Why Don't More People Love Audio?

Meta, the reason that people don't ask where they can get one is because they are being polite. After you tell them how much you paid, most of them are thinking that you are absolutely bonkers.

Also, Levinson is one of the few who is at least taking a stab at "thinking outside the box." In addition to Red Rose, Lexus now has Levinson audio systems in them. I haven't heard one, but maybe he'll be able to cross-sell home gear to Lexus owners; it will at least elevate awareness of the brand name. Like you, I'm not certain which way it will go, but at least they are trying something different.

As has been noted by many before, this is in marked contrast to the high-end establishment that superstitiously demonizes and avoids anything new or different (digital, HT, etc.).

People used to being hyper-stimulated don't like to sit in front of a stereo and just listen to music. I've had the same experience others have described- friends come over and listen to two songs on my system and say "Wow, I've never heard music like that" as they get up and walk away! I've never had anybody pulled into the experience and want to play more music.

Sedond is right, people "want to watch" because it (HT) adds another sense (to be stimulated) to the mix. This is what I meant further up the board when I said in today's social environment, listening to music (and nothing else) seems almost quaint. We've seen it even in pro sports. The drama of the competition alone isn't enough anymore, look at the Olympic coverage. Baseball and even football has to be boosted with all sorts of other bells and whistles- fireworks, Diamond Vision, cheerleaders/dancers, prizes/contests. And while the XFL may not make it, I can assure you the "model" will be copied and perfected. The execution was the problem, not the premise.

Frankly, in this environment, I'm surprised high end has as many product choices available as it does. But the original question was why is HE relegated to cottage industry status? My answer would be that it is dominated by individuals that are passionate about their business. This small group of talented people are the antithesis of the large corporation. They are making decisions because it's the right thing to do, or to pursue a personal objective etc., cost be damned.

These companies go out of business frequently as a result too. But if they are successful, inevitably the passion of the founder can never be matched or shared as a company grows. So if it prospers, it will eventually get to the size where the inevitable buisness trade-offs start shaping the decions ("Wouldn't we make more profit if we came out with a mid-fi line and doubled our sales potential?" or "Shoudln't we aim closer to the middle of the segment?". I've personally sat in hundreds of these meetings. The bigger the company, the more generic the products become because you can't be a big niche company. The product development costs are prohibitive. So big companies must always aim for a broad market segment. Smart ones still find a way to differentiate their products, but they will never be thrive living off just HE profits.

So high end will always remain a cottage industry and banruptcy and mergers will be common; not only because of the small market, but because of the nature of the people and the type of company required to create it.

There is one notable exception to the rule that audio gear is not status-related enough to attract the interest of non-audiophiles. B&O. Some people absolutely covet the stuff and I am sure none of them have ever heard a truly good Hi-Fi system. Or is it that most B&O showrooms don't have proper listening room to expose its flaws? A wise choice on B&O's part - because the stuff sounds incredibly mediocre for the price.

I agree that MOST music out there is pure pap with no worthwile musical content - but, anyone eager for creative inspired music can find it in abundance, and in many genres-you just have to look for it. If you can get CBC FM radio from Canada you will find an unlimited resource of well selected music with no prejudice - except that commercial music is ALL filtered out. check out cbc.ca and all of its radioshow playlists with ratings and recommendations that will keep you busy for a long, long time.

I think that most people are not experienced listeners.Whatever system they have is good enough for them.The high quality listening experience forces one to do two things,sit still for a time and appreciate what you are hearing, and spending more money than you may want to.
For me,high end listening is another way to "smell the roses".
johnny7