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I wonder how many audiophiles there are these days

There’s a lot of speculation about how this is a dying hobby. I’ve been at this for 40 years, and it certainly isn’t what it used to be. In the old days there were cars and stereos as “toys” and that was about it. Now there’s a long list of competition, together with a general lack of interest in high end sound quality (Pono didn’t make it, which was no surprise). 

My kids friends come over (millennials) and I often get a “wow”, and that’s about it. I keep an old vacuum tube in a drawer to hand them, for the inevitable question “what are those?”. Then I tell them about how I’d go to the drugstore with my dad and do the TV tube test as a regular activity, which usually leads to a strange look and a sudden desire to know what’s for dinner. 

Anyway, there are still many high end equipment companies, probably more than ever, but it’s likely most only sell a handful of units. Serious audio stores are pretty rare, witness the road trips some of us take to just hear a set of speakers. 

If if you define “audiophile” as someone that is seriously interested in this as a hobby, does serious research on components, and is willing to spend a significant sum (which is totally relative), how many of us are there? I suspect at least 10,000, but not more than 50. Total guess, I’m hoping it’s higher because it’s a great hobby and I’d hate to see it get any more rare. 

Probably more important, is whether interest has stabilized. I think it has. There seem to be a lot of younger guys in these forums as well.

What do you think? 
JL


glow_worm
geoffkait's avatar
geoffkait
23,365 posts
 
Fabio was an audiophile.

He invited the well known reviewer Larry Archibald over to see is Fabulous 😀 high end audiophile system. "When I’m with my stereo, I’m in my world," Fabio told Archibald. Fabio explains,

"The big black columns are speakers, one is just for the woofers, the other is for the mid-range and the tweeters," he said, pointing to four 8-foot speaker columns, two on each side of his giant Sony video monitor. "Here you get very complicated because you got 12 sub-woofers, instead of one; you have 76 panels in each column between mid-range and tweeters. Then you have a special crossover. ..."

He could have mentioned, as well, the 2,000 watts of power that rage beneath the high-tech, custom-finished stalagmites of sound.

Like a lovesick suitor, Fabio explained to Archibald his decade-long passion for Krell Industries product-especially the company’s "monster" amplifier-and how he once picked up the phone in an effort to meet the CEO of the company, which is something you can do when you’re one of the most recognized people in the world.”
n80
2,116 posts
 
I wonder what Fabio listens to.
david_ten
5,480 posts
 
A hair dryer?
n80
2,116 posts
 
Good one.
glow_worm OP
84 posts
 
Thought I’d chime in again, I was distracted by the side discussion about Das Kapital and economic theory.

I come away thinking that the stories about audiophile sound reproduction dying have been greatly exaggerated.

Tomycy6 - brilliant to look at the Stereophile subscription numbers, wish I’d thought of that. If you take these numbers, add other similar subscriptions, those that read but don’t subscribe, worldwide interest (yes, including growing wealth and ability to pay), etc., you get to some pretty sizable numbers very quickly. I also think you’re right about purchases moving to the internet, which is much more cost effective. We probably infer too much based on the greatly diminished number of retail stores.

Djones, absolutely true it was always a niche market. Whether you’re listening to a 1968 $20 Garrard TT or iPhone earbuds it’s the same stratification, a small number of people take an interest in music quality while most don’t.

One very positive change is that price performance has come WAY down. I recently put together a system for my daughter and son-in-law. By carefully selecting products and managing component synergy, I spent less than $5k (all digital), and came away with quality I don’t think was possible 30 years ago for 3x the money. There’s capitalism for you!

JL

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