Why Don't More People Love Audio?


Can anyone explain why high end audio seems to be forever stuck as a cottage industry? Why do my rich friends who absolutely have to have the BEST of everything and wouldn't be caught dead without expensive clothes, watch, car, home, furniture etc. settle for cheap mass produced components stuck away in a closet somewhere? I can hardly afford to go out to dinner, but I wouldn't dream of spending any less on audio or music.
tuckermorleyfca6
hi audio-unlimited. ah, if only what ewe are saying were true! ;~) reality is that the usa is *not* other parts of the world. to take yer automotive reference - in the usa nascar is king, not formula one. even tho folks know what a ferrari is, most americans will be more impressed w/a '57 chebbie.

i too, have many friends who have heard my rig. and, for the most part, very few are even remotely interested in investing in even a modestly-priced rig - cuz they don't need anything more than a cheap rack system for background music. most folks yust aren't into listening to music for its own sake. and these folks are *far* from yer typical stereotyped bud-drinkin' nascar-lovin' fan. ;~) i know three people who are now interested in decent audio equipment since being exposed to my rig - that's it. and only two of 'em have done anyting about it. actually, it's only one of 'em that's done anyting about it - the second has yust benefitted from the leftovers of the 1st, cuz the 1st went so overboard! :>)

regards, doug s.

Because too many audiophiles listen to their equipment not their music. We turn people off by the way they see us listen to things. I've seen people with huge dollar systems listen to "music" they don't like because it sounds good. Where is the love of music in that???
There is the category of a rich guys that come to audio dealer and build the home theater in overall price of $35000 or more never knowing anything about high-end audio -- just simply by believing that it's good and modern...
Clearly there must be many in this category - during a recent visit to the one local audio shop worth visiting, they told me they had pre-sold about 10 of the upcoming Krell DVD players at $9K retail. They reiterated several times that they can't the new HTS2 fast enough to meet demand. They told me they were negotiating to sell their floor model Dynaudio Evidence's ($85K/pair) to a guy who is in the process of building a new listening room that measures 45x70 feet! Then he pointed out that this same guy was lending, since the room isn't ready yet, his Krell KPS-25sc and his $25K/pair speaker cables to the shop. He went on to say that the guy was thinking about doing HT by adding another pair of Evidences. Somewhere in that sequence I'm thinking, "this has nothing to do with loving music and everything to do with status"

My overriding impression of going into almost every high-end shop in my area is that it's this category that keeps them going, and several of them are doing VERY well. Anecdotally, it seems that the shops that are small and built a business by growing an evolving client base are getting hammered by the internet, etc., but that the places that move a lot of boxes to people who want something good and modern without the hassle of learning about high-end audio (or video for that matter) are doing very well. -Kirk