Why Don't More People Love Audio?

Good post.
I personally would substitute "music lover" everywhere you wrote "audiophile."

I have believed for a long time that many people are simply wired to connect with music more than others. That's my answer to the OP's question.

No doubt there are most likely way more music lovers in the world than audiophile/techno-obsessive types.

I believe most of these tendencies are well established as youths and have perhaps some but minimal chance of changing significantly as we get older.

When I was a kid, I spent almost as time taking my electronic gear apart to see how it worked (and getting shocked in the process) as I did listening to music. I also work with technology for a living and started out by selling stereo/hi-fi and other electronic gear.

Just a thought.

Couple of quick comments:

As has already been mentioned once (and probably more, I didn't check) better systems don't come as a straightforward plug and play; instead there are myriads of if's and but's that (the salesman claims) are necessary to make it work just right. The luxury car market, for example, got this sort of thing sorted out a long time ago.

And, if a system works really, really well, it will take over the house in an auditory sense; I mean, if you really had the Stones live cranking it up in the end room would you really be able to push it into the background, and get on with the mundane things of life. At least, that's what the better half says (and I mean that in a positive, not negative sense) ... :-)

Frank

Better systems do come in a plug in and play formats. Single brand systems from Decware, Krell, Quad, Meridian, McIntosh, MBL and others are readily available. Or you could even let dealer select and setup a system for you. It's not that difficult to get high quality sound. I think many people on Audiogon make it complicated. They don't want to pay too much money and they want it personalized. It's more fun that way.

"It's not that difficult to get high quality sound."

I agree.

But there are many flavors of high quality sound.

I think what people struggle with more is getting the right flavor for them.

Some flavors are more popular than others.

Some are more esoteric.

But they are all pretty "high quality" .