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.
Perhaps a point that is being missed in the exchange between Cdc and Rex is that nobody really knows what "real" rock sounds like because it is an entirely invented phenomenon; different for each performer, each band, each session, each performance. There is no "real" electronic keyboard or bass guitar sound in the same sense that one can discern the "real" sound of a violin or a piano. Thus, what one must, by definition, seek in a system designed to play rock is what one finds personally appealing rather than what one finds acoustically "correct." When I listen to a recording of a Bosendorfer Halb-Konzertflugel, I can, if my ears are properly trained, determine the extent to which the reproduction sounds like the real thing. On my current system, I can get reasonably close; on Albert's probably a lot closer. But no one can say that any particular recording of the Thirteen Screamin' Wombats sounds like the 'bats really are because how they really are depends on who is twiddling which knob at which moment. That's not to say that rock is bad music or that high end equipment is wasted on rock afficionadi, only that they may be expected to apply different listening criteria than those of us with a taste for acoustic instruments.
CDC and REX, I don't think the problem has to do with what speakers or electronics are made for rock. I believe many rock bands produce music that is either too poorly recorded to be listened to on good systems or the music that is produced is too loud or complex to spund good at a concert, recording studio , or a good system. For instance, I like quite a few Everclear cuts but, I won't buy cd's because it is recorded/ produced or whatever in such a manner that it sounds compressed on any good system. I don't think that you can make a speaker that will cause Everclear to sound good. Then again, I have an AC/DC CD that sounds great and vibrant on my Vandersteens. These speakers are so nuetral they are not biased towards any music except that which is poorly produced or the electronics are poor. Just my .02.
By the way, I am in my early 50's and listen to nothing but classic rock, alternative, punk, and soft rock. No classical or jazz crosses my electronics and my speakers sound wonderful as long as the recording is good.
Rex, maybe so, but try and find me a review of a component which is made for rock music. Here are some of Sam Tellig's comments: Harbeth - not for rock. Electocompaniet / Musical Fidelity / LFD Mistral - "harmonics, lit from within, etc etc." B&W - classical recording minitor, not for rock Omega "Chamber music"
Either most components are not for rock or the people reading the reviews aren't into rock so reviewer's don't gear their review for such genres.
If it wasn't for the "toe tapper" crowd in England I think everything we listen on stereo to would sound like Mozart or Yanni. Well, maybe not quit that bad :-).
Hi guys, I'm sorry I don't have the time to read through the entire thread bu I'm interested in the debate between Cdc and Rex. I think good points are made both ways. At age 23 I have quite varied tastes from jazz and a little classical to rock, all the way over to metal and a little hiphop, with various rock genres being my bread'n'butter. I like the musicality, detail and presentation of tubes and have yet to be entirely won over by the SS sond despite the punchier bass for rock and hiphop.
I agree that genres like metal and rap don't always sound "right" on my system BUT I've been able to hear some of this type of msuic through some very nice and very expensive SS gear and I didn't necessarily think that those systems were "voiced" better for those genres. I think it's more a matter of music production, not reproduction. The artists, producers, and engineers know full well that the vast majority of listeners of those genres are not going to be listening on high-end rigs, so the production may flat out not be there--this is espeically true for locally engineered indie rock bands. Some of hte tubbiness in the bass of rap and metal records, I'm finding, is either there on the album, or due to poor electrical and slow cabling in my system.
I listened to Type O Negative's World Coming Down the other day on my current rig and really enjoyed it. It was produced with alot of punch to the kick and bass with a nice wall of guitars. I'm auditioning some Kharma Ceramiques later this week and am curious to hear how it sounds on those puppies!
Hi Rex, I'm happy you have found the system of your dreams. Nope the problem is not coloration. As I said before, I really think the problem is that systems are voiced for people who have a lot of money to spend and most of those people aren't listening to rock. The sytems that "are", have bumped up, underdamped, bloated bass and sometimes a bright tweeter. Why don't more people love audio? One reason may be because high end audio is not voiced for popular music ("Popular" meaning what most people listen to).
