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Where is great audio going? - Headphones and Mid-Cost

I've been thinking about this for a while. If CES is any indicator, the high end audio market is shrinking.
However, music consumption is not. Where is the disparity?

In my humble opinion, it is going to headphones and mid-cost gear.

Before I go too much deeper, let me say that I feel there is a big difference between "high end" and "very expensive."  Not everyone agrees with me. If a cable costs $30K it MUST Be high end right? That's not me.

The modern audiophile is much more likely to be into headphones. Discussions about headphones, and DAC/headphone amps have incredible high participation. I'd venture to say that there are a lot more headphone audiophiles today than traditional 2 channel.

This is for a couple of reasons. Cost is a factor, but also space. You don't need much more to have a great headphone setup than your desk. To get a great stereo setup you need the space, the acoustics, and considerate neighbors. The average apartment dweller (like me, sadly) just does not have the resources to build a home, with a separate listening room. Also, we spend so much time in front of our PC's, that if we are going to enjoy music, it makes sense we optimize for it rather than a listening room.

My point I think is that we are going to have to stop looking to $50k amps to drive the high end. We have to disconnect ourselves from the idea that price = value and start thinking about our community as being able to encompass more music lovers in the way they live today.

Best,

E
erik_squires
jafreeman's avatar
jafreeman
689 posts
 
High-end manufacturers and retailers have the same increased costs in health care, housing, daycare, college tuition, autos and food as the rest of us, so they have had to increase prices on products that are, for us, a luxury hobby.  

Phones with good DACs and hi-res streaming have largely replaced components for millennials and gen x-ers, born after '96, and I can hear why--bought an I Phone XR for my wife, and does it ever sound good, even through the stock buds.  All of the sound is there, plus some I wish I had in my system.  
orpheus10
8,668 posts
 

I think that's called "inflation".
gawdbless's avatar
gawdbless
1,235 posts
 
High-end manufacturers and retailers have the same increased costs in health care, housing, daycare, college tuition, autos and food as the rest of us, so they have had to increase prices on products that are, for us, a luxury hobby.  

Should their chosen private life (for the most part) Impinge on the products price? I am not meaning the business over heads or expenses either. Naturally, a profit has to be made.

michaelgreenaudio's avatar
michaelgreenaudio
1,019 posts
 

HEA is at an impasse but the audiophile market, hobby and lifestyle is alive and well. How many more folks are going to spring for over built/over priced components is an issue that belongs only to HEA now. Quality of sound is no longer an issue with the lower priced systems. I don't see the decrease in in-room listening either. From where I'm sitting it appears that listening to music is increasing on all fronts, again except for HEA.

One of the big shockers hitting HEA is the development of Class D amplifiers and that kind of has some shakin up and defensive to a degree. How can a $50.00 amp compete with a $50,000.00 one? Well they do and that turns HEA on it's ear. The bright side to this is, it gets listeners looking into the other low mass changes taking place that maybe haven't yet been talked about as much. But lets not be mistaken, the hobby of listening is growing and learning more about quality sound then it ever has.

Michael Green


oddiofyl's avatar
oddiofyl
3,702 posts
 
I'm recently separated, so my living situation has changed big time.  Right before I left I picked up a pair or Grado RS2e headphones and Rupert Neve RNHP headphone amp.   Best $1000 spent on audio in a long time.

While my gear sat there in storage for the last 6 months I was enjoying my music on a hard drive through my BluRay player, streaming from my tablet, etc.  

While we are on the topic of mid fi, I just picked up a Bluesound Vault 2i and it is awesome.   So between that and my headphone rig I have a setup that is pretty enjoyable within the context of what it is.   
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