If you replace "young people," with most people, I agree with you. Because most people don't give a flying fig about sound quality. The world is in constant change. That is the way things are and, in fact , always have been.
I don’t agree. Most people pre 2000 usually had some sort of decent stereo system. Of course that was basically the only option, but I am also someone who for along time went the convenient streaming route. But the last couple of years I’ve gone back to my cd player and big stereo system, and i have no interest in making streaming my main source of listening anymore. Because it sounds like straight poo poo 💩
Yep but with age you find more rabbit holes hobbies and things more " un-exating " interesting. Also with age you have more money and you are more in phase with the step up mindset
@robinmarples5198 Age means you acquire outgoings like children, morgages, cars, medical bills, and so on. So your comment about more money is not as relevant as it seems 🤔
One thing folks can do is pass on some unused equipment to young people. I gave my son and my nephew their first systems and later my son gave some decent gear to my grand nephew. Later my son gave me a Marantz 2220b that I love and later, pay it forward, somebody gave my son a Marantz 2285b. His generosity paid off.
Older guy here, but I DEFINITELY fall into the category of regarding audio as either "sounds good" or "doesn't sound good". Once it sounds good enough that I can enjoy it without being distracted by some obvious problem, I care absolutely nothing about obsessing over quality. Honestly, I doubt my ears are that good.
I didn’t care about HIFI until I was 25, and it started with headphones because a few hundo for a mid-quality set of headphones was a barrier of entry that I could afford, AND because it was unobtrusive to my housemates. Now in my 30s I got excited about HT and Hifi loudspeakers/amplification because I actually have a living space that I’m not sharing with roommates or parents, and I can afford it.
I wish everyone, not just young people, had the opportunity to hear a good system properly set up in a good (room dimensions matter) treated room. I think exposing people to what is possible would bring more people into the hobby.
The hobby will continue as a niche, which it has been for decades in spite of the "lifestyle" stuff. I was into "the hobby" starting back in the 70s. The situation today is no different. Part of what keeps younger generations out of the hobby is cost. The current economy is not helping! That said, it is not just younger generations not caring, but many who are already in the hobby, including most "audiophiles" are more into convenience now. If I had a dime for every audiophile (including the ones who have no problem buying $20,000 amps and such) that has told me that they no longer play records or CDs because it is too much trouble just over the past 4 years, I could retire comfortably now. We also have the extremely short attention span of most folks now. Back in the 70s and even early 80s, people got together for listening parties, sharing new artists, listening to records they just picked up, etc. That is no longer done in any capacity. There is literally no interest in it. It is all messaging. It all ebbs and flows. Vinyl was the only thing we had and still just as popular when the cassette came out, but when CDs hit, vinyl did a nose dive into the ground. Then when MP3s came about CD sales took a dive. Then a few years ago vinyl came back. (Vinyl will move to the background at least again soon due to economics). In the 70s Hi-Fi was all the rage then in the late 80s, nobody cared. In fact, Hi-Fi has been a niche ever since. I also blame the damn smartphones (which are the biggest inconveniences ever invented. I will never understand how people find them convenient). The pull of convenient "lifestyle" products is strong. Those of us who are old school and life-educated are immune from that pull (or as I like to say, "either immune from it or just willingly dumb and masochistic, one of the two". The jury is going to be out on that for a long time). ha ha Those of us who have a passion for music and have learned the benefits of high quality audio will continue in the hobby.
Thank you for the help you have given me with this hobby! I'm 17 and it has been a joy to connect with my parents and my roommate through this hobby and share some of their music. I only started collecting in December and am 20 vinyl deep. I'm using a sony ps-lx310bt with edifier 140 powered speakers as well as a Sony rm-d590 cd player. My process is to buy my favourite albums or singles on vinyl and enjoy that format as I get more enjoyment from it as a grew up with the death of the cd and vinyl is still new to me. The less familiar or popular albums to me I buy on cd to save the money as they are usually a tenth or less of the price of the vinyl. They are also great to jam out to in the car. It has really allowed me to reconnect with some of the music from my childhood from snow patrol's up to now to arctic monkeys favourite worse nightmare or U2. I'm waiting for the backlash in my music tastes I'm pretty used to it. And again thank you, you outline some excellent points in the video.
Good to hear! If you really want to go on a journey, look at some of the vintage gear out here. I am just getting into this, and have picked up two Sansui stereo receivers. One needs a little cleaning, something that would be good for you to learn. The sound out of these two units is something that you can no longer find today. Oh, both units in working condition, $200 ea. They could easily replace my PS Audio and Parasound gear, they sound THAT GOOD. The Sansui 2000 unit was made in Japan, in the year 1969. The Sansui 4000 was also made in Japan, 1970. I have this gear paired with a used but new to me Zu Omen Dirty Weekend high efficiency speakers. The Zu speakers were pricey at $1000, but the Sansui units were $200 ea. I hooked up a WiiM Mini streamer to the 2000 and I was in audio Nirvana, for less than $1300. This set up sounds better than the $4000, three pieces, amp, preamp and streamer I have in my rack. The sound is simply incredible for pennies on the dollar. And both of these Sansui units can drive any speaker, as they are both 100 watts+. todays audio industry lies about power ratings, the Sansui's are real raw power. Good luck in your journey, and look for a used 1967 to 1973 Sansui and enjoy the music. ;-)
@@mikecampbell5856 I am just finishing up, a good cleaning/service, on a 1970 Sansui 4000 stereo receiver. Cleaned the boards, oiled the tuner, cleaned and lubed the pots, etc... Just need to put the faceplate on along with the case. Finger's crossed!
This will be wordy but it's my take on this video.... I will begin with stating the obvious...it's a information-rich multi-task world and has been for some time. The digital era is THE thing for a lot of young people with Beats headphones or whatever ear-focused listening gear one prefers. The sound quality they are getting is subjective. They are not missing out if that's all they need to be reasonably content or altogether thrilled to tears with their music listening. One's McIntosh home stereo can be a set of Bose headphones to another. That's right. I said it out loud. It's all about personal preferences and it's always been that way, and it's in that realm of happiness that both sides find their own good at the end of the sound rainbow of musical happiness. I grew up in the 70's & 80's. Luckily, I was that spoiled kid that came home one day from school in 1979, only to find a brand new Zenith stereo (IS4020) set up in my room with two Allegro speakers. Zenith's IS4020 was that typical integrated amplifier with a built-in turntable, 8-track player, and an AM/FM Tuner with a gorgeous glowing analog display. It was my grandmother's idea...and a helluva an idea if I do say so myself. I was only 10 years old with a stereo an adult would likely own. This story is a rare exception to the commonality in those days. I still preferred to go outside on my bike, and getting into daily adventures great & small as kids generally did back then. But if I wasn't outside playing then I was inside immersed in the escaping with my Hi Fi stereo. Most of us didn't have a huge interest in HiFi...that would arrive later, maybe late teens or early twenties when getting tower speakers with woofers the size of car tires was a thing because LOUD and SHAKING the room was the way to go back then...IF that was one's priority. My gift from my grandmother got me interested in HiFi immediately, and over the years that followed I enjoyed it, I expanded it (added a cassette deck in 1982, two additional speakers in '86, and an EQ in '87) and by 1990 I replaced it altogether with something badder, bigger, better, and beautiful (and rather expensive) which I no-longer own either, but i digress. Otherwise the Boombox would more than suffice to a great many people in those days of long ago. They sounded quite good. It's really not much different today in my opinion. The hobby's standing is fine because what is old always becomes new again, and so this hobby will march to that drumbeat long after all who are here today die off and become worm food (or ashes on a mantle) tomorrow. We cant make the mistake of assuming one is missing sound quality in their lives if they're not complaining about it or asking for audio advisement in the first place. To do such would be arrogant. Why? Because it's not for me to assume what another set of ears would prefer or should be enjoying. I'm not suggesting this video proposed such an approach, but I've seen it done in other places, and it's a waste of energy and needless projection to act in such a way, because it's destructive. What we CAN do is be available to answer questions, advise when appropriate and be content with whatever another is happy with in their lives and be happy for them because believe it or not, they are still in the hobby by way of a different perspective, which also means they are not necessarily missing out. We were never given the charge to know better than another on such a subjective topic. We can only know better for our own ears and passions, but still leaving that porch light on to welcome anyone to enjoy what we can freely share and encourage/advise when it's the moment to do so rightly, but that's just me. We humans are social creatures and thus demonstrate it in all sorts of ways, within all sorts of arenas. This hobby is one of many and like any hobby it has benefits and pitfalls. It's not perfect nor is it for everyone out there and that's a good thing. We all need that variety of passions...that's what will always help us evolve in discovering what is always undiscovered.
That was an excellent response. Thank you for sharing. I completely agree that this hobby is subjective when it comes to personal enjoyment. I just want the entry into higher quality components to be a bit more realistic in this new age.
I had the same Zenith Allegro speakers with the Zenith logo in the port you could the rotate based up how the speaker was placed (portrait or landscape)👍👍
I have been into hi fi since I was 18. I was in the Navy in 1975 and had my first real money. A Sony Ta-1130, a fully manual AR turntable and BIC speakers was my first system.. The BICs sounded best for Black Sabbath, that's why I bought them. It's been a wonderful journey, and I wouldn't change a thing. I have 6 systems running in my house right now and my son has more gear than I do. Great points Mike. Hopefully as these kids mature, their tastes will too.