Bombaywalla, Actually I am both. Discriminating as you describe for CDs and records that sound good and analytical. I just changed tubes in my Audio research sp9 Mk2 to Amperex USN-CEP's which completely changed the character of the pre. Last week I bought a TAD-150 on the write ups and advise of Agon members to see if I am getting the best bang for the buck. One of the pres will go, probably the ARc if I agree with the reviews. Then in March when I have a little spare coin , I am sending my McCormack DNA-1 to Steve McCormack for a Rev -B upgrade. So i guess I evolved from discriminating to both over time....
Eagleman6722, Ok! I now see what YOU mean by "analytical". OK, each time I read "analytical" in your text, I'll substitute it with my equivalent word for it - "discriminating". To me "analytical" means somebody critically dissecting the sound into dynamics, soundstage width & height, transparency, air, blah, blah.... All those audiophile words you might have read time & again. I think what you are after is good & excellent recordings that make the music sound more real rather than the mass-produced CDs you find @ Walmart. Am I right? If so, in my words you are a discriminating music listener rather than an analytical music listener. Anyway, IMHO. FWIW. YMMV.
Cdc - I'm not sure why you're having such a problem finding equipment to match your musical tastes. My gear has no problem reproducing any kind of music I decide I want to hear.
Perhaps your gear is too "colored" or artificial-sounding.
Larryb "The most popular types of music - pop, rock and rap is reproduced better on non-audiophile systems." Huh? Maybe it's that people who like this type of music aren't the type who are willing to spend a lot of money on a stereo. People making stereo stuff know this and tailor the sound to classical (Sonus Faber for example, Musical Fidelity for another). I like rock, pop, and some rap and IMHO is is VERY difficult to find a stereo which can do justice to this type of music. ATC active 100's and Naim being the exceptions to the rule.
Point #2 analytical listening. I checked with my wife who has no interest in high end audio. She doesn't listen to how the music sounds. All she is interetsed in is what song is on and if she likes the song. I began my analytical senses by buying a $10 woofer and hooking it up to my tape recorder back in college in the early seventies. i know I wanted to have strong heavy bass. I didn't care whether it was boomy or not, I just wanted bass. So I took the bare woofer, and pointed it into a corner where it would exhibit a "boom boom" during certain passages.At that point every song that i listen to from then on had to meet a certain criteria. I found that I enjoy music but, it had to sound pleasing to my ears. On the other hand, when I had a friend over and wanted to show off my system, most of the ones who liked music really didn't appreciate my systems dynamics. They either liked the song or they didn't. This is what separates the analytical from the "just plain" music lovers. I have records that I like the music but, can't play them because the recordings are so bad. Every CD with old groups that I purchase has to have a notice that it was digitally remastered or i won't touch it...
It takes a learned skill to appreciate music. If you never learned the skill you dont need an audiophile system. Most people listen to "pop culture" music which requires no skill or time investment - very quick catchy 3 minute tunes. As an example compare this with an opera singer who spends many many years learning to sing. It would be strange (and insulting to the singer) to think we could immediately appreciate that music with no investment. I would suggest it takes the listener many years to learn to hear and appreciate an opera singer. people dont invest that much time in music anymore and therfore have no need for high fidelity systems or ability to use them. Society is looking for quick gratification and music doesnt offer that. You need many many years of learning, education and patience which is a major commitment. andy
Boa2, you're point about high end being in the hobbyist realm is exactly the problem. Look at how daunting and ridiculously expensive home computers were while they were still for hobbyists back in the late 70's.
With hobbies, user unfriendliness and crazy prices for little iddy biddy things are the rule. Practicality is the very last thing that's important. I guess that's what makes it a hobby.
Unfortunately the kind of good sound you can get before entering the hobby realm has a very low ceiling. This wasn't as true in the days of analog. Those mass market Marantz receivers, a moderately priced turntable and a decent speaker kit where all you needed to get a very pleasing sounding and versatile rig.
