenece.
such an endeavor may motivate a very small sample of the population.
as i have said, it is a matter of priorities. music may not be as important as some other pursuit.
perhaps there are many who don't ascribe to collecting, wanting to live a simpler existence, not wanting to be tied to things, or having no interest in owning material goods.
perhaps younger people are less materialistic , e.g., conspicuous consumption, than people over 40.
And why don't more people love art? Because they cannot conceive that either can improve their lives. And they refuse to accept that such is possible. They are clods.
I have a slightly different take on this whole subject -- and I'd be interested in your thoughts. I do agree w/ Tennis and others that
a larger percentage of the population enjoy music than the the pursuit of "audio" as a hobby.
However, I'm stuck on what exactly Tennis (and others) mean by "audio" in this instance. For me at least, it all started (way back in the mid-fifties -- my Dad's hobby of course ;--) and what excited me then, as now, was -- not the music itself (don't get me wrong, I love music, and have my personal interests) -- but the sonic thrill of performance; or an acceptable (to me) facsimile of a real performance ;--)
That's what attracted me most about "audio" in the beginning, and it still does today. I call it "sonic stimulation". There are probably thousands of powerful stimuli to which we humans are drawn, and creating an illusion using sound (as opposed to "listening to music") is just one of them. I think that explains why so many people can thoroughly enjoy music without needing the stimulation of a "re-created realism" which a good audio system can provide.
I've been assembling gear/systems since my late teens around 1958. And like most of us, changed and changed and changed everything! Over and over! But eventually, got to the point (about twenty years ago) where I achieved the kind of realistic reproduced performance that I found convincing enough to "sonically stimulate" me ;--)) every time I used my system -- and very little ot the hardware has changed since then. .
As probably has been said on here already, everyone enjoys some type of music, but not everyone "hears" it the same way. Basically, IMO, it comes down to an emotional connection to parts of a song that each listener relates to differently on an emotional level. Could be a certain instrument, a certain note, certain lyrics, combination of each, etc...?
My wife and myself are completely different. She would be just as happy (and has told me this) listening to a clock radio alarm clock! In fact, here's an example, the other day she told me that she DOES notice a difference of sound between my (I mean OUR...excuse me) $6,000 audio system, and my son's $20 clock/CD radio, but didn't say it was better, just different. I just shook my head. She told me that I "hear" different things in the music, that my ears must be better? I said, I don't think that's it at all, I think it's an appreciation for music on a deeper lever -- I don't recommend this comment, BTW!
I have noticed over the years that she tends to relate to the lyrics more than the instruments, where I am the exact opposite.
Best peaches in the world grow right here in Palisade, Co. There's a local pride in this, of course, but this does not make it impossible to sell canned peaches in metal vessels and sugary syrup in out supermarkets. Some people actually prefer their peaches that way. I'm reminded of Americans who travel to Paris and choose to eat at McDonalds. Why in hell would they not want to experience the exquisite cuisine for which the French are world famous and which they cannot duplicate back home. I'll never understand. There's no accounting for taste. That said, it is likewise important for audiophiles to realize that what they have found in their hobby is tantamount to religion and, as such, is personal. Not everybody finds salvation in the same book. I live in Colorado and don't ski. To many that is like ignoring French cuisine when in Paris. Whatever! I love it here but I'm not much given to physical sports or downhill thrills. I know people who maintain as a personal goal hitting the slopes 50 times a season. Different strokes. Audiophiles need to loosen their grip on the absolute sound for a few minutes now and then and smell a few flowers. We have 5 senses at our disposal. Let's use them all and not worry about which sense others favor.
Why don't more people know the difference between freshly picked peaches, blueberries, rasberries, strawberries and grocery store bought. They just don't know any better.
A foodaphile knows there's a difference in taste and flaver between green, red, and yellow bell peppers. Not everyone does. Audiophiles are the same except with audio equipment.
Given the lack of fidelity in many, or even most, pop music today, high fidelity probably worsens the experience of listening. Also, so many other ways to spend your leisure hours are now available.
It matters little to me as my grandchildren do appreciate high fidelity and have taken up musical instruments.
I think basically because we are true music lovers, it doesn't matter if anyone ever hear, or see your system. People that drives flashy cars, wears expensive clothing not all, but some, do it for the show.
