What do the statistics say about the age of Audiophiles and the replacement rate?

@secretguy maybe like um lack of discernment instead of lack of discrimination. My attempts at bliss ended long ago. I’m autistic. A classically trained pianist with perfect pitch and rhythm. I need my music loud. I don’t listen to pop. Or not much. idk? I don’t listen to anything I don’t enjoy. Going to the symphony as kid informed my ear. So did Greatful Dead shows. But stealing into the blues and jazz clubs while underage was the most informative. Their intimacy and presence fulfilled my sensory needs. Then House music and oh boy. Just allowed my brain and body to go. I’m also a high level athlete coming from professional genetics. Football, basketball, boxing, wrestling, and now dancing! Now truly all my senses were not in pain anymore. The DJs played different sets just like the Jazz guys and you needed a knowledge base to understand and hear it. I built my own equipment as a kid. Listening to the House DJs late into the night over local radio. I understood some principles of sound engineering and read all the books the library had. But eventually I needed a college education and so physics was perfect to stick to my various hobbies. Huge amateur astronomy buff here. Telescopes are easier to purchase with a good job. So I got one. Then I realized I could never build what I could buy in terms of equipment. ATCs set in a near field well dampened studio that I built in my basement. It’s so revealing of everything. I recently upgraded my turntable and love how much better it controls the rhythm. Everything else is almost the same. Slightly better pitch control maybe. Anyway, there are thousands of artists producing more music that I am able to consume. Thank heavens for streaming. Game changer that’s still sending ripples through the audiophile and music industries. And now, bully to my ignorance. Thanks for the wake up call @secretguy, think about the inauthentic version of life I’ve been living. And now, back to the music. Peace yo. 

We need to UNITE.  We need to get all of the dying hobbies together so they can mercifully expire together--how about audiophile grade sound for ham radio?

Boy Scouting and ham radio got me into audio. I saw a stereo amp in the Heathkit catalog and thought it would be cool to have my own stereo in my bedroom and not have to ask my Mom if I could play a record on the big console stereo in the living room. My Dad helped me build some cabinets for the 12" coax speakers I paid for with paper route money and amazingly I got a Garrad 55b for Christmas that year. It was glorious, and my interests shifted from ham radio to music, girls, and smoking pot.

When I was a kid entertainment options were more limited. Most of the time we played outside, but if it was raining there was watching TV in the living room with the rest of the family, reading a book, playing piano or guitar, soldering together electronics in the basement, or squirreling off to the bedroom I shared with my brother to play records. In college, status was determined by how big your stereo was (nobody could afford a TV (reception in the dorm sucked anyhow). Computers were the size of washing machines and cost as much as a house (obviously there was no internet). Plenty of girls and pot.

50 years later (I'm 67), and my interests haven't changed much (note: I'm happily married to the love off my life).

I'm so happy I grew up when I did. Kids today have far more distractions (TikTok, video games, iPhones, etc.). They still listen to music, but they consume it different than we did (I mostly hate the new pop music, but all the great music from the past is available at my fingertips). I guess I am officially an old fogey, but for my interests, I am living in the best of times! I can afford whatever audio equipment I desire, listen to anything I want to, and the pot is better than it's ever been!


 

Well, since most of this community stays in its silo, it is no wonder that you A) think highly of yourself and that therefore B) fret about your replacement value.

I have listening sessions once a week, and more than half of my guests are in their late 20s to early 30s. The experience is a revelation for them, and many come back, some regularly.

yes, one wants me to will my system and collection to him but I think that my niece is anxiously waiting for me to keel over. She is at the head of the line. She’s early 20s.

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