The mass manufacturers at some point figured out that features were more important to the consumer than sound quality, so for those where sound is king, we're forced to wade into the waters of the hobbyists. I guess there aren't enough of us around to cater to.
I think it has much more to do with aesthetics than anything else. Just look at the System rooms of any Audiogon member, and compare it with the audio/HT room of someone who is not into high end. One is displayed as a part of one's life, and the other is hidden.
Virtually everything for sale on this site would lead one to believe that there is a hobby at hand, and most people would rather pay the guy at the big audio chain store to just come in, hide everything in the walls and cabinets, and hand over the decorative, "it even wipes your rump" remote. And the remote--just like the kids toys, the dishes, and the evening mail--is hidden away as well. If it cannot be used without aesthetic intrusion, they don't want it.
I'm sorry Eagleman67722 but I disagree w/ your point (2). IMHO, analytical listening is exactly what will drive people away from audio! One needs to do analytical listening but only when setting up the system i.e. buying the gear, placing it, speaker positioning, room acoustics fine tuning & tweaking it. Once that is done, hopefully the listener will be listening to music rather than listening to the sound of his stereo (as you have suggested). The gear is just a means to an end. Judicious selection is paramount to getting to that "end" but after the selection, it's time to play music. If one continues w/ analytical listening, one is totally missing the point. Anyway, just my 2 cents. FWIW.
Seevral things that come to my mind are: 1)Money. People put music low on the priority list. 2)Anlytical listening. Most people don't listen to how the music sounds, they just listen to the music. 3)Many people listen to music only at parties or get-togethers. Music is just in the background. 4) They haven't gotten the disease. Kind of like golf. Once you catch it your hooked....
As far as complexity, it has benefited the hiend dealer community to obfuscate and complicate to the best of their capabilities. This may bring short term shot in the arm revenue but will ultimately end with a lot of turned off jaded customers.
What I do see is that people could care less about the way things sound, as the low end products have become quite good. In fact, my mother in law was over the other night and said her Bose sounded better than my system because it was surround(!?)
The technology you describe is the death knell for hiend because it is simple, sounds good (to a point) more consistently than a lot of thrown together hiend gear.
Another reason is that some hiend gear is so overpriced for what it delivers as to be ludicrous. This is just another reason that the piper will be paid be unscrupulous manufacturers and distributors at the next economic cycle...
Most people don't know that high end audio exists. Seriously, to them top of the line is something from Wally world, Best buy (Bose), Target. However, that doesn't mean they don't love audio. Most people love music, they just either can't afford or are satisfied (don't know any better)with mid-fi.
A decent mid-fi set-up doesn't sound bad. You can enjoy the music. Only a minority want the best whether it's audio, food, or microbrew beer.
I don't believe it needs to be that complicated to get good sound. For $3-5 grand you can get a pretty darn good sounding system. You just need $2K, for speakers, $500 for a cd player, then $500 to $2500 for a amp/pre-amp or some combination thereof. There is no need to ever go further, forget about exotic cords, conditioners, etc.
That doesn't mean you can't get better sound with all the extra's, just you can do well without it too. Audiophiles just aren't satisfied with good sound, we want trancendent, miraculous. Yet, even among Audiogoners there is a wide variation in what type of system we need to be satisfied.
I've thought about this before too. Here are the reasons I came up with:
1) The kind of music that favors high end, hifi gear is enjoyed by an ever more miniscule part of the population. People in the US just don't spend much time listening to Jazz and Classical music anymore. The most popular types of music - pop, rock and rap is reproduced better on non-audiophile systems.
2) Music itself is not as exciting anymore. In the 70's in my lower income beach neighborhood, it wasn't hard to find people living in an 800 sq ft shack on the beach on welfare with $20K stereo systems. The music was so good and exciting at the time, it was the supreme entertainment all by itself.
