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Rant against the industry with hopes for discussion on positive change

As a 20 year hobbyist who has worked around the industry and made tons of contacts I really worry about the future of this hobby. 
 

For the last 30 years the industry has catered to an aging  clientele which I can tell you as a used gear guy a large percentage of my inventory comes from audiophiles who have passed away and at 38 i rarely meet people my age or near who are hobbyists. 
 

The industry is about the shadiest mainstream industry that has fought standards tooth and nail which is why amp and speaker ratings are all over the place confusing and discouraging the casual consumer. 
 

Millenials and Gen Z have spoken loudly that they won’t support shady business practices however market trends show that like audiophiles they bought a cheap Bluetooth speaker, than eventually a better and eventually a nice one. They want a option that is currently really only available from Devialet and a couple other manufactures. 
 

Also sales people use the technique that “you don’t know how to listen to music, you need to sit motionless in one spot” music reproduction needs to adapt to modern life where people are living smaller spaces with far more media options than ever before. 
 

As a guy on the border of Gen X and millennial I’ve built 4 rigs for friends over the years because I always get the response of “I can’t give up a whole wall, that’s insane” 

 

I would really like to see a company make a 12” and 15” Tannoy gold tv stand with volume control, bass, treble and loudness knobs as well as USB charging with an outlet strip on the back and a shelf for a PS5 or Xbox… that way they get big clean sound for example

 

What are y’all’s thoughts on ways the industry can still thrive and meet the new demands of consumers while getting good music to more people? Without a new influx I don’t see how the majority of brands and brick and mortars and stay on business due to a decline in clientele

128x128systembuilder
ghdprentice
6,423 posts
 

@mapman +1

 

I have been a hard core enthusiast for 50 years. It has always been a niche market. It has always been on the brink of disaster. But the breathtaking increase in products available has been amazing. If this is a dying pursuit, then why so many new brands?

Sure us old farts are dying out. That has always been true… and we are the ones with the most expensive equipment… makes sense. The guys with the Marantz Model 1s, and 1960 Corvettes are dead.

So, I imagine a small percentage of the home theater and mp3 folks will make more money and love music… and pursue the high end. But also, the sound quality for the money is going up, so there may be less impetus for quite as many people to do really high end stuff. But I do not think we are talking buggy whips here.

macg19
672 posts
 

My own rant loosely tied to the comments about phones and limited attention spans...

I was in a customs line for over an hour recently and some kids were watching TikTok videos non-stop (at least I think that's what they were). 15 second videos of utter nonsense.

As I stood there watching this I thought we're doomed as doomed can be.

For parents, social media is a cheap and easy babysitter. 

No way these kids are going to grow up wanting to sit and listen to an album all at once.

btw too much screen time and not enough sunshine is the root cause of the myopia epidemic and a bunch of other negative side-effects we have yet to fully realize.

Just enjoy the music and don't worry about the industry.

rockysantoro's avatar
rockysantoro
135 posts
 

Young people,for some reason ,have very short attention spans. Too much social media out there.They can't put their phone down long enough to sit down at the "sweet spot",and listen to a great album!

overthemoon
402 posts
 

Positive change?  For whom?
 

I can appreciate your comments and I expect the companies to create products based on demand. Some will try to improve existing offerings to appeal to existing customers other will try creating products to attract new clients. 
 

The evolution of products is continual and i recall the Walkman then the iPod. Powered speakers and sound bars are also being introduced with better and better audio. 
 

Positive is in the eye of the be holder. There’s a lot of options for music listening and appreciation. 
 

The journey can be fun. 

bluorion
438 posts
 

In my experience with my younger friends, it's all about instant gratification. Instant downloads and streaming and done. I know a few guys that will go 'shopping' for vinyl but it's not that often. They would rather spend their money (but not much) on headphones, like Beats. Their home stereos consists of hand-me-downs from their parents. They LOVE my system (Luxman, Dynaudio) but its out of reach for them so why bother? There aren't any stores with hifi, or even mid-fi equipment except maybe Best Buy. I always tell them that I'll help them build a modest system, but I've yet to do it. So, they're stuck with Apple Music and AirPods. 

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