Cranky old men talking past one another on a forum about the death and revival of physical media is quite entertaining to read. As audiophiles, we're stuck on the idea that people purchasing physical media is heavily weighted by a desire for good sound quality. Nothing could be further from the truth. Streaming is viewed as personalized radio listening for 95% of the listening consumers, SQ has nothing to do with it but convenience does. Those who buy the physical formats/digital downloads do so because they collect music first and foremost and for a variety of reasons - nostalgia, sound quality, resale, etc.
I work with a lot of young people every day. Everyone in my office is under 45 with the exception of myself. Those who do buy vinyl buy it because they like the sound of vinyl (cracks, pops, hiss) and are most likely listening to that vinyl on $300 wireless TT setup with Bluetooth speakers. Gasp!
Using the anecdotal evidence of who attends hi-fi shows that vinyl is predominately the purview of Boomers and middle-aged Gen-Xers because that's who attends the shows is not proof of anything. The hi-fi shows are attracting that demographic because that's the demographic with the disposable income to drop on hi-end components regardless of media format. The average Millennial and Gen-Z looking to up their game will be looking at modest mid-fi upgrades so maybe, they're willing to drop $1500 on an integrated with some wireless speakers.
But I digress. I honestly don't care what format people use to listen to their music. For some of my younger coworkers who are really into music, I've been suggesting that, if they're looking to upgrade their listening experience, even if it's Spotify, perhaps start with their headphones/earbuds first. If they're strictly streamers, buying an upgraded external DAC and headphone amp for their laptop is a step in the right direction.
