2. misc-audio
  3. 153529-1252

Is a stereo system a tougher sale to young people?

I have been listening to my Grado PS 500s lately and am being immersed in the tonal accuracy of these cans. I'm thinking if I had grown up with headphones as of todays audio generation it might be different. If I hear a good stereo I would critique it more and weigh the cost. True, back in the day, I'm 57 I would notice the articulate sound of cans. Todays headphones 🎧 do up the game quite a bit. What do you young people think? Do you think spending 10 times the cost of your headphone set up ( could include amp streamer and hi end cans) to approach the headphone sound is worth it? I get the 10x from Stereophile Lets say 2k investment in a headphone set up would equate to a 20k stereo setup. Now if you want loud deep accurate bass then maybe a little more. Let us hear your opinions.
128x128blueranger
mtrot
804 posts
 
Not one of my four children has any interest in audio systems, despite growing up with decent system always in our house.  They seem quite happy to listen to Spotify quality over ear buds or just out of their cell phone speaker.  They are less materialistic than my generation and focus more on relationships with friends and travel.
ebm
9,311 posts
 
Young kids love earbuds so they can go deaf and so High End Audio doesn't matter to them.
noromance's avatar
noromance
9,729 posts
 
I offered to let my kid hear the Billie Eilish album on vinyl on my rig with the big sub. "No thanks, Dad, I’ve got my Raycons."
mahler123
3,265 posts
 
Casting Pearls before Swine?
zavato's avatar
zavato
1,397 posts
 
I have 2 sons- when I was my young's age I was already spying such things as Dual or Thorens turntables, AR speakers, and receivers from Pioneer, Marantz, Tandberg. And a Teac deck was not far from thought. Money I saved was earmarked for when I could purchase a system. Finally bought a system in 1977. Now fast forward to 2020- among my sons' friends, and they have many, there is exactly 1 person who has any interest in an audio system. Everyone else- music via earbuds and their cell phone is entirely adequate. And if you think about it, that's something to envy because they clearly care about the music, and the gear is purely a tool to get the music to them. I will also say that most of my kids' friend, however, do appreciate a fine sounding system. But the idea of having friends over to listen to records simply doesn't exist in 2020 among the younger set. 
More to discover