Ok Boomer. Basically, you are being called a stick in the mud.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with new technology. Without technological advances we would be in the dark ages. however, that does not mean that some are actually better than what was used previously.
The "market" drives much. Companies, dealers, etc. try hard to separate you from your money. and if new technologies are a way to do that, then they are fine with it.
I've compared streaming services to playing CD's through my transport and DAC combination and guess what? The CD's sound better. Remember, the streamer is also going through the same DAC. So the comparison was simple, Streamer vs CD Transport.
I also own a music server/streamer. I've taken the time to rip all of my CDs to the hard drive on my music server and although my music server rips "bit perfect", the CD/DAC combination still sounds better than my music server/DAC combination.
not jaw dropping differences, but they are there.
Now take a well recorded LP vs CD/DAC combination and the LP analog system is simply better.
What I'm trying to say is what is the goal here? is it to sit and listen to music? or to listen to music as background music while doing something else?
Remember, many people don't appreciate listening to music as much as you do. So they don't even understand the whole music thing in the first place.
You are basically speaking a totally different language to them that they would never understand. Unless they took the time to try.
Add to that the justification of the costs of your equipment and yes, they think you are crazy in the first place.
My youngest daughter is a dancer. She is thirty now and has danced since she was four. Ballet, jazz, modern, etc. mostly ballet. She grew up listening and dancing to outstanding music and appreciates it greatly. She even has an analog system.
When my oldest daughter went to college, she came back a jazz fan. imagine that.
It comes down to where people are in their lives and what is important to them and what isn't important to them.
Music and listening to music is important to me. it is a major stress relief and an enjoyment. I grew up playing classical violin, sax, clarinet, oboe, etc. good music is important to me, such that if it doesn't sound real, then it drives me out of the room. So, great equipment is necessary for accurate reproduction.
This is definitely not the case for many other people and there is nothing wrong with their priorities either.
The key is, do they hear a noticeable and appreciable difference when listening to music on your system vs how they typically listen? if the answer is yes, then it comes down to justifying the expense and time to invest in the system you have vs what they have.
in closing, technology advances or we stay stagnate. 45s, 78s, LPs, 8-tracks, cassette tape (and the noise reduction technology), DATs, CDs, MP3, USB drives, music servers, streamers and dont' forget the advent of remote controls.
But, if the sound quality is not to my expectations, I'm not jumping on the bandwagon anytime soon.
enjoy