I wasn't aware of this channel until now, I have loved music, records (vinyl), tape then CD etc, by my early teens (70's) I was building my own speakers because it was cheaper, not so much now. Buying HIFI (not stereo please, HIFI can be stereo but so much more besides), after a couple of decades I was tired of being lied to about HIFI, how much better a certain brand, model was, but while it was so much more expensive it wasn't living up to the hype of the magazine reviews, I never abandoned HIFI but I did cut back, the hifi industry had lied too much too often, some years passed and a new turntable was needed, but it was too much past disappointment keeping me from buying, so I opted for a new tonearm as I liked the turntable I have, a few phone calls and a lot of advice later, I had a listening session booked with a business I'd heard about but never knowingly heard any of their equipment, I'd had listening sessions before but mostly for speakers and amps, never a tonearm, a neighbour took me as I don't drive, a good selection of records under my arm too, the set up was in a large room on equipment way above anything I could ever afford, I asked for different amp and speakers to be used, sure enough they were changed, but the arm I'd gone to hear wasn't available, something more expensive but not by a huge amount, I didn't care too much for what I heard, but that was due to the type of speakers, they were a bit thin sounding, but overall it was good, very good, I ordered a tonearm far more expensive than I had anticipated, this order was placed and a few weeks later it arrived, new arm board and very easy to fit, I'd read many extremely good reviews about this company and what they make, it was all sounding very familiar, but after fitting the arm I listened a lot, my mindset was to not expect too much, years of lies in "reputable" HIFI magazines and now online had dulled my hopes of anything HIFI related living up to the hype, but this exceed the reviews by a long way, you can only go so far in print with regard to sound before it sounds too good to be true, its not just the music media at fault here, the manufacturers making the equipment haven't been pulling their weight either, over blown marketing with over verbose reviews lead to poor experiences when listening, but not this time, but the well has been poisoned by decades of poor practice.
The biggest problem I see are the Hi-Fi stores. I remember when we were looking at buying the system, every HiFi store we went to could only audition one or two systems. You would ask "can I hear that...", the answer was always, "Oh no, that is not set up." It became almost hilarious that these stores were wanting us to spend tens of thousands of dollars and we couldn't even hear what we were buying. To this day I still have not heard a record playing on a turntable in a HiFi store. I don’t know why, they just refuse to play them. Also, the HiFi stores seem to suffer from so much broken gear, lost remotes, flat batteries, missing cables, missing equipment... it went on and on. The funny thing is... we went shopping only a month back for a friend of mine and we were faced with the same BS. He ended up buying B&O as well. This culmination of sheer incompetence and unprofessionalism from the the HiFi stores is what put me in a B&O store. The moment you walk into a B&O store it is a slick setup. Everything just works and the sales guy is pretty silent, just answering questions along the way. The equipment literally sells itself. Also, B&O were the only store to offer, free of charge, delivery and set-up in the home. When things are too complicated in this modern busy world, and expensive… people just walk away.
yeah, you pretty much nailed it. i also feel like the time investment is also somewhat not worth it. many FLAC versions of albums are hard to get (legally). the number of albums you like also increases that price. not only that, but the industry loves to kill any dynamic range which new music or remasters of old music tends to suffer from... i still want to get into hifi, eventually but probably on the budget side. i despise streaming services and prefer to have everything local. a local copy of any song or album i like. regardless of legality. it's also really dumb how services like Tidal will push a format worse than FLAC but claim it's better. i do not trust them anymore after that. my library is filled with flac versions for archival and quality reasons. (edit: for context i'm 20 as of this comment. i just like ownership over streaming everything. i like to use my laptop or eventually a dedicated device for listening to music. like an iPod with Rockbox firmware.)
I have wondered about the hifi industry and the younger generation. I would think it would be daunting starting a physical collection, I mean where to start when they have everything they need on Spotify. Also the internet has changed everything and younger people love their iPhones. For me CD’s are great to collect and I can enjoy the physical experience of having CD’s. CD and vinyl will become more niche and streaming is here to stay. Where this leaves the hifi industry is anyone's guess. Great subject Mike.
Ten years ago i sold all of my "HiFi HiEnd HiMayDay" "Watt eating monsters" equipment i had. The last five years a own a 30 year old JVC amp at $20 + A 20 year old Pioneer cd player at $100 + A 40 years old Pioneer turntable at $80 + A pair of Eltax monitor speakers at $140 and a cheapo PC i got for free plus a $70 DAC. Total cost $410 and i bet, that you wont believe the sound i get from these old crap.. PS, i really really enjoy your videos man thank you. Good work, keep it up 😁
I agree. I would add a little more in the area of exposure. When I was growing up even a small town had a local stereo shop. You did not get to hear ultra high-end stuff, but they would have decent gear that was way better than the console stereos found at Wards and Sears. I got my appetite wetted for a decent HiFi kit from frequenting this type of local haunt. Now days they are all gone. What kids get exposed to is what can be found at a Walmart. I feel you cannot develop a desire for something better, if you have never heard what is out there in the first place.
You're right but I wanna share that I'm now 27 and own a Hegel H120, Triangle Comete 40th Anniversary Edition, Wavelength Brick N2, Pro-Ject X1, iFi Phono Black Label, Roon (lifetime), and various other less significant upgrades. I am waiting for my upcoming Decware UFO25 either end of this year, or mid of next year.
Good topic to share and discuss. Thanks! I consider myself an audiophile. My love and interest in music started very young. Over the years music and enjoyment of it has changed significantly. No surprise as technology and economics of the business changed together. As many have already mentioned, I think we can agree it’s not for the better. For me audio systems hit a peak around 1976. There were many choices at various price levels. The production was set around listening to a complete collection of songs by the artist. Today it’s one hit madness. For those that treat the listening experience as something special will need to commit to creating a proper listening environment. Not cheap! The evolution of digital music (CD first) started an industry collapse as physical media gave way to files. I am fortunate to still enjoy music as a hobby. I encourage others to get involved. FYI the used equipment market is a great and affordable way to start. Enjoy!
I wouldn't be too hash on the CD as a culprit; the move to digital music files & downloads would have happened anyway. Back in the 70's there were many more interested in DIY HiFi and building your own from kits, that probably helped that generation start & maintain an interest as well.
There are many reasons why people don't care much about HiFi. One is definitely TIME! When I was younger, there weren't much things on TV. We didn't have a VCR so we couldn't record something and take look later. Later we listened music. We didn't have computers so we had much more time to listen music. We didn't have social networks so we spent time listening music. How many people do you know that have subscription for "Netflix", "Disney" or similar things? For example, now I am writing a comment instead listening music! ☺ The other thing is mobility. We were not in hurry, so we had enough time to listen music. People are on hurry, they will listen music "on the go", starting back in late '70s. Walkman. Older cars had only a tuner, not tape player. So, people are in hurry, they will listen music in subway, in cars, wherever they want. For example, when I travel by plane, I take Minidisc Walkman, 2-3 discs recorded in LP4. Yes, I know it is not top quality, but I use LP4 only for traveling. Sociological and psychological issues are involved, the answer to your question is neither simple nor unambiguous.
Another reason is the younger generations value portability above sound quality. They don't care about how the music sounds - as long as they can take the device with them.
I'm not sure that I agree that they value sound quality less than the portability dynamic. I see plenty of them wearing expensive headphones and such, and they generally enjoy attending live music performances as well. I think what it is, and you did touch on this, is the portability of what they want to use to enjoy music. However I think the younger people are trying to balance the quality and the practicality aspects. Less is more in that kinda of thinking if one is so inclined. If they're content with that and I suspect many of them are, that's fine. You may or may not agree but I think they're in the hobby from a different perspective. Some people make it more about the equipment than the music art form itself. The important thing, at the very least, is that they're enjoying their music on their terms just like the generations before them.
having a stereo system has been important to me since I hijacked the family console. When I started working I was on a mission to get the best equipment I could afford. That has lasted until this day. Having a music collection and the equipment to play it has always been a priority. And no, I am not a streamer and never plan to be. You made many valid points, Mike.
Great take. My twenty something year old daughter understands my passion for audio. She has expressed an interest in her own system. I will be happy to show her the way.
I would say that going from listening music "however is convenient" to "Hi-fi quality" is a complete change of perspective. The "however convenient" is consumption. I know it, i practice it too. Not necessarily using streaming (i had my iTunes library on an iPod) but i liked to listen using headphones whenever and wherever I was feeling the mood for. Listening music at Hi-fi quality is an experience. Is like offering oneself a private concert. Hi-fi sound brings the artists in your listening room and the music they perform is shared with the listener. So going from casual music consumption to Hi-fi music experience requires first a commitment to make the change or at least to have the experience of music besides the consumption. From my experience I can tell you that if one really wants to live the music experience listening in Hi-fi, the other considerations can and will be overcomed. So the question is: how many young listeners are willing to make such a change? 🙂 PS: we have to also admit that not all music is really Hi-fi worthy. So maybe the change from consuming to experiencing music is determined by a change, over time, in music taste, based on gradually discovering new kinds of music, especially those that are worth experiencing more than just consuming. I am discovering this worth experiencing music even now, after years of Hi-fi music listening. 🙂
Portability is huge when your younger. In my 20s I listened to music by headphones at the gym or in my Vehicle. It was all CDs. 30s mostly the same. Now living the suburbanite life. I've come back to HiFi. A big reason was my Father in-law and his fleamarket HiFi friend.
Another very smart commentary. One point little noted in the comments , yet I feel strongly is a major barrier to the hobby, is the absence of workshops or other in person didactic opportunities to gain a solid base in the hobby. I find this surprising given the interest there seems to be in the hobby. One forum interested in loudspeaker design and construction has over 80K subscribers , yet only small fraction participate. I have little doubt that a major factor may be a reluctance to dive into a complex hobby without any formal support other than a few you tube videos and one sentence answers from well meaning contributors on forums. In many other hobbies didactic opportunities abound. I am also quite surprised that you tubers have not found a way to monetize their rather large followings through formal workshops. Why is that??
i'm 19, i had the great opportunity to restore my Uncles Hifi system,(only naming the Amp and Speakers) a Sony STR-V6 monster reciever, Bose 501 series 3. i know that most people hate on Bose, i did too. but a little hacking on the crossovers and these sound phenomenal. i love good quality sound, i love listening to it on a dedicated setup and ofcourse, good music! for me,the idea of the hobby began from my dad's system, he had an Akai AM-2650 and some really good Akai speakers which he still owns, i don't remember its name, i just have memories of hearing it from time to time when he played music on it. that and looking at pictures of his system throughout the years, and my love for quality of listening to music made me want to restore and get this setup up and running.
It took me hearing a high quality system to understand where music can go. Later in life, I found money available become disposable. I reached for what quality sound can sound like. I found components and speakers that had features that I’d felt were the best according to experiences. Like tubes and silver cables. It took poorer initial cables that had me realize how far I was away from ideal sound. It took finding other purchasing sources for finding my ideal high quality cables cheaply. I’ve achieved the best cables I can find to optimize my system at fair prices. I’m currently happy with my system.
