A Better Way to Sell Specialty Audio Gear to a Young Generation

[Bucknekked]

- Technological advancements have made modestly priced audio gear sound very good for the younger audiophile.
- The younger generation doesn't have much as much spare change or safety nets as the previous generation did.
- Specialty/High-end audio will most probably die with the guys who are currently 60 and above, 50 and above, if pushing it. A simple observation of attendee age groups at shows like RMAF should be all the confirmation high end audio needs (to know that its days are numbered).

3 Succinct observations that I think all have some validity.
Technology today has indeed put great sound within reach at modest prices. If great sound is the goal, one doesn't need to spend huge or even large sums. If being ostentatious is the goal, well, that's a different story.

The differences between generations and their spending money are up for discussion. I don't know how anyone can accurately quantify that but it makes for a nice discussion at least.

Specialty & high-end audio will most likely die with us old guys: well, there's a cheerful thought. I have expressed that same thought many times so I'm not arguing. We are all enamored of a hobby that most of us have been unable to pass on to our younger friends and family. Maybe it's a hobby because of the time and place we lived through from the 1950's onward. For those coming along much later, there just isn't the hobby appeal. I'm not sure of the why. But I do think it's a dying hobby from a longevity point of view. I certainly enjoy it as much as I ever have. But it's not catching on like it used to "back in the day".

 

[jhaider]

Interesting article. It reminds me that several years ago (might even be close to a decade now) one of the best men's clothing shops in the country, Sid Mashburn in Atlanta, experimented with selling some audio equipment as part of their good-living focus. Sid loves music, and his Atlanta flagship store is one of the few stores that genuinely sounds good inside. (Sonance 3-way in ceiling speakers, which only I know because the grilles are kept off.) He'll also occasionally stock something out there but that he thinks is cool. Hultafors hatchets last year, for example.

The selection was not extreme "high end," but good looking stuff with non-insane list prices: Pro-Ject turntables and electronics, PSB's nicer-finished bookshelf speakers, and some low/mid-fi tube stuff that I have no idea about but looked striking.

I don't think it ended well. A few years later there was a lot of audio stuff on deep clearance - some people scored really great deals on Pro-Ject Tube Box SE phono preamps, (I dithered and missed out, which in the end is fine because the Parks Audio Puffin is a much better phono pre.) Last time I was there that space held Edward Green shoes.

 

[SithZedi]

3 Succinct observations that I think all have some validity.
Technology today has indeed put great sound within reach at modest prices. If great sound is the goal, one doesn't need to spend huge or even large sums. If being ostentatious is the goal, well, that's a different story.

The differences between generations and their spending money are up for discussion. I don't know how anyone can accurately quantify that but it makes for a nice discussion at least.

Specialty & high-end audio will most likely die with us old guys: well, there's a cheerful thought. I have expressed that same thought many times so I'm not arguing. We are all enamored of a hobby that most of us have been unable to pass on to our younger friends and family. Maybe it's a hobby because of the time and place we lived through from the 1950's onward. For those coming along much later, there just isn't the hobby appeal. I'm not sure of the why. But I do think it's a dying hobby from a longevity point of view. I certainly enjoy it as much as I ever have. But it's not catching on like it used to "back in the day".

All too true about your thoughts on the future of the hobby. I still have some hopes for my son but its a long term project. I am taking the same approach on passing on my Lionel trains to him. That hobby shares similar characteristics to this one.

 

[Eppie]

All too true about your thoughts on the future of the hobby. I still have some hopes for my son but its a long term project. I am taking the same approach on passing on my Lionel trains to him. That hobby shares similar characteristics to this one.

I think a big part of that is that young people are not into "collecting". My nieces and nephews tend to be more minimalist. My wife's parents passed away last year and the grand children had very little interest in taking home any of the china, furniture or art work, or any of the many trinkets that older people like to display. Some of that comes down to taste, but there is history behind the art work and other items like coin or stamp collections but those things don't seem to hold a lot of meaning until people get older.

I think I got my daughter started on audio by getting her progressively better headphones. Once you get used to listening to a good set of Sennheisers it's hard to go back to stock earbuds. As a poor student, she cobbled together various components, often from friends who gave her some old equipment, but she ended up with a decent receiver and turntable. Once I replaced her no name speakers with the KEFs that I restored, it sounded pretty darn good and her partner uses the system more now as well. It will be interesting to see whether they consider a home theatre setup when they get their first house.

