Why do all audio forums on the internet seem "dead" ?


Traffic is very low today vs 2000!

Are most audiophiles "set" with their systems, and no longer care?

Are 90% of audiophiles close to retirement, or retired and broke?

Most older "classic" audio equipment also does not show up for sale anymore IMO.
don_c55
Well, I think is all related to the generation gap. My Grand parents were born with no electricity, My parent had electricity. I was raise in a lighted house with a TV and Radio....we would hear music before we could see it (or who was playing it) It was EAR before eyes...I heard Hendrix before seeing him....I didn't know he was black, played the guitar with wrong position...but I heard and knew something was goin on....same thing with Miles, Coltrane, Doors, Ornette etc....the music catch my ears....I would drive to NY and more often to Montreal (I'm Canadian) in the 70's to go hear, Bill Evans, Miles Davis, even Led Zeppelin, Dexter Gordon, Opera , Orchestral etc....buying a stereo was an extention of hearing from live to try to get same experience in the living room. That needed decipline in buying the right stuff and by accident I became what we call an audiophile. I have only change system 3 time in 40 years.... Linn-Meridian. LS3/5A....Linn- MusicalFIdelity- Spendor....Linn- Naim, Neat with Naim CD....I still have my vintage Linn ( updated) which plays 98% of my music as I have mostly vinyl....keeping the gear in order like cleaning connector, washing records, ajusting the Linn once in a while, replacing worn phono cartridge....every step made a difference in sound and I have kept a reference from live venues I have attended...Heard Dexter at the Village Gate and that blew my mind....the sound was so ....well....real,,,,could never come close to that in my living room....but it's a good reference...Have you even heard Herbie Hancock, Tony Williams, Ron Carter live in a trio setting in a small jazz venue?

Back to the generation gap.....today this generation sees before hearing....Lady Gaga, Amy Winehouse, altough all very talented...we know who is the boyfriend , where and how they dress, what they do, where they go, even worst with artist like Beiber and compagny....It all in the EYES and not the EARS....it is not based on music first....the interest first is the lifestyle seen thought the images of digital files with music as a filler....My generation it was the other way around....so yes there is less interest in audiophile....activities will lessen as we are a getting older...the newer generation don't have to go throught what we did to get to the music....it's all supported with the images first to stimulate all senses....amazing little disposable machines...
The younger generation spent its funds on computers. Here is an example of what happened when I brought a few college boys home to hear music on my system: They were absolutely amazed that it could sound so good. When one replied, "WOW! I'd like to hear how much better that sounds like from my iPhone", they all agreed.. I ran them off, but only after showing them the difference, to which they agreed, that the old stuff doesn't match up with new technology. They went back to the frat house to hear their much better systems, a one piece Bose and a TV soundbar.   
Younger peoples attention spans have also decreased.  A friend of mine says he can never listen through a whole cd and prefers to just download a single song.  He says he usually doesn't listen to a whole song either and likes to jump from song to song. 

I teach high school and sometimes show Youtube videos at the end of a Friday.  After about a minute they always want me to switch to another video, all the while texting away.  I wish I could ban cell phones.

With this distracted generation, I can't see them developing any interest in an audio system where they actually have to sit and listen with attention to the music.  I blame cell phones which have become such an addiction in our society.
Tidal/Pandora/spotify mobile device Bluetooth toys era what to go forums for?
I guess this plus many forums with a higher level of specificity, kill general forums.


Honestly, I came to these to learn and the information is so saturated right now anything I need to know at this point has been discussed ad nauseum.

I listen to mostly vinyl and there are really no ground breaking developments in analog to generate sustained dialogue on the net. I check in every now and again but what is there?