As a near decade long thread I believe we can elevate this to the level of Frankenthread, it has taken on a life of it's own.
More people DO LOVE AUDIO and now more than ever before are falling into our beloved hobby, poor bastards. How did it happen? Because they downloaded every music file in sight and when reviewing their ill gained booty they realized that each music file had a certain individual sonic quality. Some good some bad some extraordinarily good. This led them towards the first step, they upgraded their ear buds. And before anyone dismisses ear buds as a viable step towards audiophileism I would admonish them to audition a set of $500 and up ear buds. I own a couple of sets and my best set of SUREs are damn near as good as my GRADO SR325s.
Now we have to all agree here that the path that leads an individual into this sickness we all share differs for everyone. It only takes a small step to fall off the cliff and more people are taking that small step than ever before. Headphones have ALWAYS been the poor man's way into High End (pun intended). A great source fed into a quality headphone amp can be a step towards a life on this merry go round we all ride.
And while we are at it don't discount the effect of kids downloading and listening to a HUGE variety of music. It's going to make a difference. Will it translate into people developing a greater understanding of higher quality audio components? Who knows? But when there is interest there usually is movement. It might just be that the movement is in the direction of computers streaming FLAC files through quality DACs into headphone amps and then into $2000+ headphones or ear buds. I can't say which direction this hobby will turn but it WILL TURN and probably in a direction that will surprise us all.
And yes I'll still be clinging to my tube gear and my vinyl, watching, drooling, and planning that next perfect purchase that will finally bring me true sonic nirvana.....
I believe the start of the downfall is 2 fold. When I was in high school, it seemed like every other kid could list their parents home components--right down to the stylus. Then, the walkman came out, and for the first time, convenience superceded fidelity. That was the start. As time went on, home cinema came into the picture which was the saving grace for many speaker comanies. One 5 ch reciever would be sold, and now the speaker companies sold 5 speakers and a sub instead of 2 speakers. The industry started to eat its own young with $199 home theater in a box--and that was the major downfall-For the everyday guy things were made too easy and too cheap.
Music has also changed. My humps, my humps, my lovely lady lumps got nominated for a grammy (WTF???) and then there is rap--enough said. I believe there are less people who care cause music was made too covenient, and we have a whole generation of people who dont know what musical instruments sound like, so why would they care what a stereo with 2 speakers sounds like.....I will go on record as suggesting there may be hope, as it seems to be getting trndy to have a turn table again and hopefully it may ignite the passion for some..........
I think all people love audio. It's just that we all have different levels of enjoyment, expectations and priorities in our lives. Other wise even Ipods wouldn't be selling.
I would guess that there are a lot of people who have the money for the best in audio but they do not want to put forth the effort to set-up and maintain a rocking system.
Merlinus, I'll bet before long, we'll be be able to buy a little Yarmulke with electodes that plug into your DAC's digital out; and with properly recorded discs, you'll be able to actually experience BEING Glenn Gould playing Bach, as you listen to "yourself" playing; or maybe Pavarroti singing Verde? Ya think??
The quality of sound is very important for me because I play acoustic piano.
Anyone who plays a musical instrument is much more likely to demand outstanding sound from an audio system.
Unfortunately relatively few people play because it requires lots of focus and discipline, and life offers so many other distractions. As with surfing the web, the next unreality is but a mouseclick away!
There are those who have an innate drive to delve into subtle auditory exploration with imagination, and there are those who do not. They can be smart, creative, or complex, but if a person is not an 'audio explorer' then no amount of convincing can get them into it. I personally think it is hard wired in the brain.
I think people are more into home theater and A/V gear because their more into the overall experience of watching a show or movie. There's just no visual experience to listening to a home Hi-Fi as opposed to live music. They don't know what to look at while listening to music and end up getting bored. To them, music is for the background while you do something else.
Us audiophiles really focus on the music and listen critically. We know about the music and what to listen for, we think about all spects of the sound- where the saxophone is relative to the piano on the soundstage, the attack and decay of the note, the sizzle of the cymbal, the sound of the stick on the snare drum, etc. I often imagine I'm in Birdland in the 1950s listening to Coltrane and his band live (a martini helps this experience).
