CAspeakerman Messages: 7 Registered: August 2009 Location: California
Esquire
Hello all...
This is long... there is a lot involved with this topic.
Having watched and participated in the rise... peak... and now fall of the public 's interest in high end audio, I have several personal observations to interject here.
Demographics are the first thing that I think are a large part of this. As in the baby boomer generations numbers exaggerating the whole cycle. One could write a book... but I think most of us understand what the relationship has been with out listing it all here.
Competing technologies... In the 60's when high end was transitioning from a very exclusive ... limited specialty item to mainstream... electronically there was radio (FM stereo was a big deal then) TV... as in COLOR TV and little else. Now the list of electronic goodies is near endless.
Culture... people on balance are way more active and have way more disposable income now. A lot more interest - access to a wide variety of pursuits. We are a more fragmented society today relative to our leisure time. And I think listen to a lot more live music than in the past. Going to live concerts is a priority for many people today and there are so many more venues today. Casino's and so on. People just don't hang around the house like they used to.
Novelty... well... it has passed. A real music reproduction system was a rarity in the late 50's and a lot of the 60's. It was mainly limited to audio purists... Ham radio - electronics nuts and those who had a ton of money coupled with an interest in music.
Like a Corvette... today just about anybody with any kind of desire and a credit rating can buy one if they really wanted one.
Not so 40-50 years ago.
And people today tend to dabble, satisfy their curiosity and move on to other things. In the 60's & 70's it took a big financial commitment to have a high end system. You planned and saved up and invested. Not so much anymore. You just pull out your credit card...
I would be interested in others comments on this. It is key to answering Fred's original question. I do think as our economy and personal disposable income decline... high end audio has a real chance at moving back into the mainstream. We shall see.
Posting Rules
Members
Search
Help
Register
Login
Get a T-Shirt!
