YouTube Indicates What the Future is For Audiophiles - Interesting Demographics.

Look at cheap audio man channel, or Andrew Robinson, and the story changes. ChiFi, Head-Fi, Emotive etc. You will not even get me to look at a Krell video (own a Pass). Also in my direct circle, a 30ish woman into her Klipsch speakers, a sub 30 guy building his own speakers, an early 20 guy into headphones - girlfriend into vinyl, mid twenty girl into 78s and gramophone. I only know one oldsters who is into  hifi, and he owns a hi-end store.

Also some like me are coming late to the audiophile game, after 50. Always loved music, but financial priorities were elsewhere. 

This discussion is gathering a lot of interest, most of it from nostalgia. The youth of today, like the youth of any period, is listening to what is played at the time on whatever equipment is available at the time at a cost they can afford. Whatever music comes out nowadays, it is mainly meant for your phone/ computer which can be hooked up to all kinds of real inexpensive electronics to distribute the music at the touch of your finger. Things are evolving so fast that no youth is interested in equipment that came out 5 years ago. It's called progress. Us old folks think that things are moving too fast, but we have seen nothing yet with AI trying to take over. Enjoy your audiophile hobby but don't fool yourself thinking you can change the direction of it. Like us, it's dying. Only the billionaires will keep the Uber end of it alive, buying crazy expensive stuff that nobody really needs. I just checked out the latest most expensive sales on discogs this month, over 8k for old LPs and about as much for 45s, and they will often sound worse than their digital remasters. With streaming, I no longer make these stupid purchases since I'm no billionaire. Same for equipment, with newer electronics you don't need to spend 10x more on anything to get great sound. The audiophile world is only sustained by olf folks living in the past or young billionaires who don't have to care about their money. Ok multi millionaires too. Nowadays a millionaire still has to watch his money.

To kennymacc’s wish: other than a small % of people under about 35 now who think that owning a turntable & a few “vinyls” as many of that age group call them, or tapes & CD’s, most couldn’t be bothered & probably never will be. 
 

I’m our crazy, sped up world, many people’s attention spans are dwindling & thus the huge popularity of Tik Tok & Instagram. It’s 10 seconds & on the next thing. Streaming is the only way most listen to music & quite honestly,  I listen streaming about 75% of the time now albeit on high end stuff mostly because I’m getting lazy but also really enjoying a lot of great re -mastered recordings that sound much better than the originals. 
 

Forgetting about the quality & intent of the actual recording quality, a lot of the new music coming out today isn’t great & is mostly forgotten within a  year w/ very few good follow up songs after the initial but quickly fleeting fame it conjures. With that in mind, why would many want to buy the album or CD version if it even exists. Of course there are exceptions to this in every musical genre but fewer & fewer. 

@rooze thank you very much for initiating this discussion.  I'm sure everyone who is reading this are in the hobby and share the passion.  I have shared the passion with my two children who are in their mid twenties.  They both have starter systems and have a real love of music and appreciate when the music they love is properly presented.  Interestingly, versus the YouTube stats that were presented, one of my children is female.  I made her some custom speaker cables last Christmas and she was so happy she cried.

I think it's up to all of us to share our passion and make sure the torch never goes out.  Cheers

There will always be a millionaire class that will buy five and six-figure HiFi. Same as the market for Bentley and Ferrari.