Why Don't More People Love Audio?

Well guys, it's almost midnight and my South American 'amiga' is lying on the couch in the living room with the lights out just listening to a Simon and Garfunkel CD I left playing on my Swans speakers at a low volume level....she's been listening all night to music--and just loves it.

Just have to do things right.

You have to love music - not audio. If you want your music to sound as good as possible, then you want the best reproduction equipment you can afford. If you don't really care about music - why would you care about the equipment?

People are generally not exposed to high end audio, there are so few high end salons. When and if they come across a high end audio salon, they are confused about the gear and really do not have any idea what they are looking for. Let alone, their ears are not educated to the finer details of audio listening. Sometimes they are attracted by the marketing appeal of a mainstream distributor or manufacturer, which may not necessarily sell a good product (for the sake of staying out of trouble, I will not mention any particular manufacturer or brand).

Many have not heard a good 2-channel system and have curiosity in multi-channel systems, caused by the recent mainstream hype stemmed from Home Theatre. When you think about it, people frequent movie theatres and they desire to duplicate that experience through Home Theatre.

It takes considerable effort, experience, and expense to develop a good high end hoem audio system. Many do not have the time to putforth that effort and as we all know, there are few shortcuts. When you finally get their attention, they must deal with WAF (Wife Acceptance factor).
Have you noticed that there are few women in this cottage high end audio industry? That is not the same in Home Theatre, if you don't believe me, just visit Circuit City's DVD department and see the many women shopping for DVD movies.

A few reasons:
1. Things like the $20,000 dollar IC's specially blessed by a "spherically correct" monk in China. On the 7th day of the 7th month etc etc.....

2. High End salesman.

3. Little green pens and CD's.

4. Tice clocks.

5. Shun-ANYTHING

6. The fact that most "audiophiles" are NEVER happy with thier sound. I mean, why would you want to get into something that you spent more time tweaking than listening??

..Was trying to remember the time before I ate the pill and finally heard the "audio matrix". I remember looking at classifieds for some good audio components and encountering strange brands that meant nothing to me for ridiculus prices. The thing that put me off the most was not knowing if these components were really worth these prices, and, if these prices represented the top of the line, if there was any reasonably priced gear of quality. Then I started listening. And I mean REALLY listening, cause actually I'm never really as blown away in an Audio Salon as I am at home, maybe because I'm not relaxing, etc. but it's just not the same. You just can't listen in the same way. I've noticed this with friends. If I sit them down to listen to my system, I can tell they're just not going to take the time / not comfortable enough to really get it. I believe that if I could bring my system over to their place, set it up and leave it for a month, they will understand. Today I'm admittedly cursed with audiophilia (It's the knowing that it can sound even better that gets you..), but have a healthy attitude that if I can afford a Mercedes, I can afford Mark Levinson, if I can afford $5k used car, I can afford $1k used Creek. (Or a $1,500 used Rogue Tempest, if the truth be known..) But it's still those moments when I'm sucked into an emotional performance in a way that could not have happened through Dr. Bose that makes me want to share the disease..