I spend a lot of time thinking about and studying what inspires people to become active music fans and I just have to say this is a superb piece Mike. You lay out facts and tradeoffs without judgement. You leave room for inspiration while keeping it real. Such a great job. I'm leaning in to the idea that more institutions - colleges, public libraries, community centers, even churches - should start investing in listening spaces in public places. There's a new Memphis Listening Lab for example, where I saw young folks studying while requesting classic music on vinyl. It's not big money compared to what universities spend on locker rooms and climbing walls. They have the funds. But nobody ever calls for listening spaces where sound and music are put in the foreground. We don't know what we don't know.
I was introduced to music with my dad's 8track system in his car, I've never looked back . Frank Sinatra with the count bassy orchestra started it all .
Dynamic range of many of today's hit tunes are very narrow compared to 3 or 4 decades ago. They are mastered such to give instant maximum impact on modern home Internet & portable devices
Many of us "adorable older kids" were attracted by our family's big stereo console (or maybe the Dansette for those of you in Europe). I think the *starting point* is the key to unlocking interest in good audio. That could be buying nice headphones (still popular with lots of people & still a fashion item for some). The next step might be to hear those headphones plugged into a Dragonfly or an iFi DAC instead of a headphone jack. Great sound is addictive. Lots of music fans will stop there while those with a fascination with tech will want to explore further.
Good Job!!! A good support system is needed CD/HiRes player it runs 16/44 to 24/192 for extreme CD.. with built on Streamer CD /Download service (Extreme Cd has liner notes and jewel case)
My daughters listen to hours and hours of Spotify. It is difficult to get them to come down and listen to the same music on vinyl or CD. They simply don’t care about the quality of sound. At least, right now. Maybe later in life but not at 16.
As a newcomer, it's such a difficult hobby to get in to. Reviews are often contradictory, and all of the electrical engineering stuff is over my head as a musician. And nowadays there's so few places to actually audition hifi stuff before you buy it. A lot of people may not even be able to do so. And then there's just the general attitude of the community online, which is quite toxic and not inclusive. I love music, it's a big part of my life, and I want to enjoy it as much as I can. I just wish it was easier to navigate the hobby, and that it was more welcome and more accessible. Lastly, the gap between hifi and your average headphones like AirPods is perhaps smaller than it was 30 years ago? They aren't amazing but they aren't bad either. That would seem to make people less likely to make the jump if they're already happy with what they have.
My kids certainly appreciate good sound, but will not be bothered with the expense and time it takes to purchase and dial-in a good home system. They already have various Apple devices, portable music players, and car audio. Spending more money for something that they can't take with them simply does not make sense in this era of sky-high rents and student loan payments. To a great extent, the HiFi industry and retailers must depend on older and established customers like me, who will purchase expensive, heavy and sometimes finicky equipment for home use. I don't know what the future holds, but as Bette Davis once said, "Hang on, it's gonna be a bumpy ride"!
I'm a newbie to HIFI, also one of those "younger people" who grew up listening to compressed MP3s. Considering stepping into the sonos ecosystem as it's the most accessible and user friendly (and also space friendly). Pretty sure for the price of a sonos Arc, two Sub Gen 3, two Era 300s, two Sonos 500s, i could get a full scale hifi setup. If anyone has suggestions please share! (also have a wiim pro mentioned in another video).
Hey there! I am happy that you've taken an interest in the ecosystem of HiFi. The Sonos products are great, but they do come at a price. They are similar to the lifestyle products that Bose offered at their prime. If you are sincerely interested in building a HiFi setup, I can help you along the way. Send me an email. mike@mikeonaudio.com
@@moonytheloony6516 It’s the difference between disposable pop and music that you can listen to years from now without getting that feeling that it’s crap.
I grew up with a Paragon, maybe that's why I choose this path, my kids love music and have a better than average systems as well. And of course they get hand me downs. Good topic really, I see people often buying the cheapest thing possible at Wally world or Dollar tree. Well at least they listen.
If the price to experiencing good quality musical playback…Smart phone, a decent music service (IMC Amazon Music HD/UHD) a Dongle , and then a decent IEM’s….congrats you’ve got a quality portable and not overly expensive setup….but as you’ve said the has to be an interest on their past and someone to act as “guiding hand” Great video ☕️🔥🍕👍
it will be tough, unless you do some marketing to bring in younger crowds with younger celebs, but then that is another pandora's box. I don't have kids so I don't even know, but do they have music classes anymore in grade school, just wondering if it's a lack of appreciation of instrument based music.
Andrew, I am from your generation ot slightly older, got teen kids. I worked superhard in 80ies after school and was saving pennies and had no teacher/advisor, and no internet resources back that time, after 9 months of hard work in senior scholl I travelled 2 hours to a bigger city to the only large electronics store and started buying separate SONY hi-fi components, they were slick black great quality units made in Japan, not everything at one go but one at a time I managed to get speakers, amp, equaliser, tuner, CD player, cassette tape recorder. This was my most expensive first purchase, very first purchase made by myself. I worked hard to get into it, learned, appreciated musicality, quality of sound, different genres, getting rare CDs. Modern generation is lazy, period. And no hunger for quality. And music produced recently is of low quality. Those are my explanations. And I continue my hobby. But not giving up with my kids, showing them music, equipment, going to live conerts. It is like with the lack of quality - educating the consumer to start demanding quality again. Thanks for bringing this subject.
Nothing makes me turn into a hi-fi mentor like watching someone with stacks of $30 records playing them on a $50 turntable with a built in speaker. I let my niece and nephews hear their favorite songs on my 26 yr old Carver AL-III Plus speakers and they can’t believe it. And yea hi-fi people can be snobs. Went to a Bose show way back in the early ‘90’s when they launched the all in one Acoustimass System and the Rep wouldn’t let me operate the unit while others had. They were there to receive orders but I walked and never bought anything Bose to this day.
Music listening has so many scientifically documented benefits, It's my DRUG choice. I dont drink or smoke. So a beautiful detailed Soundstage keep me happy. Mike Should I email the speciation for the Ultra CD platform. Again tyou were right I had my head in the wrong part of my anatomy the CD must never die!!!! Just got back from a short vacay
Common subject for the audio YT channels. HiFi is safe and sound please dont worry kids! The tiny ultra hi end fraction of the market will remain alive and well, while quality gets less and less at places like BB or WM.
Two channel HiFi is doing far better than home theatre. I don't know anyone with a home theatre system in their home. I know several people that have hifi systems. Music will always have an advantage over television. You can listen to the HiFi while doing other things, You don't have to set aside time to listen to HiFi.
That's very true! But that's also the whole point of having a good hifi system. You *want* to listen without doing other things just as you want to enjoy a reading a novel without distractions. Focusing on music recharges you. I prefer it to yoga!
One main reason, perhaps the biggest, why most "younger" listeners aren't interested in pursuing the joy of high-fidelity sound, is because most of the current day "music" is crap! As someone starting their 8th decade on earth I find it sad that I can't easily distinguish one artist's voice from the next. They all sound basically the same. There are exceptions of course but a unique voice, having wide range control and timbre, seems to be a rarity these days. Perhaps it is a result of all the post-processing that occurs. What's that old saying ... "You can't make a silk purse out of a pig's ear!" Playing most modern "music" on a revealing system will do just that ... reveal the poor artistry a lot of current artists exhibit. Like a lot of products these days, things seem to have evolved to the lowest denominator. Fortunately, there is a great catalogue of past artists available to satisfy my musical enjoyment.
This video is excellent and so true. With the invention of the modern cell phone both audio and photography have both went by the waste side and have with Bluetooth as you stated have become good enough. Price, complication and audio snobbery doesn’t help. Younger people have become detached from relationships with people let alone things like audio because almost everything they need is wrapped up in that phone and a pair of earbuds. I don’t think it will die but it will be greatly diminished because vinyl should technically not still be here and younger people are picking up vinyl.
Boomer audiophile here. Cost never stopped me when I was a 21 year old Staff Sergeant making peanuts. Audio was a thing in 1970. Everyone had a stereo. It was what you did. Taking inflation into the equation it actually was more expensive then. And you had to buy your music, either records or cassette tapes. Honestly, my Zoomer granddaughters just have no interest even though they’ve been exposed to my system since birth. They also don’t care about cars or photography, the hobbies my generation almost considered a necessity.
@@audioarkitekts And they really only listen as background music or to dance to, nothing like what us neurotic audiophiles want out of our musical experience.
My niece and nephew have never really shown any interest in my 5.1 component system which I first started building back in 2015 when they were still babies. They are clearly happy with their airpods or even the phone speaker
Being obsessed with sound quality is simply a lower state of being. The younger will go along when high sound quality it is the prevalent standard. They are too smart to chase it. Us dummies, me included, will keep driving the industry and realize this standard. Then you can declare yourself a champion.
I have a 5.1 denon and jbl based system in my room and only me and my brother use it, but I use it for music 55 percent of the time while my brother only uses it for tv as he prefers music in the car. My sister listens to music in her car primarily but at her apartment she'll just use a small bluetooth speaker or even the phone speaker. Hifi is highly underrated
We have to remember many of the younger folks don't even like or value a car..They look at a lot of stuff differently than we did growing up. Not really knocking them but just struggling to understand!
The price of cars has gone up way past inflation. You either get something used and basic, or you go in massive debt. Not something to take much delight in either way.
I love the idea of having a nice hi-fi setup and I'm watching hi-fi channels online for 5 years now. And guess what I still didn't buy anything except nice pair of desktop usb speakers. The more I watch reviews the less i know, prices are ridiculous and everything about the hobby is subjective. You can spent 10.000$ on ur setup and there will be many people who would say it's trash for what they have. There is so much stuff I would rather spend my money on than on expensive hi-fi setup.. and 99% of the people wouldn't even recognize the difference between a 1000$ and a 10.000$ setup so.. I consider it a very niche hobby for a very rich people.
