Ahh' the speakers of yester`year, being a big notch above average or current "Circuit Pity" types go unrecognized by the consumer masses & thereby diminished their availability at affordable prices. The market and ((**consumers )) literally turned a deaf ear. A deaf ear to even caring that
their next stereo system was no longer coming from a specialty audio source , but hypnotized by the appliance stores which were ultimately becoming audio outlets `as well. (**opposite `the minor populaton of audio advocates
who knew & appreciated the difference.)
Typically, these guys knew more about washers & dryers and refrigerators, so the buying public was presented with only needing to know "what's the cheapest you've got & does it sound o.k.?" Then having this mentality compounded by the rise of the locally hyped, soon to be national sales commercials that screamed at you `during dinner,...
( "Buy Here! Buy Now!!, Folks -you can't beat the deals we've got for You!" ... and for a limited time ONLY, you get this free home entertainment center with with every purchase of our new line of vacuum cleaners! ) ----- sound familiar?
And considering that most of these 'ALL 'n ONE Appliance Stores' were backed by corporate franchises and their big lot-buying budgets, the local independent audio shops were burdened to meet overheads, quotas, & additionally, the ever increasing pressures applied by contracts which pushed the requirement to promote ONLY the very name-brands to which they were obligated. / EX: the sales rep comes into "Joe's Hi-End Audio and says, "you have to display our speaker line as your primary' & move your ADVENTS to the rear of the sound room, ...like they're doing for us over at (*Ward-Elkins, Tipton's, & SILO Appliances), or we will pull out",(*the stores which later became Circuit Pity, WORST- BUYS, etc.)
I guess the way to have summarized would've been to use the existence of the stereo receiver bohemuths of the late 70's, because they're a perfect example & result of (all of the above). You had such as the producers of the heavy receivers having to downsize in Quality in order to survive financially to maintain their share of the changing market.
Eventually, this would cause the price gap between mediocre and 'high-end equipment to be ever increasing. The higher level production & finesse of the good stuff became reserved for a new minority seeking specialty audio.
Hey, I've typed enough to rival a Dennis Miller rant ' ...
but that's just part of it! / so long for now'
Greg, "Spkrfiend"