3) Home Theater is more entertaining and sociable than music listening. During the 70's, all you needed was good weed and good tunes and you had yourself a party. There's something about weed and music that went so well together.
4) High end audio turned into a raquet somewhere along the line. If all you want is the best sounding stereo gear for your money and you're tired of your Kenwood, you're treated to very unwholistic systems that sound amazingly good in one or two areas and deficient in others.
You're put on a continuous and ridiculously expensive treadmill of tweaks and upgrades until things just sound right overall. By that time they sound fantastic, but you would have settled for just "right" about $40K ago.
5) Similar to 4, the complexity you're introduced to just to get quality stereo sound is monstrous. You need expensive cables (but who knows how they'll sound in your system), power conditioners (but who knows how they'll sound in your system), better power cords, a DAC, preamp, amp, sub, source, room treatments, all with uncertain outcomes until they have the right mystical synergy. WAIT A MINUTE!!!!
All I wanted was a good sounding stereo. It shouldn't have to be this hard or this expensive. Ahh, but it is.
Well, IMO high end audio won't compete until the complexity is gone. The complexity just creeped in step by step until it's now choking the industry to death by being ridiculously daunting for the consumer.
What will save the stereo business? Digital Technology. Now that there are digital amps, all components can be connected fiber-optically and made in a much smaller form factor. Give em 3 or 4 small components with a single standardized cable connection to each that puts out dynamite sound, and you'll see people enjoy the music listening experience again.
Oh yeah, and some exciting new music to come along wouldn't hurt things either.
As several have mentioned, the number one reason that people treat their audio systems like appliances is lack of exposure to a great system. No music lover goes away from hearing a great system unchanged. Most want to have some modicum of that for themselves once they are aware of its existence. The next problem is finding the stuff to buy. Great dealers are few and far between, and without their help the learning curve is very steep for the uninitiated.
It takes some type of mentoring for the uninitiated on the benefits of spending a little more to get something unimaginable, and the cottage industry continues to fill that growing void left by the larger high end companies.
Service to the customer is the key but without the newbie hearing a top-flight system playing their familiar tunes, is it any wonder most people find this hobby a turn off?
Another phenomenon I take note of is what happens when someone new to all this listens to great sound. It puts them to sleep. It must be mentally fatiguing to process all the additional information one hears. Interesting. So, there is some mentoring needed on why one feels that way. It takes time to get beyond that and just allow the music to take over. That requires a real commitment. .
Great question, and I'm not sure why either. I have observed people at my house as they look at and/or listen to my system. I think that most people simply don't care or don't think there is an audible difference between high end and mass market. There are some that can tell the difference, but are intimidated by the complexity or cost. Some (often women) don't want to deal with the integrating something like this into their decor. In the 20 years I've been into the hobby, there's only been one person out of so many that came to my house and was impressed enough by my sound to buy an audiophile grade system of their own.
Because too many people don't know what to do with their eyes when listening to Audio....Raised on too much T.V. perhaps. I suspect that this was not a problem with the Radio generation. They knew how to listen when there was nothing to watch.
Seems like most of my freinds could care less if they listen to music on a clock radio,200$ System,cheap car stereo,they think Im nuts to spend the money I do.
I spend what I can on audio equipment (and software) for no other reason than the love of music. My system is only mid-fi (Low end rega, nad, mirage, and a sony cd player) thet being all I can afford. If one has no love for music then it would be wasful to spend money on a stero of high quality. That said, I cannot recall who said that all art tends towands the form of music (sugesting that music is the highest art but I agree. I can detect faults in my system even now (im listing to Chopin), but, as it has been said this is not a hobby for the poor (or for students like me). I am truly sorry for those who cannot afford a good (even as good as mine) system, but have truly good ears, and almot envy a freind who loves music but cannot hear the difrence between a poor system and a good one- he injoys poor systems greatly, and that is an enviable position.
