Why Don't More People Love Audio?

I certainly have known audiophiles who were into impressing people with their equipment and its makers. One such physician lived down the street. He and his wife dropped in one day. After listening she said, "Honey, this sounds like music." He said nothing and they left.

Later a package of mine was wrongly delivered to his address. I went down to get it. He invited me in to SEE his system. I did and took my package home without one peep of music being played.

On the other hand, I just heard a fairly expensive system in a million dollar room. All I can say is that it is the best reproduced music I have ever heard. The speakers were a known brand, but little else is widely known.

I really don't know what the issue is here. The original post asks why many want the best of everything save audio gear, but it has evolved to why anyone would want expensive and poor sounding gear.

I think the answer to the original question is the competition of other "things," such as golf clubs, cars, private schools and colleges, face lifts, etc., and computer games and other amusements.

I think one problem is that so many people just don't know how good music really can sound. Most people probably have never even heard a system set up to image properly.

Mark

Mhedges... I totally agree with your answer. My sister-in-law who can well afford a nice system has nothing. The last time she was in town she talked about a concert she attended and how much she enjoyed the artist's work. I mentioned I like his older work and put in a CD of one of my favorites. Prior to this she had never heard my system because whenever she’d come to town, my wife and her would shop shop shop 24/7. I hit the play button and her face went blank and didn’t change till the song was over at which point she said I think I’m going to cry.

I think some have touched on one good reason or another, but what it comes down to is they just "don't care". It needs to float your boat. With that said, why would one spend money on a high end system?

I was born in 1953. This was an era when(I believe) music was spreading out into wonderfull new directions. My parents were fond of music and had many slate 75 albums. They covered artists such as Elvis, Carl Perkins,Beach Boys
Ventures,Doris Day, Frank Sinatra,Dean Martin,and Motown artists of all kinds.From the time I was a baby I was exposed to music.It did not take much time until I was buying 45s of music that made me happy.By 7th grade I was a lost soul for music. I carried around a 45 record case (plastic) with a sporting handle. A dashing BSR plastic turn table with detachable speakers that could spread out to at least 3 feet apart!I watched the Beatles get discoverd, the Rolling Stones come into fame.Jim Morrison make Ed Sullivin furious when he sang (Girl we couldn't get much higher)after agreeing not to. The Who,Elton John,Doobie Brothers,Moody Blues,Hendrix,Janis Joplin,Three Dog Night,Pink Floyd,it goes on and on. This was a special time in history! I sang in choir and ensemble and loved it. My equiptment was run of the mill at best. Before my basketball games I would get pumped up by listening to Funk 49 .The means to play the song was a General Electric cassete player with head phones. I was in perfect bliss listening to music on the lousiest of mediums. Then one day when I was shooting baskets at home and in the summer of my senior year, my neighbor that was a fireman called me over to his fence. He said to me I have noticed that you like mucic and thought that you might like this. There it was this heavy amp that had glass bottles inside.I thanked him not knowing what was about to take place. That evening I hooked up that amp, a Scott tube amp I might add and plugged in my headphones and put on an album by a band called Grand Funk Railroad. It was an album that was gold in color and the title was, "Were an American Band". Now let me tell you the goose bumps I got from hearing an album that I new inside and out, was intense. How in the world could such a feeling be possible. Dude I about cried. That man changed my life! I often wondered if he had not given me the amp if I would have discovered the level of joy I have in listening today. My tastes have expanded and my system is sick. All I can say if you know a person or persons that have a passion for music it is of little sacrifice to expose them to an experience that may change their life. Some are moved and some are not. I had a neighbor that would invite me to his and his wifes house for parties and they would have a boom box playing XM radio. Any time I visited the XM was playing. I made a comment that if they liked music so much they may want to get a better sound system. The wifey said that was all she needed and that the music was all that mattered. Later that summer I invited them over for dinner. After good food and wine I suggested that they might want to hear some music. Upon entering the dedicated sound room they were like children in Macy's toy department. Eyes wide and heads pivoting back and forth they were excited. I played an album by Dire Staits. Just so happens that the choice of music was the husbands favorite album. The look on both of their faces was of utter bewilderment. Six hours later I had to put an end to the session as I was very tired. Upon leaving the wife asked if there was any way possible I would go with them to purchase a system of cost of around $2000 and I said I would be glad to.They how have a system that brings them great pleasure. Rock on audiophiles!