What's going on with the audio market?

Remember that $10,000 in m1960 would buy over $80,000 today. But I do think casual listening is the order today. Any thing more is difficult to do everywhere with much fidelity and perhaps the distortion of modern music doesn't encourage fidelity.

I have a grandson who is a Junior in college now. He was a drummer in a jazz groups in high school and was listening to Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon. I asked him if he wanted to hear that on my big system. He said yes. 

After listening he said it didn't even sound like what he  was listening, but that drums now sounded much more real. Later he left the room and I saw he went back to MP3.

In short we aren't likely to see a return to earlier audio. But I should say he now has an AR turntable and arm and a Stanton cartridge and a bunch of duplicate LPs I gave him. I've done my best. His mother was an audiophile until kids.

My kids (in their early 50s) and grand kids (late 20s), but for 1 daughter, have no interest in the patience and suspending of all other so called tasking to sit and listen to anything or even read a printed on paper page of any publication or book unless it's Very Small and portable. That's a few generations of lost audiophile equipment sales right there. I have a pretty costly sound system and I collected first edition books for 50 years and other stuff.. Collected mint, not saved. Grand kids Could buy 2 or three homes with my stuff. But none are interested or care to put down their I-phones. They don't even get the buy homes part. Facebook, video games and constant texting and "look at me" attitude have replaced everything us 70 year olds  used to see as pragmatic. My worst nightmare would be dying and my family putting all this stuff on the lawn for a yard sale. 5 bucks for YG Carmels (cause they're smaller than..), 10 bucks for a Vitus amp and maybe 20 bucks for a Playback Designs SACD player. Oh and those custom made cables? They come with the other stuff. Oh shit. Where's my Xanax.

I agree with the lack of audio stores. I am 150 miles from a couple, 300 miles from Dallas. But I'm aware that many people test the gear in stores and buy online for a better price. I'm not passing judgement, just stating a fact.

No telling what the future brings. Things seem to run in cycles. The other day a younger friend commented that someone should start washing windows and checking your car out when you gas up. I agreed.

I had that job 80 hours a week for $1 an hour in 1975. Companies are now selling the fact that the phone is answered by a human. No telling what comes next...

In the 80s and 90s it was cool to have a good "system" in your car or house.  It was sort of a friendly competition among my peers. Now I have one non online friend who cares anything about music or stereos.  I feel like a Martian!