Sigh....
I've just recently been participating here after years of lurking. I semi-retired earlier this year from doing design and engineering of tech systems in the private sector. While I've never "been in the business", I have worked with audio/video dealers and integrators for several years from around the world, and I have a personal obsession with music systems. I'm also the person clients call when things don't work, so I've had my share of experience with audio.
With this said, I want to say something that I hope is taken the right way....
I hear a lot of people in the music/audio business complain about how things have changed, and that there doesn't seem to be a business model that works, but at the same time, I see very few companies and people in the business doing anything about it. Take for example the previous posts. It's easy to reinforce why things are the way they are, but where are the ideas and solutions for moving forward?
People are listening to music more than ever, and iPods and the computer/Internet account for a lot of listening, especial among modern music listeners. All of us here know that the iPod with the "cheap white ear buds" sounds horrible, but the iPod is not the problem. Anyone that has ever heard an iPod using Lossless or uncompressed files streamed digital into a good system will confirm that it can sound wonderful.
With the failure of the cheap ear buds, and low quality speakers systems that are in the market, there is OPPORTUNITY. There is also OPPROTUNITY to educate about why lossless and uncompressed files are better, and demonstrate it. If people are walking around with their cherished iPods, then show them how to make them sound better, and in return you will gain a customer and future relationship.
The reason I bring this up is because most of my clients ask for iTunes and iPod integration, and I myself, really like my iTunes and iPod, but when I ask dealers/integrators to provide a solution, most just roll their eyes and start telling me that iTunes and the iPod doesn't make a good source. BS! This is the type of arrogance and attitude that disconnects dealers from customers. So what if not everyone owns a large vinyl collection, has a turntable, likes the glow of tubes, etc....that doesn't make them less of a music listener. In fact, most the people I know who invest in music systems, are very passionate music listeners, and they not only invest in one room of their home, but several. I'm not just talking about the "rich". I help average people all the time design music systems for their homes, and the reason I'm helping them, is because the dealers in their area won't do it. They don't want to take on smaller projects that are simple.
If you ask an audiophile what time it is, they tell you how to build a watch. Most people don't care about building a watch. They just want the time. Most music listeners don't care about system building and tweaks. They just want music. The just want a quality experience that is simple and reliable. I can tell you, after years of recommending "high end" systems (I despise the term "high end") to my clients, I've learned that the "higher end" the system, the more service and support will be required. It's like selling a hot rod to a soccer mom. Soccer moms don't want hot rods, they want mini vans. A lot of "high end" dealers are so caught up in the technical aspects, that they totally turn off, and away, average everyday music listeners. There will always be some of us geeks and tweaks, but we need to understand that the rest of the world does not care. They want something that is high quality, very simple, consistently relaible AND comes with a person that will service and support them long term.
Audiogon is mostly for us geeks and tweaks. It's a place we can come to learn (and for some, argue) about the technical aspects of music systems, but that's not what most people want. If the industry wants to really shift into a more mainstream and profittable position, then it needs to let go of some attitude and open up to new ways of helping people listen to music....because helping people listen to music is a valuable service.
(No audiophiles, soccer moms, geeks, tweaks and rich people were harmed during the making of this post.)
I've just recently been participating here after years of lurking. I semi-retired earlier this year from doing design and engineering of tech systems in the private sector. While I've never "been in the business", I have worked with audio/video dealers and integrators for several years from around the world, and I have a personal obsession with music systems. I'm also the person clients call when things don't work, so I've had my share of experience with audio.
With this said, I want to say something that I hope is taken the right way....
I hear a lot of people in the music/audio business complain about how things have changed, and that there doesn't seem to be a business model that works, but at the same time, I see very few companies and people in the business doing anything about it. Take for example the previous posts. It's easy to reinforce why things are the way they are, but where are the ideas and solutions for moving forward?
People are listening to music more than ever, and iPods and the computer/Internet account for a lot of listening, especial among modern music listeners. All of us here know that the iPod with the "cheap white ear buds" sounds horrible, but the iPod is not the problem. Anyone that has ever heard an iPod using Lossless or uncompressed files streamed digital into a good system will confirm that it can sound wonderful.
With the failure of the cheap ear buds, and low quality speakers systems that are in the market, there is OPPORTUNITY. There is also OPPROTUNITY to educate about why lossless and uncompressed files are better, and demonstrate it. If people are walking around with their cherished iPods, then show them how to make them sound better, and in return you will gain a customer and future relationship.
The reason I bring this up is because most of my clients ask for iTunes and iPod integration, and I myself, really like my iTunes and iPod, but when I ask dealers/integrators to provide a solution, most just roll their eyes and start telling me that iTunes and the iPod doesn't make a good source. BS! This is the type of arrogance and attitude that disconnects dealers from customers. So what if not everyone owns a large vinyl collection, has a turntable, likes the glow of tubes, etc....that doesn't make them less of a music listener. In fact, most the people I know who invest in music systems, are very passionate music listeners, and they not only invest in one room of their home, but several. I'm not just talking about the "rich". I help average people all the time design music systems for their homes, and the reason I'm helping them, is because the dealers in their area won't do it. They don't want to take on smaller projects that are simple.
If you ask an audiophile what time it is, they tell you how to build a watch. Most people don't care about building a watch. They just want the time. Most music listeners don't care about system building and tweaks. They just want music. The just want a quality experience that is simple and reliable. I can tell you, after years of recommending "high end" systems (I despise the term "high end") to my clients, I've learned that the "higher end" the system, the more service and support will be required. It's like selling a hot rod to a soccer mom. Soccer moms don't want hot rods, they want mini vans. A lot of "high end" dealers are so caught up in the technical aspects, that they totally turn off, and away, average everyday music listeners. There will always be some of us geeks and tweaks, but we need to understand that the rest of the world does not care. They want something that is high quality, very simple, consistently relaible AND comes with a person that will service and support them long term.
Audiogon is mostly for us geeks and tweaks. It's a place we can come to learn (and for some, argue) about the technical aspects of music systems, but that's not what most people want. If the industry wants to really shift into a more mainstream and profittable position, then it needs to let go of some attitude and open up to new ways of helping people listen to music....because helping people listen to music is a valuable service.
(No audiophiles, soccer moms, geeks, tweaks and rich people were harmed during the making of this post.)