Information is not Knowledge; Knowledge is not Wisdom
Too many audiophiles listen with their eyes instead of their ears
I Thought CDs Were Supposed To Be Dying, But Maybe I Got It All Wrong
https://www.forbes.com/sites/bobbyow...Y#5919a2777dca
Some kind of happiness is measured out in miles
Originally Posted by Ducatista47
Never mind!
-= { Creek Destiny | Reson Rota + MM-Ortofon| Epos Encore Speakers | Nessie Washing Machine }=-
"All major labels have divested their CD manufacturing and the companies that bought those factories have moved them to Mexico." No surprise there, but disappointing none the less.
Information is not Knowledge; Knowledge is not Wisdom
Too many audiophiles listen with their eyes instead of their ears
Big business major labels were not fair to new talents or individualists. (At least during the last 30 years). Therefore let's go to the concerts at small venues with unknown music groups. Backen wir doch wieder kleine Brötchen! Diese munden besser und machen keine Verdauungsbeschwerden!
BUT ... I keep reading about how the vinyl record pressing plants are running 24/7 and about the worldwide searches for old presses to import (no matter what the condition)
Got to admit tho that when too lazy to cue up a licorice pizza, streaming is handy ..
(especially now when all I have to do is say "computer, start Pandora" within voice range of the PC.)
Some kind of happiness is measured out in miles
BUT ... I keep reading about how the vinyl record pressing plants are running 24/7 and about the worldwide searches for old presses to import (no matter what the condition)
Got to admit tho that when too lazy to cue up a licorice pizza, streaming is handy ..
(especially now when all I have to do is say "computer, start Pandora" within voice range of the PC.)
Most of the vinyl pressing plants in Europe were displaced in the 80ies to east European countries, especially to Czechia and Slowakia.They are running hot these days. Because of the lack of spare parts and the fuss, the pressing process is mostly not yet on the same high level as it was usual in the 60ies and 70ies. Mostly, the new pressed vinyl needs to be cleaned before first playing. But the haptic of these vinyl discs and the elaborate sleeves are difficult to be streamed...
There is a huge difference between how music is physically played and a niche market share trending up. The initial feature I reported showcased how listeners are now acquiring a play. It is overwhelmingly tracks rather than records/albums/collections by artists, physical or not. Listeners like us are living in a bubble; most sub baby boomer people don't buy stereos anymore, multitask their music listening, and don't care about physical media. CDs are declining but vinyl has never risen above a blip on the market share radar since its resurgence. Industries love to talk about growth but larger tiny share is still tiny. As vinyl gained against CDs, multiple song physical media presence was plunging to the floor as a reflection of how music is played.
When I go to audio shows I am always struck about how few people are participating in our hobby. Many thousands for sure, but that's against hundreds of millions who do listen to music but don't participate in our gear and media types. We are tiny, not mighty. To most music listeners we are like the Stones' 19th Nervous Breakdown lyric. "...And your father's still perfecting ways of making sealing wax..." Tubes, tape, and vinyl getting a second wind didn't do the popularity of our hobby any favors. Now that digital recording and playback combined with great sounding newer Class D amplification could make this much more available and affordable, the larger listening World has already moved on.
Information is not Knowledge; Knowledge is not Wisdom
Too many audiophiles listen with their eyes instead of their ears
Yep. We aren’t even a rounding error.
Widget
yes, BUT ..who cares abt the larger listening World
few listen to classical .... I do.
many think a pod and ear things are HiFi ... I don't
fewer these days own a home to house a big stereo ... I do.
many think The Canadian Beeber is great .. I don't
few would spend more than $100 on speakers ... I do
many are happy with $20 blutooth reproducers ... I'm not
etc..etc..etc... guess I'm NOT part of the larger listening World and suspect NOT many of us here on LHF are
Some kind of happiness is measured out in miles
My point is that we like to think there should be more like-minded music consumers, but at every turn, we have raised the barriers to entry. I sincerely believe that for every listener who glories in the exclusivity of high end listening, there are many more who would welcome more converts to greater fidelity in listening.yes, BUT ..who cares abt the larger listening World
few listen to classical .... I do.
many think a pod and ear things are HiFi ... I don't
fewer these days own a home to house a big stereo ... I do.
many think The Canadian Beeber is great .. I don't
few would spend more than $100 on speakers ... I do
many are happy with $20 blutooth reproducers ... I'm not
etc..etc..etc... guess I'm NOT part of the larger listening World and suspect NOT many of us here on LHF are
Information is not Knowledge; Knowledge is not Wisdom
Too many audiophiles listen with their eyes instead of their ears
sorry, I think that boat has sailed. "Audiophiles" seem to be ridiculed by the rest of the world ... $10K interconnects,etc. surely contribute to the false notion that it is a rich man's pastime and NOT for the masses.
the definition of "high fidelity" has changed. Have met so many that think
HiFi means spending 10 bucks more for Boze ear buds instead of generic junk.
