What's going on with the audio market?

This thread is beginning to sound like Outside. 

I am now 77 with hearing of a 35 year old, some forgetfulness, and the best damn sound I've ever had, basically well beyond anything I thought possible. I think all dealers of anything other than groceries, restaurants are doomed by the internet. Repair and service companies will prosper.

So few audiophiles get to hear a wide variety of audio gear. They can read reviews and see ads, of  course, but they are hardly definitive like hearing it yourself. And postings on the internet never result in any agreement about what is best. I have a circle of friends whose opinions I trust, but most have and ever diminishing opportunity to hear gear.

One thing I entirely agree with is that the used market is vanishing. I think that the major companies must be selling less and less of the market, so few have any listening experience with gear other than their own. This may indicate that innovation tends to be from small companies. I must say that I have not had any large company gear since an ARC Ref II bought years ago. I feel burglar proof as my gear would get anything in a pawnshop.

Finally I doubt if politics has anything to do with any of this. We are too small a part of the market. I know many very sincere individuals who have committed to quality products and most have very limited resources. Thanks, guys, please keep up the good work.

+1 macrojack, very well written post. I concur on all fronts.

I can no longer even see the carrot, and at one point in time, I had several carrots, not too long ago either (8-10 years ago).

As Bob Dylan said: The Times They Are A Changin

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e7qQ6_RV4VQ

61, 25,(gap from 30 -58) ??
Casual listening !  That's what affects the new audio market  for the Most part - imo

Talking with friends in hi end audio seems to be less & less interest in 2 channel 
Most sales geared to & from home theater 
This is from a very well established audio dealer in a very affluent area 

No interest = no sales. Given the cultural
trend  in music & the ability to download 
today's youth is content with ear buds !

Im not sure that a good stereo system would matter with much of today's music anyway   I have family members come down into my "music room" & listen to what I consider well recorded  LP  / CD . 
Usual reaction is  ok it's nice bye !  They don't want to sit & relax & HEAR the music 

Too bad from our point of view , not their thing    They don't care about soundstage 
imaging etc. 

not it enough younger people to sustain better equipment - imo.  But it can be a positive if factories realize this & try to capture the younger demographic. 
Competitive pricing may be in the future !!

Macrojack.. I'm in Syracuse, NY. now, but born and bred in Brooklyn. Have traveled and lived around the world during my 70+ years as a musician and a Nam vet.. Good Memorial Day to the Vets in this thread. It's good to be Home.

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.