Why Our Hobby Won't Grow

[carbonman]

I came across this article in Wired online. It discusses 'good enough' technology and how it's tied to convenience above all. Sad but true.
http://www.wired.com/gadgets/miscellaneous/magazine/17-09/ff_goodenough?currentPage=1
Pages 2 and 3 specifically discuss music reproduction. It's truly frightening to discover many young people prefer the sound of MP3 files to high-resolution versions. Makes me think of Robin Williams old tagline 'reality - what a concept!'

 

[drknstrmyknight]

We've always had 'good enough' technology along side the good stuff. Considering the size of the population, it doesn't take much of a percentage to sustain a vibrant market. Folks grow older and want a higher standard of living and upgrade too.

 

[mrt2]

We've always had 'good enough' technology along side the good stuff. Considering the size of the population, it doesn't take much of a percentage to sustain a vibrant market. Folks grow older and want a higher standard of living and upgrade too.

True. In the audio context, a lot of households in the 60s had cheap, solid state stereos that replaced the tube based systems of the late 50s. They were cheaper and "good enough" for most people. The lps also got worse sounding as the 60s progressed.

In the 70s, we had brown fake woodgrain crap systems. I know, I owned one of these. They were cheap, convenient, and "good enough" for most people.

That is not to say I am not worried about this hobby, I am. My thought is that the high end systems of the future will be built around a high quality digital preamp/DAC device, possibly wired to the internet, and may feed powered speakers.

 

[Andyman]

It will be an interesting next 20-30+ years as the Baby Boomers, their disposable incomes, and love of this hobby all start to fade away. I'd like to get a peek at the actual distribution/sales of many of these high end, high res sources and gear, but I'm pretty sure I know who's buying these big bucks vinyl reissues and box sets and it's not a bunch of college kids.

 

[JohnVF]

I think the threat is going to be more directed at the mid-fi stuff (like the better quality receivers at Best Buy, etc) than it will be at the high end. I think there will always be a healthy bunch of individuals who really care about sound, the problem is, as the numbers go down, the price goes up. Just as their are studies that show some kids liking MP3 more than uncompressed audio, there's also a resurgence in vinyl among kids. It seems to be going in two directions, and the middle is where quality will disappear. Just my opinion (I follow market trends as part of my job and this is just a best guess scenario).

 

[sheltie dave]

Our hobby always has been, and always will be, a niche market. The market for hi quality new audio gear, and its corresponding used resale, is driven at one end by prosperity and marketing, and at the other end by brand awareness, availability, and economic downturns and/or boredom.

I believe the last boom in audio was during the Vietnam War, when it was almost a requirement for GIs and sailors to hit the Japanese or AEFEES hifi centers to buy a humongous stereo. That ain't happening these days.

 

[Cavity]

Do not be silly. Our hobby is growing, as more humans chose to enter the audio hobby every day. To what degree?

Assuming a contrast of our group juxtaposed to other groups, we are a small margin. The reason a group of humans prefer MPEG-1 Audio Layer 3, is because these humans heard them first. This is greatly influenced by the loudness war that is happening with the mastering of compact discs. Psychologically, they may be threatened by change because the change is unusual. The popular devices are marketed to a target audience. The target audience is those who want everything on demand. They do not care if the quality is horrible. They want it right now. What is odd is I do not see any humans complain about YouTube, because the digital video is inferior to film. This is an example.

We are a group margin, and we could be in the future. Small groups psychologically require more taxing opposed to the majority thought. But the work is worth it. In the majority thought, there will be idiots that will think and act the same as everybody else, as they are too lazy to think different because it is easier for another human to do the work for you.

 

[JohnVF]

There's also the distinct possibility that, since computer memory price drops exponentially and broadband speeds increase, MP3 will soon be a thing of the past. It was a product of a time when compression was absolutely necessary for something like the original iPod to exist, unless you were going to only play a few songs on it. That time is coming to an end. As true uncompressed downloads become the norm (or, rather, if they do), more people will be exposed to great sound. Again. Or for the first time. At that time, they may start to realize the limitations of what they have. Most things go in cycles.

 

[rollei35guy]

Before CDs, Cassettes sold better than LPs. Solely because of convenience. And ironically MP3s are taking the toll on CDs and LPs are in a renaissance. I have read about record stores bundling LPs with the MP3 versions. This is because many young people like LPs too though I doubt you will see an LP section at wally mart.

What I see are people expanding the hobby. More interest in tube audio, old radios, record players, even crystal sets etc. While the masses may sacrifice quality for convenience (and there is nothing wrong with that) there will always be the ones who strive for something better or at least different.

The internet encourages this bringing together people around the globe to explore such thing. This forum is a prime example.

 

[Cavity]

It will be the past. What if humans used up to 32 bits and at least 192,000 hertz in samples?

Things will get cheaper, because testing them is more feasible and is no longer expensive.

 

[Nakdoc]

Look for a process as yet unnamed from High Emotion Audio that 'fixes' MP3 and digital sound in general. Prototypes work and the patents have just been issued. While 'fixing' is just a bandaid, it will teach the younger generation that better sound is worth the extra effort and expense.

 

[geiman]

Audio like the kind that we like, is dying.
Those of us who are in it now, are hobbyists, experimenters and music lovers.
In the 50's the same kind of people were in to HiFi. It was the domain of hobbyists.
Just like now.
The hifi boom of the 60's and 70's with the Pioneers and Kenwoods et al was primarily mass market mid fi, sorry.
It is refreshing to do projects such as E'wave because that's where our roots are.
Experimentation, love of music and the fun of the hobby is great recreation for most of us.
I would not expect anyone to bring out a new line of receivers like we had in the 60's.
The mass market won't respond because the demand isn't there.
So what. We aren't stuck with the boutique stuff either.
We can build from scratch or kits what we want and it will sound better than what we can buy assembled.
You just have to take the initiative yourself if you love this hobby.