We really don't need to spend more on audio these days than middle class folks did back in the '60's & '70's. Lots of small companies make great sounding audio components at very reasonable prices (e.g. Grado, Schiit, iFi, Klipsch, Cambridge, & NAD). A system from any of those manufacturers easily outclasses cheap stuff from Crosley or Insignia.
I just had the chance to take a look and touch the recent Yamaha amplifiers and I'm disappointed. They feel so incredibly cheap with the plastic knobs. There's no longer that feeling of having something solid in your hands.
First of all I don't care that young people don't care. Second, since when do we care what the consumer mass market buyer does anyway? Third, good channel.
@@audioarkitekts very true, but imagine how well the industry would do if it managed to coax women into that world? It begins in the home, boys are the ones introduced to high end hi-fi by their fathers, those audiophile fathers should be doing the same for their daughters, some of whom would get the bug.
can we agree that we should be discouraging electronics that have non-user-serviceable, rechargeable batteries? like those very fancy, but wireless headphones, that cost hundreds of dollars? because they're all going to the landfill eventually? and will probably terminate a lot of journeys?
Remember that the early days were about radio. Radio introduced the music and hifi gave you a way to hear it better and on demand - as long as you are at home. Waiting for a song to come on was a thing In the UK we had a.m. radio. One pop music channel. And really bad reception pirate radio stations broadcasting from ships I international waters. Cars had mono radio if you were lucky! Also you only had magazines to tell you about the hifi products available. And these were far from independent. The future of hifi will probably still be for the elite few but so what? It’s always really been that way.
THey are used to listening to compressed music with no dynamics.....they do not appreciate what they don't get to hear. I have 3 kids and only the youngest appreciated my stereo. Partly my fault. I sold off most of my gear when they were young so they did not destroy and only recently started back up (I went and heard a real stereo and realized why I didn't listen anymore)
I'm not a Hi-Fi guy (nothing to do with these circles), just someone that enjoys better sound / experience over the generic mush. Nowadays, it's not even that expensive to experience something truly great! Let's say, a cheap second hand Sony Mini Hi-Fi stereo system ("Hi-Fi") etc. can be a real eye-opener (ear-opener?). Or with great cheapish headphones, Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro 80 ohm etc. There's so much good stuff out there and in the second hand market... Once you get the experience of a great sound, there's no going back to subpar experiences anymore. Worst being the "smart"phone speakers, next some subpar earbuds etc. There's no returning anymore, atleast for me. In my opinion, one reason for this decline has been the decline in mainstream. Since 90's in movies, music, culture etc. And since most people live in mass hypnosis, under the mainstream spell... So, here we go. Honestly, i'm not so concerned if the younger generation isn't so much into Hi-Fi etc. To each their own. But what bothers me, is that live video / sound has gone down drastically. It's gross. So many nowadays are recording at gigs, not so much there to enjoy / participate in the show, but "content creating" some useless lo-fi videos with horrible sound. The decline there has been drastic. I'd say a camcorder from 10-20 years ago has better visuals / sound than most of the smarties nowadays. Just look at older fan recordings from gigs. Well, that's my main gripe about it.
The problem is that the culture in music nowadays isn't to create the best possible artistic representation of the artists intent. It's to do it as cheaply and easily as humanly possible.
@@audioarkitekts That too. My opinion is that there's artistic talent always, but the mainstream has got much worse. Earlier it was promoting good music / entertainment and real talent. Nowadays it's something else... It has lost it's passion, serving what people wanted to hear and truly reflecting it. During the rise of technology, it became inhumane and soulless. Like the globalist elite themselves, playing their games. Surely i'm speaking from an extreme point on view, but there it is. I've been mostly in the underground, so swings in mainstream / trends don't affect me. I just observe from the outside, so to speak...
It's always good to have a grasp on what's really happening in the world. What's sad is that these subpar mainstream artists is what is being presented to our new generations as "good music" when all it is is fluff to keep them all distracted and feed them the narrative.
It’s true. I’ve been an audiophile for decades. The worst thing is working in world- class recording studios, that is a curse. When you hear the best possible, then you need a curtain level of sound at least. Of course money and room plays into it. People today haven’t even heard decent sound, let alone great sound. So they don’t even know what they are missing. That can be a blessing! Although, loving music, sound, performing, writing ,producing, and recording., I listen to music, the writing and it’s production, in a different way than most people. If you look on-line there are articles that say a really high percentage of even audiophiles can’t hear the difference between 16 bit and 24 but. I can. I think a lot of people, if they knew what to listen for, could as well. It’s a shame that hi-res commercial formats, as well as surround, never took off.
The average person doesn't care at all. It's either background music, or pumped through scary bad earbuds. Hearing sound seems to be the bar they set. Unthinkable to spend more than $30 on headphones. Maybe $60 on gaming headphones.
They don’t care until they hear a true full range system (no sub). Maybe it’s not so terrible. Can anything that kills the high end cable business be all bad?
So much new music doesn't really lend itself to audiophile systems. So much is, shall we say, bland, that listening to it on a highly resolving system doesn't really show much more detail or "quality" than your cell phone or bluetooth speaker.
Sorry to be an "asshole", but there is an elephant in the room to discuss. It's not the music listener, but the MUSIC that's to blame for lack of interest in hi-fi. Modern pop music is highly compressed, auto-tuned and faked up with digital effects. The intention seems to be to "grab" the listener as opposed to making memorable music. People that listen to this stuff don't need hi-fi because there's no benefit to it! The sound is all in your face and devoid of any nuance that better playback equipment could reveal to the listener. As long as people are satisfied with all songs being written by committee and produced by Scooter Braun or Ryan Tedder, hi-fi equipment will remain a quaint affectation of old people.
Agreed. Sometimes saying what needs to be said makes you unpopular. No point paying for HiFi if all one listens to is compressed rubbish that has no more than 10-bits worth of dynamic range and loads of compression distortion artefacts in the final mix. And don't get me started on auto-tuned vocals; I mean a little bit can be beneficial, but these days... 🙄
Interesting video! I loved HiFi as a teenager in the 70s but then if you were a tech minded teenager then HiFi was the only option really maybe other than radio. Nowadays there are mobiles, computers, consoles, home cinema etc. as competition for interest
One big barrier: snake oil. Spending tons of money on useless products, or products that are arbitrarily high prices, but not sonically superior. A: no, you don't need a $150 hospital grade power cord.
I think you are talking about High-End audio, Mike was talking about HiFi audio; two different price brackets, different target customers, different markets, different marketing strategies. There is some (actually quite a bit) snake-oil in High-End but HiFi is awash with clear cost-cutting compromises in terms of construction and component choices, and contrary to High-End the differences in HiFi are not only audible to (almost) everyone but they can also be perfectly explained on engineering grounds.
I like what you're trying to do here. I do agree with you by younger generation you mean pretty much everybody since 1990 gives a rats ass about audio. As that guy all of those years😂
Todays low end stuff is superior to mid range stuff of the past. Plus, no one has space for setups and large physical collections. Having to pay for a larger place to store your collection makes no financial sense. Last music is important but sitting at home with a glass of wine listening to music is not what people do now, they want music in quick chunks and Bluetooth streaming is good enough.
When you consider how much a new car, and especially a new HOUSE, goes for these days, and the fact that most of us do not borrow huge amounts of money for a college education and MAYBE make enough to pay for these three things.......forget "beginners".....when exactly do you think we honestly have hardly ANY money to throw around after the bills......oh, and I didn't even mention having kids....like I said, where is this magical money coming from? THAT's why young people think that music coming over a bluetooth device, probably in mono no less, is as good as it gets. Get the hell off your high horses and bring down the cost of all this stuff and you MIGHT survive as an industry.
The fallacy is that it was ever an expensive hobby to begin with. Competition in receivers in the 70s was absolutely ruthless, probably the best equivalent is the current smart phone wars, they are pricy but not out of the reach of most normal people. Expensive modern equipment is actually a catch-22 and a side effect of the declining interest in audiophile equipment in general. Less customers, less economy of scale, have to raise prices to survive. But then you raise too much and no one buys.
Hello Mike, I think it all changed when the internet came about. Pre internet days, you would go and see a band and there were alot of quality bands that could play for hours without missing a beat. Rush, Van Halen, Iron Maiden, etc. Etc. Well those bands had to be good. I'm sure they jammed in their spare time just cause they liked too. So you would buy their albums and play them too death, so you probably got into upgrading your stereo as you could. Voi la.... audio enthusiasts. Maybe I'm wrong and my head is up my ass ???? Just my thoughts.
If you replace "young people," with most people, I agree with you. Because most people don't give a flying fig about sound quality. The world is in constant change. That is the way things are and, in fact , always have been.
Agreed. I've been searching all my life for the perfect sound quality and the search is all the fun. Long live Audio!!
I don’t agree. Most people pre 2000 usually had some sort of decent stereo system. Of course that was basically the only option, but I am also someone who for along time went the convenient streaming route. But the last couple of years I’ve gone back to my cd player and big stereo system, and i have no interest in making streaming my main source of listening anymore. Because it sounds like straight poo poo 💩
Yep but with age you find more rabbit holes hobbies and things more " un-exating " interesting. Also with age you have more money and you are more in phase with the step up mindset
@robinmarples5198 Age means you acquire outgoings like children, morgages, cars, medical bills, and so on. So your comment about more money is not as relevant as it seems 🤔
One thing folks can do is pass on some unused equipment to young people. I gave my son and my nephew their first systems and later my son gave some decent gear to my grand nephew. Later my son gave me a Marantz 2220b that I love and later, pay it forward, somebody gave my son a Marantz 2285b. His generosity paid off.
Older guy here, but I DEFINITELY fall into the category of regarding audio as either "sounds good" or "doesn't sound good". Once it sounds good enough that I can enjoy it without being distracted by some obvious problem, I care absolutely nothing about obsessing over quality. Honestly, I doubt my ears are that good.
I didn’t care about HIFI until I was 25, and it started with headphones because a few hundo for a mid-quality set of headphones was a barrier of entry that I could afford, AND because it was unobtrusive to my housemates. Now in my 30s I got excited about HT and Hifi loudspeakers/amplification because I actually have a living space that I’m not sharing with roommates or parents, and I can afford it.