My son spends most of his time on his computer so he uses ear buds a lot. I've been upgrading those on occasion but he simply isn't one to play music over speakers yet. He can hear my system through the air vents when I crank it up though.

 

[panteragstk]

I think a big part of that is that young people are not into "collecting". My nieces and nephews tend to be more minimalist. My wife's parents passed away last year and the grand children had very little interest in taking home any of the china, furniture or art work, or any of the many trinkets that older people like to display. Some of that comes down to taste, but there is history behind the art work and other items like coin or stamp collections but those things don't seem to hold a lot of meaning until people get older.

I think I got my daughter started on audio by getting her progressively better headphones. Once you get used to listening to a good set of Sennheisers it's hard to go back to stock earbuds. As a poor student, she cobbled together various components, often from friends who gave her some old equipment, but she ended up with a decent receiver and turntable. Once I replaced her no name speakers with the KEFs that I restored, it sounded pretty darn good and her partner uses the system more now as well. It will be interesting to see whether they consider a home theatre setup when they get their first house.

My son spends most of his time on his computer so he uses ear buds a lot. I've been upgrading those on occasion but he simply isn't one to play music over speakers yet. He can hear my system through the air vents when I crank it up though.

My grandmother hasn't passed, but she downsized into an apartment since she's 87 she can't do all the house stuff anymore.

She really couldn't understand why I didn't want this old writing desk she has. I simply told her I didn't have space (I don't) and that I don't walk around her house looking at all the stuff I want when she dies. I care about her, not her things. That desk is nice, but an old timey desk like that doesn't fit into my decor in any way shape or form. Expecting me to take furniture is a lot, and I didn't.

It seems the older generations like stuff a lot more than we do. I do have tons of stuff though.

 

[tonyE]

Nice post up, what most of us on AH have probably 99% on AH really isn't High-End. Truly high-end gear is in the 100's of thousands.

I don't know that you need to spend 100K for High End.

Like anything else, wine, cigars... the aficionado will find the value there... the great $5 cigar, the fantastic $20 bottle of wine... etc...

There are great components that sell for 1000 bucks or so. And then you got the used market.

Used market beware though ( and I think this is worth of another thread )... the used market has gone nuts for things that look "good"... like all of those mid 70s receivers. Let's be serious, even an ARC D70 MkII is now going for 1000 bucks? But that is still true High End... a Sansui 8080 for $1400? THAT is nuts.

Those people are not audiophiles.

 

[davidscott]

My grandmother hasn't passed, but she downsized into an apartment since she's 87 she can't do all the house stuff anymore.

She really couldn't understand why I didn't want this old writing desk she has. I simply told her I didn't have space (I don't) and that I don't walk around her house looking at all the stuff I want when she dies. I care about her, not her things. That desk is nice, but an old timey desk like that doesn't fit into my decor in any way shape or form. Expecting me to take furniture is a lot, and I didn't.

It seems the older generations like stuff a lot more than we do. I do have tons of stuff though.

My mom passed a year and a half ago. She used to tell me that she would split the inheritance between me and my 2 sisters. Well, I bought a condo in Florida to be near her just before she passed. Since I had an almost empty condo, I got all of her stuff. You know what, I'd give all her stuff away if I could have spent some more time with her. The $$ in her retirement accounts was split 3 ways between me and my sisters BTW.

 

[tonyE]

My mom passed a year and a half ago....You know what, I'd give all her stuff away if I could have spent some more time with her. ...

Completely agree. It's been not quite a year and it still hasn't hit me, I think. Sometimes I think about her and it gets hard so I just have to force myself not to think about such.

BTW, so I got the old Sansui G-7500 that she had in the garage for like 20 years. I took it to a local guy to rebuild. Unfortunately, the output transistors (TO-5 High Speed) are all toast. They are known for failing, just sitting there. So, it's likely that I'll be parting it instead of fixing it (parts not available, only standard TO-5's available... not worth it as it will change the sound).

Sad as it is in great shape and one heck of a very good looking, and otherwise sounding unit.