 

[Andyman]

While 'fixing' is just a bandaid, it will teach the younger generation that better sound is worth the extra effort and expense.

I'll be a cynic and say I doubt so, as most of the reproduction equipment they are using is woefully inadequate. The speakers these iPods drive leave a lot to be desired, regardless of the quality of the source. 128, 320 or even straight .WAV, they still are a ways from anything we'd call hi fi.

Not until I start seeing better speakers and headphones in more common use, will I believe that we've turned any kind of corner.

 

[blackfly]

Frankly I worry how this will all play out. There will always be, for the masses, something to PLAY music, but EXPERIENCE it is another matter. I have stated elsewhere that in my personal life I am an anomoly, the exception. That is fine as I know what the others are missing. I could say the same for those who ride horses, spelunk (cave explores) or any other niche market enjoyment.

Will it ever disappear? No. But it will get expensive.

 

[FIXITAGAIN]

the most interesting part of it to me, is american maufacturing pride, this is the reason why when we make gear the rest of the world copies or covets it/us!
with the end of fake credit sources of indetment and the need to create again to show the world we are still tops at other things beside areospace. Our economy needs this sort of growth.

Every teenager I know sure the heck knows the difference between an mp3 player and an decent amp/source/speakers setup.. it to most of them is just as attention getting as might of been for several of us older folks when we were teens.

generation after generation of audio lovers breeds high standards!
carry on gentlemen!

 

[marc mc]

It will be an interesting next 20-30+ years as the Baby Boomers, their disposable incomes, and love of this hobby all start to fade away. I'd like to get a peek at the actual distribution/sales of many of these high end, high res sources and gear, but I'm pretty sure I know who's buying these big bucks vinyl reissues and box sets and it's not a bunch of college kids.

Uhm 20-30? try 5-10 maybe.

marc mc

 

[jhaan92]

While it is true that Pioneer (and the like) was considered by many to be "mid-fi" in the late 70's (according to most who lived then, I wasn't thought of then), even though the stuff they built in that timeframe was some of the great, well built, classic gear-it is also true that audio is a dying hobby, being replaced by "convenience".

As for the young crowd being into LP's, that is true (at 24, I still consider myself to be part of the "young crowd"). However, they have no idea what a quality album is. Half-speed masters, direct-to-disc, and the like all fall on the ears of people who have no idea what they are. I didn't get into albums when I got older, I was surrounded by them almost all my life. Most of my collection consists of Mobile Fidelity half-speed masters, as well as some of the CBS Master Sound half-speeds as well.

It would be great to see a return in popularity in high fidelity, but that seems unlikely. I attribute that to how much it would cost to buy some of this equipment when it was new. I estimate that my stereo cost about seven grand new, and if you add inflation, it would cost close to 18 grand (not kidding on this one, I used an inflation calculator). Most people aren't willing to spend that kind of money to get quality reproduction.

Also, if the baby boomers were not into the high fidelity sound then, I doubt that they will get into it when they retire. I would think that they would be more into traveling, vacations, or things like that. Who knows though? Only time will tell!



-Jason

 

[grillebilly]

When I was in high school in the mid 70's, all my friends had as good a stereo as we could afford.
Kids now days listen to music on their cell phones and are happy with it.
Unlike years past, most kids don't know what a decent system sounds like.

 

[ussexplorer]

Knobs. I do it for the knobs

Knobs. I do it for the knobs. Well not 100% true. I also like the look of older silver / wood grain gear and the power behind it. Though, I do admit I like a nice clean all black setup of gear to. But, unless you are willing to spend some cash on new stuff. I purchased all new gear through 92-96 when I got a job. It was okay. The most I spent was on a dolby surround receiver. It was basicly the only one that had a bass and treble knob with a phono input. nice fan in the back to. It sounded great and used for many years with old vintage speakers. Then I wanted what my parents had. Power, silver, and knobs. I'm only 33 and thanks to several older freinds and my dad being the small record / beatle person he is. Keeps me going. Now my newest upgrade a pioneer spec system. I hope to take ownership of tuesday or wensday.

TTFN,

Josh

 

[mpdhrd]

At 34 years old, I'm sort of an in-betweener to what is going on: I've never owned a TT and analog system (cds my whole life) but I'll never buy an mp3 player. Not at least until the quality of the technology catches up the convenience of the technology, and I see that happening relatively soon. I think with the rise of the mp3, people were more concerned with how many songs they could download for free than how they sounded. They could take with them at any time thousands of songs... and that's cool. How cool would you have been to show up at a party in the 60's with a complete Beatles or Hendrix playlist on one record? So now I see uncompressed files rising and taking over in the next 5 years. Why do I say this? I think young people actually do care about sound quality (dispite what the author said with the study about college kids prefering mp3 over uncompressed). When you look at movie audio, we've gone from mono and stereo in VHS to pro logic and dolby surround to DTS in dvd to Dolby HD and DTS-HD in blu ray and people are fighting for more and better equipment that supports this. Someday the light will click with young people who watch a high def movie and ask why the audio soundtrack sounds WAY better than their thin ipod ear buds. (maybe sacd's and dvd-a's would have done better if they were called HD... marketing?) But I also think after the little resurgance of vinyl is over and after cd's and mp3's are dead, we'll be streaming HD-audio from internet capable AV receiver/media computers. And like every other piece of consumer technology in the past, there will be entry level, mid-fi, and uber expensive hi-end models of that. I'm a little random and all over the place there, but that's my opinion.