Gonglee3, Sony bought out Aiwa. Maybe this will help Sony's poor sound quality. Aiwa has had good sound quality for the dollar but poor quality. Naw, Sony just bought Aiwa to eliminate their products because their stuff sounded better. Interesting fact about Japanese philosphy is they make their product names to be recognizable when read frontwards or in reverse. Aiwa = Awia / Toyota = Atoyot / Nissan = Nassin for example.
The sincerity of this post is a tad suspect methinks. Audiophilia is largely an elitist hobby. The prices of gear dictate that someone not in the higher income bracket can't play this game. The unenlightened vast majority of music listeners are happy with an mp3 downloaded cd in their ipod or car radio. Ferrari's , Rolexes and Wilson speakers cater to the same elevate-ourselves-from -the common man mentality. In my younger wilder days I was reliant on outside stimuli to enhance my musical sensibilities. Now that I've "grown up" ,I've found that audiophilia is the only way to satisfactorily enhance music to the same level that formerly involved my risking chromosome damage.
I think it's partially the power of designer's of audio manufacturers. Big corporations of Japan have sold to our eyes and not to our ear - knowing that vast majority of the population cannot even distinguish the difference in CD player's sounds. Even the consumer report said all the cd players sound alike - they are all good, so buy any one. While this move makes business sense, I wish it were different - I wish all the people would buy at least quality mid-fi like NAD, Parasound, Cambridge Audio, and Japan's Rotel.
Since I was critical of Japan's business practices, to be fair I should say something nice about them also to be fair - they have brought down the price of quality. Denon-mission exec. systems sound pretty musical, and looks classy, with sleep and waking up features. Kenwood mini system sound pretty musical for the money as well. Sony also is offering better sounding executive systems recently in upscale models only. They are sounding better each year for about the same price. So, thanks for making quality affordable and beautiful, Japan.
In Europe and Canada, more people do love audio than in US. We can learn from them on this matter. I think we audio lovers have the key to the land of beauty and happiness - sonic nirvanah some call it. Let's share this precious gift with our friends, and our children especially who cannot afford it otherwise. You heard of the Mozart effect - it promotes intellectual deveopment as well.
I wish Japanese corporations would improve all the shelf systems, as they have with their executive systems -They hurt my ears. Music hath powers to sooth our breast - brain research show measure-able positive effects as well, and all the shelf systems are an opportunity lost. Anyone in the industry, please ask them to send us better sounding shelf systems! With china's low wages these days, it should be possible to build better sounding ones for a little more money.
Denon-mission mini systems is musical sounding - we should give at least this quality to our children.
Let's come to know quality in life, rather than what they look like on the outside. Just as we audio lovers ponder why not more people enjoy this hobby, I wonder if other's also ask this question. It's heavenly to ponder, "what other joys await us, with a bit of commitment?"
From my experience, when an average person hears a quality audio, they react positively to it, but are turned off by the prohibitive cost, and by our constant upgrade bug. Let's learn to assemble an affordable mid-fi system, that can deliver musical non-fatiguing sound, incase our friends ask for it. Spread this joy, but not our bug.
Thanks PBB nice to know there are some level heads on gon. Next week im going to post this question "what things in your life (intra and extra personal) are suffering because you spend so much time and money on audio"
In thedoctor's camp, the brick & mortar dealers are brutally intimidating to those who want to learn the hobby before shelling out 5 figures for a system. I decided to start a relationship with my closest local dealer and they wanted to charge me a 50% markup on a YBA Integre, now they are giving me a hard time about fixing a Creek a friend passed down to me (I am out of work at the moment). Little wonder women don't flock to the high end. Maybe the predator phenomenon exists because I am in affluent WashDC, but now I have more respect, admiration & confidence in the Audiogon community than ever. The dealers just don't get it, that lifelong customers will spend more money in the long run than 1-time victims. Audio's worst enemy is among us.
