What's going on with the audio market?

I don’t have the measured data to support this view other than being a 55/40 who has watched the industry, but it seams to me the amount of gear available today is broader and deeper than at any time in my 40 years. Much has been driven by the growth in the eastern rim bringing in a lot of new players and such. Without getting political, the breadth of the US market has been limited by the disposable income of the middle class and Gen X. As (or if) this condition corrects itself over the next generation I still think the same aspects of the high-end that attracted current buyers will penetrate the segment of the consumer market know on hold.

There are tons of young buyers who love their music on the cheap and for mobility that will fall for the same things in live performance simulation that have driven the human condition to music for thousands of years. We are wired for its effects.

@jafant  enough about Obama and the economy and politics please this is not the place for it,  not to mention an ironic place to complain about the economy.

Jond, good luck with that.

I think more people started to go buy cheaper but VERY good sounding stuff. For example, the new tiny Class D amps sound awesome. You would probably think "nah" when you read this but it is REALLY good. No, it does not sound as good as an $5K Class A and/or tube amp but it is darn close.

https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/if-a-gear-is-dirt-cheap-do-you-think-it-is-no-good/post?posti...

The hobby is fragmented into many different segments. If I can use a car analogy for a sec, there are the antiquarian types (think vintage Bugatti, pre-war, similar to the WE horn crowd); the high dollar bling- modern Ferrari, Lambo whatever (give me a vintage one); the bang for the buck crowd-monster performance for the dollar from some Japanese tweaker cars or hell, even a modern Corvette. And a sort of middle ground that captures old school, plus high performance/vaiue ratio- e.g. later air cooled 911s that have had some wrench turning done. There is every conceivable flavor, following and "school of" under the sun; I think the same is true in hi-fi. I don't think the hobby, in any of its forms will expire-there are still folks who are avid about 78s. All of it can be embraced--(I don't do 78s, it's too much at this point, I buy later transcriptions on 33). But, who would have predicted all the big ticket vinyl stuff- that's not the so-called millennial crowd. I firmly believe that you can buy something of value that will last a long time and give you great pleasure. A lot of the turnover in hi-fi was the "upgrade" and for some segment it still may be- those who are still building a system or those who just like changing gear. There's room for all of it. I think this stuff will be here long after even the youngest of us are gone, but if I'm wrong, I guess I won't know, will I?