I wish everyone, not just young people, had the opportunity to hear a good system properly set up in a good (room dimensions matter) treated room. I think exposing people to what is possible would bring more people into the hobby.
The hobby will continue as a niche, which it has been for decades in spite of the "lifestyle" stuff. I was into "the hobby" starting back in the 70s. The situation today is no different. Part of what keeps younger generations out of the hobby is cost. The current economy is not helping! That said, it is not just younger generations not caring, but many who are already in the hobby, including most "audiophiles" are more into convenience now. If I had a dime for every audiophile (including the ones who have no problem buying $20,000 amps and such) that has told me that they no longer play records or CDs because it is too much trouble just over the past 4 years, I could retire comfortably now.
We also have the extremely short attention span of most folks now. Back in the 70s and even early 80s, people got together for listening parties, sharing new artists, listening to records they just picked up, etc. That is no longer done in any capacity. There is literally no interest in it.
It is all messaging. It all ebbs and flows. Vinyl was the only thing we had and still just as popular when the cassette came out, but when CDs hit, vinyl did a nose dive into the ground. Then when MP3s came about CD sales took a dive. Then a few years ago vinyl came back. (Vinyl will move to the background at least again soon due to economics). In the 70s Hi-Fi was all the rage then in the late 80s, nobody cared. In fact, Hi-Fi has been a niche ever since. I also blame the damn smartphones (which are the biggest inconveniences ever invented. I will never understand how people find them convenient).
The pull of convenient "lifestyle" products is strong. Those of us who are old school and life-educated are immune from that pull (or as I like to say, "either immune from it or just willingly dumb and masochistic, one of the two". The jury is going to be out on that for a long time). ha ha
Those of us who have a passion for music and have learned the benefits of high quality audio will continue in the hobby.
Thank you for the help you have given me with this hobby! I'm 17 and it has been a joy to connect with my parents and my roommate through this hobby and share some of their music. I only started collecting in December and am 20 vinyl deep. I'm using a sony ps-lx310bt with edifier 140 powered speakers as well as a Sony rm-d590 cd player. My process is to buy my favourite albums or singles on vinyl and enjoy that format as I get more enjoyment from it as a grew up with the death of the cd and vinyl is still new to me. The less familiar or popular albums to me I buy on cd to save the money as they are usually a tenth or less of the price of the vinyl. They are also great to jam out to in the car. It has really allowed me to reconnect with some of the music from my childhood from snow patrol's up to now to arctic monkeys favourite worse nightmare or U2. I'm waiting for the backlash in my music tastes I'm pretty used to it. And again thank you, you outline some excellent points in the video.
Good for you young man. I've been a hi fi nut since 1975 when I was 18. It's been a great journey and you have a lot to look forward to.
Good to hear! If you really want to go on a journey, look at some of the vintage gear out here. I am just getting into this, and have picked up two Sansui stereo receivers. One needs a little cleaning, something that would be good for you to learn. The sound out of these two units is something that you can no longer find today. Oh, both units in working condition, $200 ea. They could easily replace my PS Audio and Parasound gear, they sound THAT GOOD. The Sansui 2000 unit was made in Japan, in the year 1969. The Sansui 4000 was also made in Japan, 1970. I have this gear paired with a used but new to me Zu Omen Dirty Weekend high efficiency speakers. The Zu speakers were pricey at $1000, but the Sansui units were $200 ea. I hooked up a WiiM Mini streamer to the 2000 and I was in audio Nirvana, for less than $1300. This set up sounds better than the $4000, three pieces, amp, preamp and streamer I have in my rack. The sound is simply incredible for pennies on the dollar. And both of these Sansui units can drive any speaker, as they are both 100 watts+. todays audio industry lies about power ratings, the Sansui's are real raw power. Good luck in your journey, and look for a used 1967 to 1973 Sansui and enjoy the music. ;-)
@@michaelwright1602 Yes!!! Vintage gear rules.
@@mikecampbell5856 I am just finishing up, a good cleaning/service, on a 1970 Sansui 4000 stereo receiver. Cleaned the boards, oiled the tuner, cleaned and lubed the pots, etc... Just need to put the faceplate on along with the case. Finger's crossed!
@@michaelwright1602 thank you I will have a look as I was looking at upgrading my speakers and amp
This will be wordy but it's my take on this video....
I will begin with stating the obvious...it's a information-rich multi-task world and has been for some time. The digital era is THE thing for a lot of young people with Beats headphones or whatever ear-focused listening gear one prefers.
The sound quality they are getting is subjective. They are not missing out if that's all they need to be reasonably content or altogether thrilled to tears with their music listening.
One's McIntosh home stereo can be a set of Bose headphones to another.
That's right. I said it out loud. It's all about personal preferences and it's always been that way, and it's in that realm of happiness that both sides find their own good at the end of the sound rainbow of musical happiness.
I grew up in the 70's & 80's. Luckily, I was that spoiled kid that came home one day from school in 1979, only to find a brand new Zenith stereo (IS4020) set up in my room with two Allegro speakers. Zenith's IS4020 was that typical integrated amplifier with a built-in turntable, 8-track player, and an AM/FM Tuner with a gorgeous glowing analog display. It was my grandmother's idea...and a helluva an idea if I do say so myself.
I was only 10 years old with a stereo an adult would likely own.
This story is a rare exception to the commonality in those days. I still preferred to go outside on my bike, and getting into daily adventures great & small as kids generally did back then.
But if I wasn't outside playing then I was inside immersed in the escaping with my Hi Fi stereo.
Most of us didn't have a huge interest in HiFi...that would arrive later, maybe late teens or early twenties when getting tower speakers with woofers the size of car tires was a thing because LOUD and SHAKING the room was the way to go back then...IF that was one's priority.
My gift from my grandmother got me interested in HiFi immediately, and over the years that followed I enjoyed it, I expanded it (added a cassette deck in 1982, two additional speakers in '86, and an EQ in '87) and by 1990 I replaced it altogether with something badder, bigger, better, and beautiful (and rather expensive) which I no-longer own either, but i digress.
Otherwise the Boombox would
more than suffice to a great many people in those days of long ago. They sounded quite good.
It's really not much different today in my opinion. The hobby's standing is fine because what is old always becomes new again, and so this hobby will march to that drumbeat long after all who are here today die off and become worm food (or ashes on a mantle) tomorrow.
We cant make the mistake of assuming one is missing sound quality in their lives if they're not complaining about it or asking for audio advisement in the first place.
To do such would be arrogant. Why? Because it's not for me to assume what another set of ears would prefer or should be enjoying. I'm not suggesting this video proposed such an approach, but I've seen it done in other places, and it's a waste of energy and needless projection to act in such a way, because it's destructive.
What we CAN do is be available to answer questions, advise when appropriate and be content with whatever another is happy with in their lives and be happy for them because believe it or not, they are still in the hobby by way of a different perspective, which also means they are not necessarily missing out.
We were never given the charge to know better than another on such a subjective topic. We can only know better for our own ears and passions, but still leaving that porch light on to welcome anyone to enjoy what we can freely share and encourage/advise when it's the moment to do so rightly, but that's just me.
We humans are social creatures and thus demonstrate it in all sorts of ways, within all sorts of arenas. This hobby is one of many and like any hobby it has benefits and pitfalls. It's not perfect nor is it for everyone out there and that's a good thing. We all need that variety of passions...that's what will always help us evolve in discovering what is always undiscovered.
That was an excellent response. Thank you for sharing. I completely agree that this hobby is subjective when it comes to personal enjoyment. I just want the entry into higher quality components to be a bit more realistic in this new age.
I had the same Zenith Allegro speakers with the Zenith logo in the port you could the rotate based up how the speaker was placed (portrait or landscape)👍👍
I have been into hi fi since I was 18. I was in the Navy in 1975 and had my first real money. A Sony Ta-1130, a fully manual AR turntable and BIC speakers was my first system.. The BICs sounded best for Black Sabbath, that's why I bought them. It's been a wonderful journey, and I wouldn't change a thing. I have 6 systems running in my house right now and my son has more gear than I do. Great points Mike. Hopefully as these kids mature, their tastes will too.
I wasn't aware of this channel until now, I have loved music, records (vinyl), tape then CD etc, by my early teens (70's) I was building my own speakers because it was cheaper, not so much now. Buying HIFI (not stereo please, HIFI can be stereo but so much more besides), after a couple of decades I was tired of being lied to about HIFI, how much better a certain brand, model was, but while it was so much more expensive it wasn't living up to the hype of the magazine reviews, I never abandoned HIFI but I did cut back, the hifi industry had lied too much too often, some years passed and a new turntable was needed, but it was too much past disappointment keeping me from buying, so I opted for a new tonearm as I liked the turntable I have, a few phone calls and a lot of advice later, I had a listening session booked with a business I'd heard about but never knowingly heard any of their equipment, I'd had listening sessions before but mostly for speakers and amps, never a tonearm, a neighbour took me as I don't drive, a good selection of records under my arm too, the set up was in a large room on equipment way above anything I could ever afford, I asked for different amp and speakers to be used, sure enough they were changed, but the arm I'd gone to hear wasn't available, something more expensive but not by a huge amount, I didn't care too much for what I heard, but that was due to the type of speakers, they were a bit thin sounding, but overall it was good, very good, I ordered a tonearm far more expensive than I had anticipated, this order was placed and a few weeks later it arrived, new arm board and very easy to fit, I'd read many extremely good reviews about this company and what they make, it was all sounding very familiar, but after fitting the arm I listened a lot, my mindset was to not expect too much, years of lies in "reputable" HIFI magazines and now online had dulled my hopes of anything HIFI related living up to the hype, but this exceed the reviews by a long way, you can only go so far in print with regard to sound before it sounds too good to be true, its not just the music media at fault here, the manufacturers making the equipment haven't been pulling their weight either, over blown marketing with over verbose reviews lead to poor experiences when listening, but not this time, but the well has been poisoned by decades of poor practice.