Charker, where have you been all these years? I get pounced on, trampled, kicked, bashed, etc (only in writing I am pleased to say, although I have had threaths of physical harm) for uttering pronouncements like yours, albeit I sometimes get carried away. Stick around long enough and you may get carried away too! Another case of audio sanity breaking out on the 'Gon! Wonderful! Good day.
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
Because for one its a geek oriented hobby. To see grown men fretting over whether something is 99.99998% or 99.9999999% pure copper or imaging or room tuning or the thousands of tweaky overpriced doo-dads we get shoved down our throat is disturbing at worse and silly at the least. The average person wants to put on music enjoy it and get on with his life. I think we glom to much on the messenger and not enough on the message. Plus the prices in high end and even upper mid fi audio border on ridiculous. To have someone say that a $8,000 cable is a bargain must have our non audiophile friends going " hey not only is he audio geeky he's dumb if he believes that stuff." I know we all have been to a friends house where he or she spent so much time making sure the system was performing to its optimum for the listening session that by the time they were done it was time to go. Nothing wrong with making a bourbon and coke, kicking back, turning the music on and just emjoying the it. I really love audio and love good equipment. What I dont like is overblown prices and elitist audio geeks. In fact the tone of the original letter kinda harkens to that. "why arent there more non audio low lifes who have seen the light an become sacrosant and sanctamonious like us audiophiles" I think what it is there are a lot of more people that love music and could care less whether it was played on a $100,000 system or a car radio. Just think of the number of concerts you could go to for $100,000. The enjoyment should be the music not the equipment.
The equation between high-end audio equipment and loving music is absurd. No more, no less. Many people love music, a good number even make music for a living, and don't give a fiddler's fart about high-end audio equipment. Many people with a mega bucks system wouldn't know a flatted fifth from a whole in the wall. Try again. Good day.
Either you love it or ya don't...different people's brains are wired differently. Those that emit endorphins while listening to 'beautiful' music become audiophiles. To others the TV does more for them....
It's an art.. An art of perfection for many audiophiles. With art, not everyone's going to like it - nor have the ear for it.
Then again like many before me.. you can't take your (let's say $70k) audio system around to show-off. It's an internal thing, a natural state of high that people seek out (at all costs!)
Some people are more tuned towards other things/hobbies for their own motives. For me, I can't live without my high-end audiophile reproduction ability.. It's a choice. I'll no longer exist without music.
Can you imagine the amount of time and hard work that audiophiles put into ,listening, tweaking, auditioning, selecting, upgrading, comparing and start all over again? If we had spent that much time trying to make money we all would be much richer than we are today! But, then, we would not know what audio gear to buy.
No regrets having spent all the time doing what I mentioned in my first paragraph. Its has made my life fun to live!
I have a few friends who are very rich and have come over to listen to my humble setup, they actually spent a lot more on their audio gear but not able to enjoy it. Money can buy good quality HIFI but but it cannot produce good sound on its own. Even after spending a lot of it you still need to put in your effort to make it sound right.
Its an art and science at the same time and not many people understand it well. I am still trying to understand it after spending good 30 years into this hobby.
Frasier - "A well-meaning, but egotistical, radio psychiatrist devotes most of his energy to solving the problems of those around him, while managing to create most of the problems that plague his own life [...] Frasier is a good man. His heart is in the right place. [...] But he's also a bit of a boob. Pompous, long-winded, self-important, snobbish " Point well taken Doc. So difficult to be cool rather than boorish for some though.
Great thread! I think the wording of the original question was skewed towards Why is Audio Not a Status Symbol, but the header poses a different question - Why Don't More People Love Audio?
The questions are bound to have quite different answers. With regard to the first question, if speaking of status symbols -- it seems we are --, then I think we're moving in the territory of conspicuous consumption. IF audio (gear) is not a status symbol, then so because it can't be driven around the block like flashy wheels, draped on the back of your chair like bespoke threads - neither worn on your wrist like a well-built watch nor on your arm like a comely, well-built or flashy wench. Conspicuity (sp?) is in large part about ostentation. Os-tendere means literally to hold out, to show. What's at home cannot be seen, is insufficiently conspicuous for the status-seeking. For those mainly out and about, audio is an unattractive venue, too homely. For those whose social lives are more centered on the at-home, audio is fair game for more vicarious display. I do contend that audio IS a status symbol, just -- for a variety of reasons -- not so obviously so like other things.