In other words there is a cerebral and emotional experience that peaks our interests. For us it is not just the notes being played, but the pureness of the tone that has an emotional impact. That is why we could not possibly be satisfied with MP3 players for a real listening experience. This seems to be lost on the majority of the music listening public.
You won't see the average person doing real listening sessions because there is no cerebral connection and their mind starts to wander and they lose interest.
I have a laptop that has software called Gallery Player that plays a slide show of famous works of art and photographs on my big screen TV. You can do playlists like an iPod with it. I have set up different playlists of images for different types of music (for example, classic works of art while playing classical music or old B & W photographs of NYC with jazz). I find that playing this when people are at my house while the music is playing helps hold their interest.
there is a disnction between music and sound. music is everywhere, varying in sound quality. enjoying music does not require an expensive stereo system. many forget that people enjoyed music via the most basic , i.e., low fidelity media, in the past and perhaps in the present.
you will not convince them that you enjoy your music because you have an expensive stereo. the same people may not enjoy their music more on your expesnive stereo system, although they may admit that your stereo system sounds better than their "personal stereo" purchased for say, 200 at best buy or circuit city.
in order to engender audiophilia, one must losee all elitist attitudes that one can't enjoy music on a poor sounding stereo system. do not be supercilious when relating to people who use i pods or walkman devices.
exposure is the best that one can do. lead the horse to water. if the horse wants to pursue the hobby, encourage the horse but don't criticize.
above all, realize the distinction between enjoying musical content and the "sound" of the music. they are separate issues for most people.
I think we can break music lovers down into a number of groups. I don't know how many, but I'll figure that out as I type, hopefully it will make sense once I'm through. I feel there's a finite number of people that are predisposed to become audiophiles. Now whether or not that happens is based a couple of factors. Some may just have an innate desire to pursue possess music in its ultimate form, be it going to as many concerts as possible, or having the best audio gear (money permitting) at home, on the road etc. I believe some of these people need an external factor to prod, suggest, coax, entice, or in some cases enrapture them to go in the right direction. Therefore, they are dependent on their environment, and their audiophilia may rest dormant throughout their lives. Then there are those that i consider absolute audiophiles, who were destined to be. They probably can't remember themselves as ever not being. They always wanted their music to sound the best. They may probably think someone or something influenced them, but it was always the good music in its purest obtainable form in their lives. Outside of this group, I feel there is another group within the audiophile realm who are audiophiles simply because they demand the finest and want the best experience in different realms in life. I feel I fall into that category, no one got me into this hobby/lifestyle/religion?/money pit, I just wanted a better pair of computer speakers, got klipsch promedias, wanted better headphones went from logitech xxxx to sennheiser hd 580's, found out they could run better, got headphone amp, Got B$W speakers, got Pioneer receiver, sold it got Rotel amp, got preamp, got cd player, will sell x, will get DAC, plan to sell amp,......As time went on and things sounded better I began to love music more than I thought I could, or was permissible...WOW. Now there are people who probably love music more than I do (If that's possible, but only need to hear it to love it,...SIMPLE. They will love yours when they hear it, but they don't necessarily need to hear it that way all the time for it so sound complete thereafter.
What we should be worried about are those who have that innate audiophile locked up in them, who will eventually pass through this life without unlocking it, and finally expire. They need the external stimuli, which is becoming less and less available in this day and age, like many have pointed out here.
Another question is, are the numbers of those predisposed to turn into audiophiles, given the right stimuli or spark, dwindling? We can never test that. We cannot force others to be. What is blatantly obvious is that the lack of exposure of kids to more accomplished forms of music, be it in performance or reproduction, and the non-existence of a prominent culture of accepted audiophilia will only further serve to reduce our numbers
Why don't more people build their own custom computers, slap gigantic heatsinks on the processors, and then tweak the bios settings to make the processor run 1000Mhz faster than it is rated for? You can you know!
Why don't more people enjoy fine wine, or jazz or classical music?
You've asked a question that is almost impossible to answer, but I would speculate as follows.
I. High-information costs
The costs of acquiring, processing, and using information related to component selection are high. It is easy to compare a Pioneer Elite Plasma display to a Sony LCD. It is not so easy to compare two preamps.
