Why Don't More People Love Audio?

There are several reasons why high end audio is a niche market. One of the main reasons is that the average person simply doesn't know this equipment exists. I have had to educate several of my co-workers on the fact that there really does exist sound quality which is MUCH MUCH MUCH better than mass-market. They are used to hearing the receivers from Wal Mart, Best Buy, and department stores. They don't even know that there exists stores which set all their gear up like how it would be in a house. They don't know anything about Vandersteen, Krell, or Magnepan because they don't see them at the "big box" retailers.

The other problem is the price. People get turned off when they hear about a $3,000 CD player. They would rather spend that money on something else because they read that "bit for bit all CD players sound the same because they are digital" and don't see the reason to spend big money. They also don't see the reason to buy 7 monobloc amplifiers for $7,000 when an Onkyo receiver has 7 channels in a small box. Blame defunct magazines like Stereo Review for emphasizing cheap gear while at the same time mocking the expensive equipment.

The root of this is education and advertising. I'm sure that if high end audio was marketed like diamonds, expensive cars, and wedding dresses were then we'd see Arcam and Jolida as often as we now see Sony and Pioneer. People need to know this stuff exists and they need to know that it is worth the money. Until then high end audio will remain a cottage industry.

They also don't see the reason to buy 7 monobloc amplifiers for $7,000 when an Onkyo receiver has 7 channels in a small box.

When you say it like that, what is the reason?

The "average Joe" walks into a Guitar Center and buys an American Fender Strat for around $1,200. The audiophile spin on this would be to tell the guy that his Strat is just okay and that he really should buy a hand made instrument from some luthier in Oregon for $20,000 and upwards (14 months wait list). You explain that it's a much better guitar and will sound better. Joe Average walks away laughing and he's laughing at you.

And to continue the guitar analogy: if he changes his mind, goes back and orders the custom made instrument it will sound very impressive only when he plays a certain style of music, and only selected pieces within the repetoire of that. The sort of music he enjoyed picking out on his first, cheap guitar will sound very ordinary, even mediocre ...

Frank

Their wives have a fixed budget for them. (no, or few budget to audio) :D

There are alot of great points on this subject. I just spent 30 minutes reading them. Now let me give you my opinion. I grew up with a father that was a musician and I was exposed to all kinds of music as a child. I had my first audio system when I was 15 years old. When I was 18 my father took me to a store that carried high-end audio. From the moment I heard that gear I was hooked. That was 32 years ago and I'm still just as hooked as when I was 18 years old. I think the reason people don't love audio is because they have never been exposed to it. If my father had not exposed me to it 32 years ago I would not be on Audiogon today. I'm not saying everyone that get's exposed to it will get hooked. But there will always be a small percentage that will be and they could possibly keep this hobby going.