The biggest problem I see are the Hi-Fi stores. I remember when we were looking at buying the system, every HiFi store we went to could only audition one or two systems. You would ask "can I hear that...", the answer was always, "Oh no, that is not set up." It became almost hilarious that these stores were wanting us to spend tens of thousands of dollars and we couldn't even hear what we were buying. To this day I still have not heard a record playing on a turntable in a HiFi store. I don’t know why, they just refuse to play them. Also, the HiFi stores seem to suffer from so much broken gear, lost remotes, flat batteries, missing cables, missing equipment... it went on and on. The funny thing is... we went shopping only a month back for a friend of mine and we were faced with the same BS. He ended up buying B&O as well.
This culmination of sheer incompetence and unprofessionalism from the the HiFi stores is what put me in a B&O store. The moment you walk into a B&O store it is a slick setup. Everything just works and the sales guy is pretty silent, just answering questions along the way. The equipment literally sells itself. Also, B&O were the only store to offer, free of charge, delivery and set-up in the home.
When things are too complicated in this modern busy world, and expensive… people just walk away.
At the same time there a lot of people (mostly young) that can't tell what day is independence day.
yeah, you pretty much nailed it.
i also feel like the time investment is also somewhat not worth it. many FLAC versions of albums are hard to get (legally). the number of albums you like also increases that price. not only that, but the industry loves to kill any dynamic range which new music or remasters of old music tends to suffer from...
i still want to get into hifi, eventually but probably on the budget side. i despise streaming services and prefer to have everything local. a local copy of any song or album i like. regardless of legality. it's also really dumb how services like Tidal will push a format worse than FLAC but claim it's better. i do not trust them anymore after that. my library is filled with flac versions for archival and quality reasons.
(edit: for context i'm 20 as of this comment. i just like ownership over streaming everything. i like to use my laptop or eventually a dedicated device for listening to music. like an iPod with Rockbox firmware.)
I have wondered about the hifi industry and the younger generation. I would think it would be daunting starting a physical collection, I mean where to start when they have everything they need on Spotify. Also the internet has changed everything and younger people love their iPhones. For me CD’s are great to collect and I can enjoy the physical experience of having CD’s. CD and vinyl will become more niche and streaming is here to stay. Where this leaves the hifi industry is anyone's guess. Great subject Mike.
Ten years ago i sold all of my "HiFi HiEnd HiMayDay" "Watt eating monsters" equipment i had. The last five years a own a 30 year old JVC amp at $20 + A 20 year old Pioneer cd player at $100 + A 40 years old Pioneer turntable at $80 + A pair of Eltax monitor speakers at $140 and a cheapo PC i got for free plus a $70 DAC. Total cost $410 and i bet, that you wont believe the sound i get from these old crap..
PS, i really really enjoy your videos man thank you. Good work, keep it up 😁
I agree. I would add a little more in the area of exposure. When I was growing up even a small town had a local stereo shop. You did not get to hear ultra high-end stuff, but they would have decent gear that was way better than the console stereos found at Wards and Sears. I got my appetite wetted for a decent HiFi kit from frequenting this type of local haunt. Now days they are all gone. What kids get exposed to is what can be found at a Walmart. I feel you cannot develop a desire for something better, if you have never heard what is out there in the first place.
You're right but I wanna share that I'm now 27 and own a Hegel H120, Triangle Comete 40th Anniversary Edition, Wavelength Brick N2, Pro-Ject X1, iFi Phono Black Label, Roon (lifetime), and various other less significant upgrades. I am waiting for my upcoming Decware UFO25 either end of this year, or mid of next year.
If I were your Dad, I would be so incredibly proud. That's a beautiful system
@@audioarkitekts thank you Mike, for your kind words. :)
Good topic to share and discuss. Thanks! I consider myself an audiophile. My love and interest in music started very young. Over the years music and enjoyment of it has changed significantly. No surprise as technology and economics of the business changed together. As many have already mentioned, I think we can agree it’s not for the better. For me audio systems hit a peak around 1976. There were many choices at various price levels. The production was set around listening to a complete collection of songs by the artist. Today it’s one hit madness. For those that treat the listening experience as something special will need to commit to creating a proper listening environment. Not cheap! The evolution of digital music (CD first) started an industry collapse as physical media gave way to files. I am fortunate to still enjoy music as a hobby. I encourage others to get involved. FYI the used equipment market is a great and affordable way to start. Enjoy!
I wouldn't be too hash on the CD as a culprit; the move to digital music files & downloads would have happened anyway.
Back in the 70's there were many more interested in DIY HiFi and building your own from kits, that probably helped that generation start & maintain an interest as well.
There are many reasons why people don't care much about HiFi.
One is definitely TIME!
When I was younger, there weren't much things on TV. We didn't have a VCR so we couldn't record something and take look later. Later we listened music. We didn't have computers so we had much more time to listen music. We didn't have social networks so we spent time listening music. How many people do you know that have subscription for "Netflix", "Disney" or similar things? For example, now I am writing a comment instead listening music!
☺
The other thing is mobility. We were not in hurry, so we had enough time to listen music. People are on hurry, they will listen music "on the go", starting back in late '70s. Walkman. Older cars had only a tuner, not tape player. So, people are in hurry, they will listen music in subway, in cars, wherever they want. For example, when I travel by plane, I take Minidisc Walkman, 2-3 discs recorded in LP4. Yes, I know it is not top quality, but I use LP4 only for traveling.
Sociological and psychological issues are involved, the answer to your question is neither simple nor unambiguous.
Another reason is the younger generations value portability above sound quality. They don't care about how the music sounds - as long as they can take the device with them.
I'm not sure that I agree that they value sound quality less than the portability dynamic.
I see plenty of them wearing expensive headphones and such, and they generally enjoy attending live music performances as well.
I think what it is, and you did touch on this, is the portability of what they want to use to enjoy music. However I think the younger people are trying to balance the quality and the practicality aspects. Less is more in that kinda of thinking if one is so inclined.
If they're content with that and I suspect many of them are, that's fine. You may or may not agree but I think they're
in the hobby from a different perspective.
Some people make it more about the equipment than the music art form itself.
The important thing, at the very least, is that they're enjoying their music on their terms just like the generations before them.
having a stereo system has been important to me since I hijacked the family console. When I started working I was on a mission to get the best equipment I could afford. That has lasted until this day. Having a music collection and the equipment to play it has always been a priority. And no, I am not a streamer and never plan to be. You made many valid points, Mike.
Great take. My twenty something year old daughter understands my passion for audio. She has expressed an interest in her own system. I will be happy to show her the way.
I would say that going from listening music "however is convenient" to "Hi-fi quality" is a complete change of perspective. The "however convenient" is consumption. I know it, i practice it too. Not necessarily using streaming (i had my iTunes library on an iPod) but i liked to listen using headphones whenever and wherever I was feeling the mood for.
Listening music at Hi-fi quality is an experience. Is like offering oneself a private concert. Hi-fi sound brings the artists in your listening room and the music they perform is shared with the listener.
So going from casual music consumption to Hi-fi music experience requires first a commitment to make the change or at least to have the experience of music besides the consumption. From my experience I can tell you that if one really wants to live the music experience listening in Hi-fi, the other considerations can and will be overcomed.
So the question is: how many young listeners are willing to make such a change? 🙂
PS: we have to also admit that not all music is really Hi-fi worthy. So maybe the change from consuming to experiencing music is determined by a change, over time, in music taste, based on gradually discovering new kinds of music, especially those that are worth experiencing more than just consuming. I am discovering this worth experiencing music even now, after years of Hi-fi music listening. 🙂
Portability is huge when your younger. In my 20s I listened to music by headphones at the gym or in my Vehicle. It was all CDs. 30s mostly the same. Now living the suburbanite life. I've come back to HiFi. A big reason was my Father in-law and his fleamarket HiFi friend.
Another very smart commentary. One point little noted in the comments , yet I feel strongly is a major barrier to the hobby, is the absence of workshops or other in person didactic opportunities to gain a solid base in the hobby. I find this surprising given the interest there seems to be in the hobby. One forum interested in loudspeaker design and construction has over 80K subscribers , yet only small fraction participate. I have little doubt that a major factor may be a reluctance to dive into a complex hobby without any formal support other than a few you tube videos and one sentence answers from well meaning contributors on forums. In many other hobbies didactic opportunities abound.
I am also quite surprised that you tubers have not found a way to monetize their rather large followings through formal workshops. Why is that??
As long as the music sucks I wouldn't care either.
i'm 19, i had the great opportunity to restore my Uncles Hifi system,(only naming the Amp and Speakers) a Sony STR-V6 monster reciever, Bose 501 series 3. i know that most people hate on Bose, i did too. but a little hacking on the crossovers and these sound phenomenal. i love good quality sound, i love listening to it on a dedicated setup and ofcourse, good music!
for me,the idea of the hobby began from my dad's system, he had an Akai AM-2650 and some really good Akai speakers which he still owns, i don't remember its name, i just have memories of hearing it from time to time when he played music on it. that and looking at pictures of his system throughout the years, and my love for quality of listening to music made me want to restore and get this setup up and running.
It took me hearing a high quality system to understand where music can go.
Later in life, I found money available become disposable. I reached for what quality sound can sound like.
I found components and speakers that had features that I’d felt were the best according to experiences. Like tubes and silver cables.
It took poorer initial cables that had me realize how far I was away from ideal sound.
It took finding other purchasing sources for finding my ideal high quality cables cheaply.
I’ve achieved the best cables I can find to optimize my system at fair prices.
I’m currently happy with my system.
I spend a lot of time thinking about and studying what inspires people to become active music fans and I just have to say this is a superb piece Mike. You lay out facts and tradeoffs without judgement. You leave room for inspiration while keeping it real. Such a great job. I'm leaning in to the idea that more institutions - colleges, public libraries, community centers, even churches - should start investing in listening spaces in public places. There's a new Memphis Listening Lab for example, where I saw young folks studying while requesting classic music on vinyl. It's not big money compared to what universities spend on locker rooms and climbing walls. They have the funds. But nobody ever calls for listening spaces where sound and music are put in the foreground. We don't know what we don't know.
I was introduced to music with my dad's 8track system in his car, I've never looked back . Frank Sinatra with the count bassy orchestra started it all .