II. Lack of awareness
A lot of people don't know this stuff exists.
III. Price
Most people can't afford, or don't want to spend that much.
I think part of the problem with the hobby is that people spend too much time on the gear and not enough time on the actual listening experience and the music.
If you really want to impress someone with your system, put something on that they like and that you know sounds good. When I want to really show off I put Bob Marley's Legend on. I once had a party in a dorm room and I put that album on my B&W speakers and I got compliments on the sound by college girls, of all people. Make your own demo CD for when friends come over.
The problem is that there aren't many compact discs that can hold up under the scrutiny of a high end system without some very sophisticated filtering or upsampling. Not recordings, compact discs. I did not realize this until I heard some of the dCS upsampling gear, which upsamples to DSD and remedies a lot of bad CDs.
If you want to impress the uninitiated, you need a system that you can play really, really loud without becoming distorted or irritating. I think as audiophiles we take for granted the ability to reproduce music accurately at high volume levels, but this is one of the main areas where an audiophile grade system will just kill an off the shelf bose or iPod. Find some music that sounds good really loud and play it.
I don't think it is unreasonable to want share the audio hobby with others, or at least to have the time and effort you put into building a system acknowledged by friends.
In my experience, however, most people even after hearing an awesome system don't even inquire about it. On the other hand, I have had a delivery driver from a chinese restaurant practically force his way into my apartment because he caught a glimpse of my speakers and just had to find out more.
There are so many barriers to entry to this hobby that it is amazing there are as many audio products as there are.
Because to a large extent, hi-end audio does not give the customer what they want. Hi-end audio expects people to conform to THEM, not the other way around. You will never get much business with that attitude.
I had exposure to high-end audio at an early age and it has stayed with me all these years. I believe if you are not exposed to it when you are young more than likely you will never get into it. Most of the hobbies I grew up with as a kid are still my hobbies today. I still collect coins and race my slots cars on occasion. The kids growing up today really have no interest in high-end audio. It's unfortunate but when my generation enters retirement age you can kiss high-end audio bye-bye.
Wow, have things changed since this thread was posted! Music downloads have exploded and earbuds are now the hi-fi system of choice for the vast majority of people.
I am taking One To One private classes at my local Apple Store. Not one trainer I've talked to (out of at least 7 different ones) has any idea about high resolution downloads, DACs being used with my MacBook Pro, etc. Every one of them stares at me blankly when I bring up the subject. I even read through a A'gon thread about using a Mac as source and how to get better sound quality. The two Apple people had no idea what anything in the thread was about.
Only one employee at the Apple Store knew that higher resolution downloads should result in better sounding tunes. Every other one of them said the only difference was the high res songs "just take up more storage space".
I've also noticed (at least ALL of my nieces and nephews) that most young people don't "listen" to music. They listen to MTV sized sound bites from songs, and if the only thing they are doing is listening to an iPod they are constantly scrolling through one song after another. A nephew once asked me if I "just sit and listen to music". I said yes, he stared at me like I was from Atlantis
Nsgarch, I went thru a house today and saw lots af cassettes and mentioned to the owner must like music;;- he said yes because there's nothing worth watching on tv. I think your sound comment is right on as most people never, ever get to hear high end music repro-so-how can they be interested.l
The title of this thread can be read two ways, but from his expanation, I get that Tucker is referring to the HOBBY of audio, as opposed to the SOUND quality of audio. OK, that's cool. However it's true (wouldn't everyone agree?) that it's always an encounter with the second that (sometimes) leads to the first.
Everyone (and I mean everyone of every age) has been thrilled on hearing my system. I think a person would have to be deaf, or in excruciating pain, NOT to be thrilled by the experience of hi end audio reproduction! In fact, the general public now thinks the name for it is: THX !
But whether or not someone would consider the actual acquisition of such equipment for themselves, has to do with their discretionary spending priorities which, besides the equipment cost, would have to include providing the space and setup personnel (if one is not articularly "hands on." Think Goldmund ;-) Nor is the hobby itself for those into instant gratification.
With all the stimulation/distraction available in today's consumer society, I'm amazed as many take an interest in this hobby as do!
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