What a sad world we now live in.......

While out of town for 3 weeks, I had a new experience

After using Soundmagic 11 earphone with Dell Laptop for 1 week, I found that they are quite listenable with internet streaming music.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tctk3Uy1w5s


Violin sounds natural without too much overtone.

Orchestra sound also balanced.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YSFIHTjc74I

With this kind of highend demo music, this one work well with natural details.


Now I can understand why most young people including my adult children are happy with low end sound.

Actually they do not sound bad unless I pay too much attention to details and soundstage.

You do not need high end audio system to enjoy music.


High End audio is already doomed.

If you go to high end show, it is difficult to find people below 40 years old.


Thomas

@inna 

Are you ok? Not trying to put you on the spot but your words go beyond the usual “I miss the good old days” (which were not all that great BTW) that is far too often spoken here on Audiogon by a few. The bitterness communicated was probably unintentional but nonetheless worrisome.  Everyone and every thing must change. Even those who resist change are in a constant state of change, please don’t miss out on the opportunities that surround each of us every day.

Distribution methods and channels of distribution have changed radically in the past and will continue to do so. Always have and always will.  Why the angst? 

Machete don’t stream, or shop at Walmart...

There are CDs in urban, country stores and perhaps Walmart. For example, I have seen in Michigan off the beaten path cities with stores that sell and rent DVDs and Blu-ray’s, CDs. Yes, it’s a business model that drives commerce to sell mainstream products but invariably the business model to stop selling CDs at Walmart is probably moreso in the major cities or outskirts and probably has to do with the fact that yes, streaming is gaining popularity due to easy accessibility to high speed streaming formats in those areas. While, out in the country, we don’t get high speed internet, we get Dish, satellite or a phone plan with unlimited streaming at that data rate the carrier offers, plus the expense to go with it. Depending on where you are, your SOL for reliable internet or phone. There have been inroads in bringing point to point towers with supposed high speed bandwidth, 10-20mbps, give me a break, but that’s sparse, and expensive for the majority of folks who live in the country. Just because it’s a thing in the city, it’s not a thing in the country, where some technology is slow to creep in. So, my retirement home in Michigan has to be close to a transmission line with at least 200mbps...that’s what I told my wife, haha. I think there is a correlation between the availability of streaming and the sales of CD, therefore, Walmart is cutting products at locations where the sales of those products are null. 

Personnaly, I am agree with the OP, I am hanging on to my physical formats, 7500 records strong, 1100 CDs strong. I don’t have time to rip CDs, but spend time listening. That being said, I am looking at this Auralic streaming/Dac device that will propel me into the streaming century, that’s another conversation on another thread, perhaps.