I'm a 16 year old Gen Z in 2024 and i love Hi-Fi. But everyone at my school thinks i'm crazy because they think the best way to listen is with AirPods
Be that change we need ;)
Dynamic range of many of today's hit tunes are very narrow compared to 3 or 4 decades ago.
They are mastered such to give instant maximum impact on modern home Internet & portable devices
Many of us "adorable older kids" were attracted by our family's big stereo console (or maybe the Dansette for those of you in Europe). I think the *starting point* is the key to unlocking interest in good audio. That could be buying nice headphones (still popular with lots of people & still a fashion item for some). The next step might be to hear those headphones plugged into a Dragonfly or an iFi DAC instead of a headphone jack. Great sound is addictive. Lots of music fans will stop there while those with a fascination with tech will want to explore further.
Good Job!!!
A good support system is needed
CD/HiRes player it runs 16/44 to 24/192 for extreme CD.. with built on Streamer
CD /Download service (Extreme Cd has liner notes and jewel case)
My daughters listen to hours and hours of Spotify. It is difficult to get them to come down and listen to the same music on vinyl or CD. They simply don’t care about the quality of sound. At least, right now. Maybe later in life but not at 16.
Most people would never be able to tell the difference from Spotify and a CD even on an expensive system.
As a newcomer, it's such a difficult hobby to get in to. Reviews are often contradictory, and all of the electrical engineering stuff is over my head as a musician. And nowadays there's so few places to actually audition hifi stuff before you buy it. A lot of people may not even be able to do so. And then there's just the general attitude of the community online, which is quite toxic and not inclusive. I love music, it's a big part of my life, and I want to enjoy it as much as I can. I just wish it was easier to navigate the hobby, and that it was more welcome and more accessible. Lastly, the gap between hifi and your average headphones like AirPods is perhaps smaller than it was 30 years ago? They aren't amazing but they aren't bad either. That would seem to make people less likely to make the jump if they're already happy with what they have.
My kids certainly appreciate good sound, but will not be bothered with the expense and time it takes to purchase and dial-in a good home system. They already have various Apple devices, portable music players, and car audio. Spending more money for something that they can't take with them simply does not make sense in this era of sky-high rents and student loan payments. To a great extent, the HiFi industry and retailers must depend on older and established customers like me, who will purchase expensive, heavy and sometimes finicky equipment for home use. I don't know what the future holds, but as Bette Davis once said, "Hang on, it's gonna be a bumpy ride"!
I'm a newbie to HIFI, also one of those "younger people" who grew up listening to compressed MP3s. Considering stepping into the sonos ecosystem as it's the most accessible and user friendly (and also space friendly). Pretty sure for the price of a sonos Arc, two Sub Gen 3, two Era 300s, two Sonos 500s, i could get a full scale hifi setup. If anyone has suggestions please share! (also have a wiim pro mentioned in another video).
Hey there! I am happy that you've taken an interest in the ecosystem of HiFi. The Sonos products are great, but they do come at a price. They are similar to the lifestyle products that Bose offered at their prime. If you are sincerely interested in building a HiFi setup, I can help you along the way. Send me an email. mike@mikeonaudio.com
Musical styles may come and go …but good taste and quality is eternal.
That's an interesting way of putting it, could you elaborate what you mean by good taste and quality is eternal?
@@moonytheloony6516 It’s the difference between disposable pop and music that you can listen to years from now without getting that feeling that it’s crap.
Mike, you said it as it is. Even at my ‘old’ age, I’m doing many things that our young generation are doing.
Mike, I can see you running a course at Yale or Vassar and lecturing to packed rooms!
I wish!
I grew up with a Paragon, maybe that's why I choose this path, my kids love music and have a better than average systems as well. And of course they get hand me downs. Good topic really, I see people often buying the cheapest thing possible at Wally world or Dollar tree. Well at least they listen.
If the price to experiencing good quality musical playback…Smart phone, a decent music service (IMC Amazon Music HD/UHD) a Dongle , and then a decent IEM’s….congrats you’ve got a quality portable and not overly expensive setup….but as you’ve said the has to be an interest on their past and someone to act as “guiding hand”
Great video ☕️🔥🍕👍
it will be tough, unless you do some marketing to bring in younger crowds with younger celebs, but then that is another pandora's box. I don't have kids so I don't even know, but do they have music classes anymore in grade school, just wondering if it's a lack of appreciation of instrument based music.
Andrew, I am from your generation ot slightly older, got teen kids. I worked superhard in 80ies after school and was saving pennies and had no teacher/advisor, and no internet resources back that time, after 9 months of hard work in senior scholl I travelled 2 hours to a bigger city to the only large electronics store and started buying separate SONY hi-fi components, they were slick black great quality units made in Japan, not everything at one go but one at a time I managed to get speakers, amp, equaliser, tuner, CD player, cassette tape recorder. This was my most expensive first purchase, very first purchase made by myself. I worked hard to get into it, learned, appreciated musicality, quality of sound, different genres, getting rare CDs.
Modern generation is lazy, period. And no hunger for quality. And music produced recently is of low quality. Those are my explanations. And I continue my hobby. But not giving up with my kids, showing them music, equipment, going to live conerts. It is like with the lack of quality - educating the consumer to start demanding quality again. Thanks for bringing this subject.
Nothing makes me turn into a hi-fi mentor like watching someone with stacks of $30 records playing them on a $50 turntable with a built in speaker. I let my niece and nephews hear their favorite songs on my 26 yr old Carver AL-III Plus speakers and they can’t believe it. And yea hi-fi people can be snobs. Went to a Bose show way back in the early ‘90’s when they launched the all in one Acoustimass System and the Rep wouldn’t let me operate the unit while others had. They were there to receive orders but I walked and never bought anything Bose to this day.
*It was actually the Acoustic Wave Music System II
Music listening has so many scientifically documented benefits, It's my DRUG choice. I dont drink or smoke.
So a beautiful detailed Soundstage keep me happy.
Mike
Should I email the speciation for the Ultra CD platform.
Again tyou were right I had my head in the wrong part of my anatomy the CD must never die!!!! Just got back from a short vacay
Yes, definitely. Send an email to mike@mikeonaudio.com
Common subject for the audio YT channels. HiFi is safe and sound please dont worry kids! The tiny ultra hi end fraction of the market will remain alive and well, while quality gets less and less at places like BB or WM.
Two channel HiFi is doing far better than home theatre. I don't know anyone with a home theatre system in their home. I know several people that have hifi systems. Music will always have an advantage over television. You can listen to the HiFi while doing other things, You don't have to set aside time to listen to HiFi.
I ripped mine out, went two channel, and have recently discovered vintage gear... But, I am old, 58...
That's very true! But that's also the whole point of having a good hifi system. You *want* to listen without doing other things just as you want to enjoy a reading a novel without distractions. Focusing on music recharges you. I prefer it to yoga!
Also the stores do not sell home stereo equipment. They all sell crappy blutooth party speaker.
HiFi gear is better than ever even at entry price points but the music industry standard of mastering quality is worse than it's ever been.
One main reason, perhaps the biggest, why most "younger" listeners aren't interested in pursuing the joy of high-fidelity sound, is because most of the current day "music" is crap! As someone starting their 8th decade on earth I find it sad that I can't easily distinguish one artist's voice from the next. They all sound basically the same. There are exceptions of course but a unique voice, having wide range control and timbre, seems to be a rarity these days. Perhaps it is a result of all the post-processing that occurs. What's that old saying ... "You can't make a silk purse out of a pig's ear!" Playing most modern "music" on a revealing system will do just that ... reveal the poor artistry a lot of current artists exhibit.
Like a lot of products these days, things seem to have evolved to the lowest denominator. Fortunately, there is a great catalogue of past artists available to satisfy my musical enjoyment.
This video is excellent and so true. With the invention of the modern cell phone both audio and photography have both went by the waste side and have with Bluetooth as you stated have become good enough. Price, complication and audio snobbery doesn’t help.
Younger people have become detached from relationships with people let alone things like audio because almost everything they need is wrapped up in that phone and a pair of earbuds. I don’t think it will die but it will be greatly diminished because vinyl should technically not still be here and younger people are picking up vinyl.
Boomer audiophile here. Cost never stopped me when I was a 21 year old Staff Sergeant making peanuts. Audio was a thing in 1970. Everyone had a stereo. It was what you did. Taking inflation into the equation it actually was more expensive then. And you had to buy your music, either records or cassette tapes. Honestly, my Zoomer granddaughters just have no interest even though they’ve been exposed to my system since birth. They also don’t care about cars or photography, the hobbies my generation almost considered a necessity.
Technology has made it too easy.
@@audioarkitekts And they really only listen as background music or to dance to, nothing like what us neurotic audiophiles want out of our musical experience.
My niece and nephew have never really shown any interest in my 5.1 component system which I first started building back in 2015 when they were still babies. They are clearly happy with their airpods or even the phone speaker
Being obsessed with sound quality is simply a lower state of being. The younger will go along when high sound quality it is the prevalent standard. They are too smart to chase it. Us dummies, me included, will keep driving the industry and realize this standard. Then you can declare yourself a champion.
My wife doesn't care whether the music is coming from an Echo Dot or a my 2k HiFi system! 😟
That's a good problem to have for your Mrs.
I have a 5.1 denon and jbl based system in my room and only me and my brother use it, but I use it for music 55 percent of the time while my brother only uses it for tv as he prefers music in the car. My sister listens to music in her car primarily but at her apartment she'll just use a small bluetooth speaker or even the phone speaker. Hifi is highly underrated
Agree, but wasn´t always like this? today is lossy files, yesterday cassettes, economy and convenience always wins the battle
We have to remember many of the younger folks don't even like or value a car..They look at a lot of stuff differently than we did growing up. Not really knocking them but just struggling to understand!
The price of cars has gone up way past inflation. You either get something used and basic, or you go in massive debt. Not something to take much delight in either way.
I love the idea of having a nice hi-fi setup and I'm watching hi-fi channels online for 5 years now. And guess what I still didn't buy anything except nice pair of desktop usb speakers. The more I watch reviews the less i know, prices are ridiculous and everything about the hobby is subjective. You can spent 10.000$ on ur setup and there will be many people who would say it's trash for what they have. There is so much stuff I would rather spend my money on than on expensive hi-fi setup.. and 99% of the people wouldn't even recognize the difference between a 1000$ and a 10.000$ setup so.. I consider it a very niche hobby for a very rich people.
