Barriers to Hi-Fi

[beerandmusic]

I don't understand the question.

 

People will always spend whatever they care to spend, depending on their pocket book size and their interest in the topic.

 

I would never spend more than $100 on a bicycle because I am not interested in that sport. 

Some people that are interested in that sport may spend $300 on a bicycle because they are interested but that is all they can afford.

Some people may spend $500 on a bicycle even though they can only afford $300 but they are willing to go into debt because bicycling is the only thing they are interested in, and if not for bicycling they would have "no life".

Some people may spend $800 on a bicycle even though they can afford more, but they feel that is the best bang for the buck, and they don't want to pay for a name.

Some people may make their own custom bicycle costing over $1000 because it fit's their needs and desires best.

Some people may spend $1000 on a bicycle even though they only ride it around the block and because they can afford it.

Some people may spend $3000 on a bicycle because they can afford it and they will use it.

Some people may spend $10000 on a bicycle because they collect bicycles.

 

And then there are 10 million different scenarios besides these examples.

 

"The prevailing majority" could care less about different bicycles.  But the prevailing majority that write about bicycling, will cover all the different examples, depending on their specific interests.  That is why there is diversity and conflicts.  There is nothing new here.

 

The same goes for hifi or any other hobby.

[beerandmusic]

18 minutes ago, KingRex said:

I believe the expansion of high quality audio suffers 2 obstacle. Of course money is an issue.  That's the 1st issue.  Let me tie that into the second issue, space.  I live in Seattle.  A city with little discretionary money and even less SPACE.   I have bid electrical for hundreds of project ranging from small 5 over 2 structures to tall towers.  600 feet is a nice sized condo/apt.  San Francisco and NY are no better.  They cost around $2400 to $3200 a month the to rent.  Take your 100k job, pull out the 33% tax, grocery, cable, phone, entertainment, insurance etc and you have no money while living in a Hamster cage.   The spaces are designed for nothing more than a flatscreen.

 

Get married, move to the suburbs and a house will set you back $700k.  That's a scramble bid for a 1200sqft piece of land with a structure you can live in.   If I could get that house for $550 I would tear it down, build new and sell fort 1.4M or better.    Or you loose .75 to 1.25 hours per trip of driving to and from work.  At that commute your still out $500k.  Kids?  That's a third issue.  Little hands, thrown toys.  When their older abuse during use, especially if a party is thrown.  

 

Society is build around staring at screens.  I guess this is a 4th issue. I grew up with Martha Quinn on MTV.  Music was partly important because we watched TV with it. 

 

I heard a clients high school kids cranking Bruno Mars with friends over.  They were enjoying music.  The father is into audio.  He is excited about his Pioneer multi channel amp that is old, and a cheep techniques TT.  To him, he has high audio.  Could he purchase better.  Lets see, $600k remodel on top of $500k house, divorced, 2 kids, Med ins. etc.  You tell me where his priorities are.  

 

Space and Money.  The middle class has huge bils.  Maybe a nice paycheck but big bills.  Housing is build dangerously close to inhumane space constrained cells.  We are full of apts with a shared kitchen /bath and a 125 foot bed space.  

Those who make it big.  They are few, hence a shift to $500k systems that marginally meet audiophile standards.

 

That's why I think high end audio has barrier to hifi.  

Your situation is unique to you and many like you, but clearly these typical scenarios haven't affected the "niche" market of hifi in the past .

I think the market is still relatively healthy, (compared to 1980s-2000s) possibly even more so because of "DIGITAL".

 

If there is any barrier, it will be because large improvements in SQ are rare and the the law of diminishing returns ratio is escalating, where speakers excluded, a relatively modest system is easily 90% of the best available at any cost, and the market is being saturated with available options with only subjective improvements, none clearly a victor over the other.

[beerandmusic]

3 hours ago, semente said:

 

Makes wonder why people live in the US. Is this just in Seattle or all over the Federation?

 

property values in USA probably follow similarly anywhere in world...

jobs

climate

education

crime

community

taxes

 

Seattle probably is favored in all but climate, but most notably high paid jobs and education.  I would tend to believe sydney would be similar in comparison to property values elsewhere in australia?