How could High End audio be improved?

Ozfly has an exelent point in my opinion.
spectral has been saying this for years.
work together in harmony..Both up and down the price range.

Cut the prices and cut the magnification of differences by the audio mags!

High End Audio has a lot of problems:

1 - It is a combination of art and technology. The art is effectively the music we hear through our music systems. The technology is the music system which lets us experience this art we call music. Why is this a problem? Well, look at the popular music that dominatates main stream America. Most of it wholly disagrees with me personally. How many people actually go to the Symphony anymore? How many people go to see live unamplified music? The general problem the average American works more hours a year than pretty much any other nationality. We are bombarded with ways to spend the little free time we have (TV, computer, internet, games, vacations, telephone, mobile phone, driving, books, magazines, home movies/DVDs, sports, watching sports, Cable TV, listening to music on low end devices nearly everywhere, more work, etc.). High end audio has to compete with a lot of technology for the use of our relatively little amount of free time. Compare it to decades like the 60's and 70's where there were barely any home computers, mobile phones, Cable or Satelite TV, home movies on DVD or even tape, internet. People had more time in these decades to listen to music. And remotely good sound could only really be heard on a home stereo system using a turntable or real to real tape.
Overcoming this problem is well VERY TOUGH. There was an article in the Jan 03 Stereophile that talks about these issues.

2 - Most really great equipment manufacturers do not offer products/components that are in the sub $1000 price category. This is a problem because the $1k barrier is a psychological barrier. I would love to see companies like GamuT or Ayre or Krell make an amp for $500. Or a CDP or Preamp at the $500 retail price point. I am sure these companies would say something like at that price profit margins would be next to nothing, and they would not sell well, and they would have a tough time entering that section of the market which is dominated by mass market companies like Sony. Well, it is their perogative... But I think if a company could make components that offered high value at the low price of $500, they could do very well in the midfi market. Who knows?

3 - The other problem is marketing. Or lackthereof. There is really only one electronics company that does a superlative job marketing... and it depresses the heck out of me: BOSE. Bose's success is due to it's marketing 100%. Other electronics companies generally have no clue how to market their product to get a wider audience. Ask any Joe off the stree and ask him what the best speakers he has ever heard... odds are he would answer: Bose. Makes me puke, but just because something disagrees with me does not make it true.

4 - Many high end stores are started by EITHER hobbiest or serious businessmen. The hobbiest tend not to be the greatest salesmen or business runners, and more than 9 times out of 10 their stores fail. The serious businessmen many times are only aiming for profit and thus, just cater to the lowerst common denominator. They could care less how their products sound as long as merchandise is moving. It is very rare that you find audiophiles running hi-end stores who really know how to run a business. And many times these folks have given into the profit mentality and end up pushing Sony ES receivers. Hi-end stores have to make a profit to stay in business else they go under.

5 - The other problem that Hi-End faces is the INTERNET. Yes folks, we take advantage of this a lot here at Audiogon. BUT, always remember... if everyone buys used gear online, most local Hi-end stores are going to go under. OR they will just stop carrying esoteric 2 channel altogether and focus on HT and HT installation. This is where a lot of audio stores have gone. If HT had not come into maturity with the DVD, many of these stores could have gone out of business.

Anyway, this and $2 will get you a coffee at Starbucks listening to their Bose speaker system. LOL

KF

Sean and the others have very good points. It is hard to even explain to an average person exactly what "high end" is. People are either into it or not. Most of the people I encounter think that good audio is Sony home theater in a box.
Mainstream chains do not push high end audio and video due to the fact that most people that go to Best Buy or Tweeter arent there to buy just an amp or a CD player... Most people want a cheap dvd player and ask if it can play cds too.
High end audio is a very specilized passion. First of all, you need to be a lover of music. Secondly, you need to appreciate the subtle nuances in recordings and strive to have musical reproduction beyond what the average person would expect. Thirdly, as Sean pointed out, pricing is crazy. Either you are independantly wealthy and can go and buy what ever piece or flavor of the month you want, or like most, you have one or two outlets for gear.. ie Audiogon.
High end is truely becoming and or, is, a niche industry.
Being in business in this niche, I consider myself a niche retailer that cators to people like myself... similar appreciation for music, gear, and common interests. It is rare that a wife is calling or emailing to buy her husband that Power Cord he has wanted for a special occasion. In fact, most buyers today dont even tell their significant others about the dollars spent on their systems...
I know that I have done a good job in business when I receive an email from a customer that says "even my wife noticed the difference!". That makes me happy!
Anyway, even if manufacturers continue to change formats and obviously technology advances, high end most likely will remain a niche hobby and or passion.
I cant comment on pricing... there are so many great pieces on Audiogon to make any system to your liking... People that go into a retailer and buy the Brand New Krell or Audio Research are few and far between.
Well, be thankful those that read and respond that you have stumbled onto a lifelong persuit of musical reproduction perection!!
Happy Listening,
Joe
Custom Audio LLC

1. The economy needs to improve.

2. Follow the home theater model: put good systems together for beginners and market system synergy rather than individual components.

3. Follow the Japanese model: Have manufacturers sell equipment direct to consumers at close to cost in order to create demand.

4. When people attend concerts, they do not close their eyes during the performance. Generate source material that gives the full concert experience - audio and visual. The human element is missing.

5. Develop an R2D2 (Star Wars style) that can project holographic images of performers playing music in your living room, especially Jazz.

6. Dealers should have AT LEAST as much used equipment in their showroom as new. Put the Audiogon bargains in the dealer showrooms so people can audition equipment they can afford. Have dealers showcase used equipment rather than let it sit on dusty shelves.

7. Get rid of this silly "exlusive dealer" idea. Dealer showrooms lack variety and the practice does NOT succeed in limiting competition. People have no basis for comparison and no choice so they walk out without buying anything. Haven't any of these people been to business school? People buy when they are given choice; not when their choices are restricted.