(Coiner of "conspicuous consumption": Thorstein Veblen, http://www.socsci.mcmaster.ca/~econ/ugcm/3ll3/veblen/ see esp. The Theory of the Leisure Class - with milk and cookies some late eve makes for a nice audiogoner nightcap)
With regard to the second question, while I agree with many posting that not everyone loves audio, I have yet to meet anyone who would contend that Nietzsche in opining a life without music is not a life at all, got it completely wrong. Most everyone appreciates music to some degree. He just may not have a well-developed ear or musical taste.
I think the second question is not about why people don't love audio, but concerns rather why people don't have musical taste. To explain this odd phenomena, I would agree with many of the posts - well, it's a sign of the times, it's a Zeitgeist thing, no time, etc. Veblen: No leisure class. (It seems the views of old money -- the old leisure class -- and new money are converging: money is something that should be studied and seriously pursued, like a career or genuine work. It's no longer something whose main purpose is to allow one to spend life pursuing useless things -- philology, oenology, musicology or other diversions -- that have no bottom line.)
IMO the phenomenon is related to the phenomenon why most do not have a good eye for art, that is, have an underdeveloped appreciation for the visual. I don't think they are to blame anymore than anyone is to be held responsible for not being of astonishing pulchritude. As we know, the all-important key to physical beauty is to select your parents wisely. To a significant, but by no means equal, extent, the same goes for the aural and visual. Lack of EARLY exposure and at least some early training of ear and eye do leave their mark. We know for example that tabus and tastebuds are programmed early -- very early -- in life. In a similar vein, it is unlikely that anyone who has never been taken, dragged?, to exhibitions, concerts and so on early on, without similar experiential access, will butterfly to become artist or musician. Unlikely, not impossible. This is why I admire the likes of Lngbruno and others who provide their friends and cohorts with audiophilic and other forms of leisurely acculturation. Belated it may be, but music is, thankfully, unlike our proportions, less a matter of nature than of nurture.
Thedoctor said it better than I've ever heard. People here won't believe this but I spent a day in NYC listening to some of the finest stereo in existance and the best IMHO was a Monitor Audio Bronze 1 on a Marantz receiver. Why?
Good tonality that matched my taste.
If a stereo is over etched, searingly bright, boomy bass that feels like a pounding headache, or whatever that grates on my taste I could care less how much it costs or how good the sound is in other ways. If a stereo can't just play tunes, what good is it?
Yeah, the doctor is right. Music is a distant second to expensive equipment in a two horse race, when all is said and done in the audiophile kingdom. Hang around, you will see arguments in a criss-cross pattern concerning: music/equipment/music/equipment/musicality/equipment/accuracy/equipment/price/equipment/golden ears/equipment/tin ears/equipment/state-of-the-art/equipment/emotional response/equipment/love/equipment and last but not least, gotta upgrade, I've had this equipment for over two months now. Love is just a kiss away, it's just a shot away!
The audio industry has created a very toxic, noncredible environment with hyped, overpriced, gimicky equipment. The more high-end the audio store, the more pompous and arrogant the salesman...do audiophiles really like quality sound or knowing that there equipment is the newest and best? hmm...
Also convenience. Very few people are willing to put speakers out into the room. Most people don't want tuner / transport / dac / preamp / amp / speaker with all the wires and interconnects as well. I see posts regularly for people wanting speakers that can be put against the wall. Or for an audiophile grade receiver only to be told it can't be done this way if you want hi-end sound. and it's true - too bad. So maybe some active Tannoy, Mackie, or ATC monitors and a source with volume control would go a long way in solving the convenience issue while still having good sound.
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