We really don't need to spend more on audio these days than middle class folks did back in the '60's & '70's. Lots of small companies make great sounding audio components at very reasonable prices (e.g. Grado, Schiit, iFi, Klipsch, Cambridge, & NAD). A system from any of those manufacturers easily outclasses cheap stuff from Crosley or Insignia.
Too much Internet and social nets are the reason why, great video my friend
That's because they're more interested in the music - as I was 30 or 40 years ago...
as everyone was.
I just had the chance to take a look and touch the recent Yamaha amplifiers and I'm disappointed. They feel so incredibly cheap with the plastic knobs. There's no longer that feeling of having something solid in your hands.
First of all I don't care that young people don't care. Second, since when do we care what the consumer mass market buyer does anyway? Third, good channel.
The other demographic that are not tempted into high end audio is almost all women. Getting women into high end audio is also a huge challenge.
That's never been a demographic that's been heavily interested in HiFi though.
@@audioarkitekts very true, but imagine how well the industry would do if it managed to coax women into that world? It begins in the home, boys are the ones introduced to high end hi-fi by their fathers, those audiophile fathers should be doing the same for their daughters, some of whom would get the bug.
can we agree that we should be discouraging electronics that have non-user-serviceable, rechargeable batteries?
like those very fancy, but wireless headphones, that cost hundreds of dollars?
because they're all going to the landfill eventually?
and will probably terminate a lot of journeys?
we gotta encourage the next generation to invest in non-disposable gear
Remember that the early days were about radio. Radio introduced the music and hifi gave you a way to hear it better and on demand - as long as you are at home. Waiting for a song to come on was a thing
In the UK we had a.m. radio. One pop music channel. And really bad reception pirate radio stations broadcasting from ships I international waters.
Cars had mono radio if you were lucky!
Also you only had magazines to tell you about the hifi products available. And these were far from independent.
The future of hifi will probably still be for the elite few but so what? It’s always really been that way.
THey are used to listening to compressed music with no dynamics.....they do not appreciate what they don't get to hear. I have 3 kids and only the youngest appreciated my stereo.
Partly my fault. I sold off most of my gear when they were young so they did not destroy and only recently started back up (I went and heard a real stereo and realized why I didn't listen anymore)
It has become my zen place. And it is not THAT expensive for decent sound. And if you buy separate you can step your way up.
Most people probably don’t care, but a lot of people also just don’t know.
I'm not a Hi-Fi guy (nothing to do with these circles), just someone that enjoys better sound / experience over the generic mush. Nowadays, it's not even that expensive to experience something truly great! Let's say, a cheap second hand Sony Mini Hi-Fi stereo system ("Hi-Fi") etc. can be a real eye-opener (ear-opener?). Or with great cheapish headphones, Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro 80 ohm etc. There's so much good stuff out there and in the second hand market... Once you get the experience of a great sound, there's no going back to subpar experiences anymore. Worst being the "smart"phone speakers, next some subpar earbuds etc. There's no returning anymore, atleast for me. In my opinion, one reason for this decline has been the decline in mainstream. Since 90's in movies, music, culture etc. And since most people live in mass hypnosis, under the mainstream spell... So, here we go.
Honestly, i'm not so concerned if the younger generation isn't so much into Hi-Fi etc. To each their own. But what bothers me, is that live video / sound has gone down drastically. It's gross. So many nowadays are recording at gigs, not so much there to enjoy / participate in the show, but "content creating" some useless lo-fi videos with horrible sound. The decline there has been drastic. I'd say a camcorder from 10-20 years ago has better visuals / sound than most of the smarties nowadays. Just look at older fan recordings from gigs. Well, that's my main gripe about it.
The problem is that the culture in music nowadays isn't to create the best possible artistic representation of the artists intent. It's to do it as cheaply and easily as humanly possible.
@@audioarkitekts That too. My opinion is that there's artistic talent always, but the mainstream has got much worse. Earlier it was promoting good music / entertainment and real talent. Nowadays it's something else... It has lost it's passion, serving what people wanted to hear and truly reflecting it. During the rise of technology, it became inhumane and soulless. Like the globalist elite themselves, playing their games. Surely i'm speaking from an extreme point on view, but there it is. I've been mostly in the underground, so swings in mainstream / trends don't affect me. I just observe from the outside, so to speak...
It's always good to have a grasp on what's really happening in the world. What's sad is that these subpar mainstream artists is what is being presented to our new generations as "good music" when all it is is fluff to keep them all distracted and feed them the narrative.
i Love Hi Fi
@4:35 EXACTLY!
HiFi is just how I listen to music, a preference. I wouldn't call it a hobby.
Most of the new crap music would be a waste of electricity
I'm not sure any of this is new. I didn't do as much with audio tech until my 30s and 40s.
Glad you finally came around 😉
Very good overview. Young people can't afford what you and I would call "good" audio.
Mr. Pete------------>
aging hippie
It’s true. I’ve been an audiophile for decades. The worst thing is working in world- class recording studios, that is a curse. When you hear the best possible, then you need a curtain level of sound at least. Of course money and room plays into it. People today haven’t even heard decent sound, let alone great sound. So they don’t even know what they are missing. That can be a blessing! Although, loving music, sound, performing, writing ,producing, and recording.,
I listen to music, the writing and it’s production, in a different way than most people. If you look on-line there are articles that say a really high percentage of even audiophiles can’t hear the difference between 16 bit and 24 but. I can. I think a lot of people, if they knew what to listen for, could as well. It’s a shame that hi-res commercial formats, as well as surround, never took off.
The average person doesn't care at all. It's either background music, or pumped through scary bad earbuds. Hearing sound seems to be the bar they set. Unthinkable to spend more than $30 on headphones. Maybe $60 on gaming headphones.
They don’t care until they hear a true full range system (no sub).
Maybe it’s not so terrible. Can anything that kills the high end cable business be all bad?
I am 16 and an Audiophile :)
That’s awesome! Share the hobby with your friends!
So much new music doesn't really lend itself to audiophile systems. So much is, shall we say, bland, that listening to it on a highly resolving system doesn't really show much more detail or "quality" than your cell phone or bluetooth speaker.
Sorry to be an "asshole", but there is an elephant in the room to discuss. It's not the music listener, but the MUSIC that's to blame for lack of interest in hi-fi. Modern pop music is highly compressed, auto-tuned and faked up with digital effects. The intention seems to be to "grab" the listener as opposed to making memorable music. People that listen to this stuff don't need hi-fi because there's no benefit to it! The sound is all in your face and devoid of any nuance that better playback equipment could reveal to the listener. As long as people are satisfied with all songs being written by committee and produced by Scooter Braun or Ryan Tedder, hi-fi equipment will remain a quaint affectation of old people.
Agreed. Sometimes saying what needs to be said makes you unpopular. No point paying for HiFi if all one listens to is compressed rubbish that has no more than 10-bits worth of dynamic range and loads of compression distortion artefacts in the final mix. And don't get me started on auto-tuned vocals; I mean a little bit can be beneficial, but these days... 🙄
Idiocracy, the movie... Folks, it was not a movie, it was prophecy.
I have long come to that conclusion myself.
About 5% of them eventually will, which should correlate with the total amount of any age who actually do.
Interesting video! I loved HiFi as a teenager in the 70s but then if you were a tech minded teenager then HiFi was the only option really maybe other than radio. Nowadays there are mobiles, computers, consoles, home cinema etc. as competition for interest
One big barrier: snake oil. Spending tons of money on useless products, or products that are arbitrarily high prices, but not sonically superior. A: no, you don't need a $150 hospital grade power cord.
I think you are talking about High-End audio, Mike was talking about HiFi audio; two different price brackets, different target customers, different markets, different marketing strategies. There is some (actually quite a bit) snake-oil in High-End but HiFi is awash with clear cost-cutting compromises in terms of construction and component choices, and contrary to High-End the differences in HiFi are not only audible to (almost) everyone but they can also be perfectly explained on engineering grounds.
It’s called wireless headphones.
I like what you're trying to do here. I do agree with you by younger generation you mean pretty much everybody since 1990 gives a rats ass about audio. As that guy all of those years😂
Todays low end stuff is superior to mid range stuff of the past. Plus, no one has space for setups and large physical collections. Having to pay for a larger place to store your collection makes no financial sense. Last music is important but sitting at home with a glass of wine listening to music is not what people do now, they want music in quick chunks and Bluetooth streaming is good enough.
Just gain 20 years in one video...😂
When you consider how much a new car, and especially a new HOUSE, goes for these days, and the fact that most of us do not borrow huge amounts of money for a college education and MAYBE make enough to pay for these three things.......forget "beginners".....when exactly do you think we honestly have hardly ANY money to throw around after the bills......oh, and I didn't even mention having kids....like I said, where is this magical money coming from? THAT's why young people think that music coming over a bluetooth device, probably in mono no less, is as good as it gets. Get the hell off your high horses and bring down the cost of all this stuff and you MIGHT survive as an industry.
The fallacy is that it was ever an expensive hobby to begin with. Competition in receivers in the 70s was absolutely ruthless, probably the best equivalent is the current smart phone wars, they are pricy but not out of the reach of most normal people. Expensive modern equipment is actually a catch-22 and a side effect of the declining interest in audiophile equipment in general. Less customers, less economy of scale, have to raise prices to survive. But then you raise too much and no one buys.
? I just woke up lol 😅
Because the vast majority of kids like crappy music, so why bother
Mediocre music with earbuds and worse than that phone speakers equals what a lot of people think sounds ok
Hello Mike, I think it all changed when the internet came about. Pre internet days, you would go and see a band and there were alot of quality bands that could play for hours without missing a beat. Rush, Van Halen, Iron Maiden, etc. Etc. Well those bands had to be good. I'm sure they jammed in their spare time just cause they liked too. So you would buy their albums and play them too death, so you probably got into upgrading your stereo as you could. Voi la.... audio enthusiasts. Maybe I'm wrong and my head is up my ass ???? Just my thoughts.