Some kind of happiness is measured out in miles
yes, BUT ..who cares abt the larger listening World
few listen to classical .... I do.
many think a pod and ear things are HiFi ... I don't
fewer these days own a home to house a big stereo ... I do.
many think The Canadian Beeber is great .. I don't
few would spend more than $100 on speakers ... I do
many are happy with $20 blutooth reproducers ... I'm not
etc..etc..etc... guess I'm NOT part of the larger listening World and suspect NOT many of us here on LHF are
My point is that we like to think there should be more like-minded music consumers, but at every turn, we have raised the barriers to entry. I sincerely believe that for every listener who glories in the exclusivity of high end listening, there are many more who would welcome more converts to greater fidelity in listening.
I don't think it is as bleak as you think. I know vinyl is a niche but people who by vinyl are in essence a future generation of like minded people. I do lots of small venue shows and most of these artists are younger musicians with a following in their 20's. My point is many of them, close to half, have short run limited edition vinyl pressings available and at their shows at merch tables. It's the "kids" purchasing them.
Rob
"I could be arguing in my spare time"
I go to concerts, clubs and other gigs, I go to audio shows, I know some twentysomethings - my kids and their friends are all in their twenties - and I meet many more. I know why they want vinyl and they think they will get great sound with a hundred dollar table. I listen to systems at home that sound more accurate than vinyl ever did and ever could at any price, but they are costly. Not as costly as vinyl, though. The only reason I think it's all good for the kids is that, like 99% of audiophiles, they all have their favorite distortion and that's what they really want, plus nostalgia for an era and experience that was before they were born so they won't recognize if they actually capture it or not. They will definitely enjoy it, and that's what counts. They will join millions of listeners who enjoy music but they will be paying a lot more for it, and that will keep good systems out of most hands. Which means our hobby's numbers can maintain but not grow.
Vinyl and its attendant gear being a pricy way to seek great sound (and I personally find it doesn't do that for me, so sorry, not a fan), our numbers will remain small. That's why I mentioned digital recording and playback and Class D, which can now deliver great sound for a small fraction of the cost of the stuff we use. Promote that and our numbers will grow exponentially. I want to see as many music fans as possible experience great reproduction but our way will always be too expensive to make a serious impact. Something else that would help, twentysomethings use personal listening, not speakers, and if someone tells them how to buy $125 in ears that sound really outstanding instead of falling for the overpriced crap they are steered to now, the equation would be complete. Just keep younger people away from the magazines and the shows or they will drink the Kool-ade too.
For generations, types like us have been recruiting new blood by showing people our home systems. In this era that only discourages them because they think they need our approach to succeed, and younger people don't have much money these days. They don't need to anymore. Show them a modest but great sounding small home or personal system, or both, as I described. Inexpensive, sounds terrific, WA(F) guaranteed. Getting expensive to chase the last 2% of fidelity (and usually not getting it in my experience) is obsessive, and counterproductive to widening appeal. My twentysomethings are already on the right track. They don't care about ultimate low bass reproduction or laser-like imaging and soundstage. They only care if the music is good or not and sounds undistorted. Today not many dollars and no floorspace to speak of will get you that, firmly in 98% fidelity territory. If it is a speaker based system, a Class D powered subwoofer could be added at a later time and should be the main upgrade, if one is desired. I use a 10" JBL unit bought online at discount for $250. Class D powered subs last a long time. Unlike plate amps, they don't get hot and their chip-based architecture is far less troubled by vibration.
Information is not Knowledge; Knowledge is not Wisdom
Too many audiophiles listen with their eyes instead of their ears
Machen wir uns keine Illusionen. Musik in allen ihren Facetten ist und bleibt ein Konsumgut. Jedem das Seine! Sie ist den üblichen Marktprinzipien unterworfen, wie Uhren, Autos und Spaghetti...
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