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Future of this hobby?

I took some time off work, and I read the Jan edition of Stereophile cover to cover today. In the Letters to Editor section people were writing in about what will happen to this hobby as the target audience ages and the younger generation doesn't jump on board. I am 28, and I fear that the concern is definitely real. My friends, fiance, and people my age are in love with their Ipods. That is great that they are into listening to music in whatever manner they choose. My friends and fiance all agree that my stereo sounds good but also feel that stereos bought at discount retail stores fill the same need and have no interest in spending the extra cash.

Also, I went to a couple of Chicago Audio Society meetings to see if I could make some friends that shared my interest. I felt a little out of place though when I was the only person in the 20-30 demographic out of a population of forty people. Further, there may have been one or two people in their late 30s and probably half of the people were over 50.

The only conclusion I can reach on this subject is that lesser products are meeting the needs of people my age, and I don't forsee the younger generations waking up one day and deciding to sell the MP3 players so that they can buy high-end turntables. In 20-30 years as much of the current audiophile population ages and some move into assisted living or other arrangements where these elaborate and space consuming set-ups are no longer wanted or needed, the few remaining young people that actually care will be able to take ownership of kick-ass systems at steep discounts. I along with any kids that I have will have our cash ready in anticipation of that day.
firecracker_77
Post removed 
eldartford
4,262 posts
 
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The hobby was different back in the early fifties when I got involved. "Involved" is the right word. We had to wire up our own electronics, and design and build our loudspeaker (just one of them). It was a "hands on" quest for sonic perfection. As such it stirred more emotion than going to a shop, plunking down a few grand, and walking out with the latest greatest thing. And in those days, a state of the art system was within financial reach of a dedicated high school kid (like me).

Many Audiogon folk seem to be interested in cars. In a similar way that hobby has also changed. It used to be that if you wanted a "hot" car you had to soup it up yourself. No more. Auto showrooms are full of mass market hot rods. Twice the performance and half the fun.

And we must recognize that entertainment is increasingly more than just sound. A simple example from my own experience is the Gilbert and Sullivan light opera "Mikado". I have excellent recordings on LP and on CD that I have enjoyed for many years. I recently bought a DVD. The sonic quality, especially when played on my HT system, is plainly inferior, but yet I find that watching the DVD is more enjoyable than listening to the CD or LP.
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jax2
3,031 posts
 
Eldartford - If you have not already, go out and rent the film "Topsy Turvy". Not sure how the audio is, but the film itself is great!

Grant - I'll get in touch with Bill and Jarmusch and see what we can work out. It may be a pricy investment, but it'll be worth it! I'll take my usual cut of course.

Marco
eldartford
4,262 posts
 
Jax2...Thanks for the tip. We will see if Topsy Turvy is in the NetFlix library.
mastering92
870 posts
 
OP, 

Your insight into the "audio hobby" is absolutely brilliant.

I'm also 28 years old. Unfortunately, people these days can't be bothered about achieving objectively better performance from audio gear. They don't want to learn or hear about technical jargon.They simply want technology to work for them seamlessly.

- is it loud enough?
- can i hear the lyrics?
- does it have good bass? 

These are the 3 main requirements for of the average person who is not an audiophile / audio enthusiast. Party speakers, bluetooth speakers, and average home theater systems are all they need. 

There is one big problem with this hobby...far too many folks lose sight of the real objective: The ability to enjoy our music unconditionally. You don't need a super-expensive reference system for that. Just ask Steve Hoffman...heck even my main system is too accurate on most tracks. Mastering errors galore!!  I have to remaster the tracks so I can enjoy them again.

Try this:
Let go from being analytical about the performance of your system. Don't try to pinpoint what is wrong with how it sounds or what can be improved upon. Just kick back and enjoy. - focus on the lyrics, the emotions, and the overall feeling that you want from that song or album.

Most people are in this exact state of mind - Therefore, Lo-Fi audio does not bother them.

As for the future of this hobby...You will have 3 classes of audiophiles.

Class 1: They are tech savvy and understand audio at the studio level. They don't buy into bogus claims in audio. If they buy a costly piece of audio gear - that purchase would be justified by their knowledge and expertise. Over the years, they can experience unique set-ups and are fully satisfied throughout the process.

Class 2: They are clueless about how to match gear together, are not tech savvy, and buy into bogus claims in audio. If they buy a costly piece of audio gear - that purchase would be an impulse decision. Over the years, they pour tons of money into this hobby without experiencing much enjoyment.

Class 3: Act like they know everything, but have little to no practical knowledge to apply. They make bogus claims and dispel all truths with incoherent arguments. Stubborn as mules.

Overall, great perspectives from other posters too. 

Cheers!
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