Resurgence in Audio Systems?

[Flint]

I have noticed a resurgence in advertising for higher end audio systems and installed systems. While I've seen or heard fairly cheesy ads in places like Las Vegas, San Francisco, and Denver, here in Austin a local audio, video, automation, and surveillance installation business, Mero Concepts, is running advertisements on many radio stations and via internet banners using Audio as their lead story. I heard one today where the opening line was, "When the music sounds right it takes your spirit to new heights of joy." followed by discussing how a great audio system can make music sound right. Wow!

All of this seems new to me. Over the past 20 years, other than blowout car audio sales, I haven't heard or seen any proper audio system ads which talk about serious music listening. They were common in the golden age of the late 70s, through the 80s, and into much of the 90s. Then nothing - the market for great audio systems shifted from helpful stores to DIY users who shopped by price. Now it appears there might be a need for good audio stores to help people get great sound since stores can afford to advertise and they think there are enough buyers that the advertising will pay off.

This is a good trend and I hope it continues.

 

[MakeMineVinyl]

Sad to say, I wouldn't get too worked up just yet, advertising notwithstanding. The far larger trend is toward smaller and usually wireless type speakers with electronics which are black boxes which are ignored as an object of any level of desire; millennials especially equate "good sound" to these small types of speakers which bear little resemblance to Hi-Fi speakers of yesteryear. Its simply all they have ever known, and the tribal knowledge of the past gets more and more diluted as time wears on. There are simply too many newer things for this generation to get excited about. For instance cars are almost absent from their radar.

The traditional Hi-Fi market is going more and more extreme high end, with prices soaring because manufacturers who make this type of gear are finding it is more profitable to make a very few products at very high prices verses more mainstream examples at more popular price points. I have almost daily contact with these people, and that is the trend. The "hot" items in this universe are expensive cables and other tweaks of dubious value. I don't like it, but that's the way it is becoming.

Unfortunately our hobby has been declining for a couple decades, and will probably will vanish almost completely as the baby boomer generation starts to die off. Large console radios were once the big thing too...now, not so much. Its increasingly the expensive custom installations which keep the business alive; I know that one from the first hand experience of simply looking out my window overlooking the shipping department line.

 

[Haywood]

I see dedicated two channel audio as much more endangered than home theater.

 

[Flint]

I really hope you guys are wrong.

 

[MakeMineVinyl]

I see dedicated two channel audio as much more endangered than home theater.

Oh, I agree with that one completely. Movies are far more engaging to most people than sitting down to listen to an entire album. Heck, even I rarely do that since time is more and more a precious commodity. Audio only is now something that's on in the background, or listened to while people are doing something else like at the gym. Most of my music listening is done while working in my shop, while my "quality" listening is usually vinyl since it kind of forces more concentration.

 

[MakeMineVinyl]

I really hope you guys are wrong.

I hope I'm wrong too. As much as I would love a vibrant Hi-Fi universe, the realist in me sees otherwise. My own personal work focus now is almost completely non-audio; its all programming microcontrollers an app development.

 

[Deacon]

Home theater is also waning as people (read millennials) become less anchored to a traditional TV/projector in lew of a streaming device such as tablets.
My kids will sit in their rooms and watch movies all day on their laptops and look at me sideways if I suggest going to the basement to watch it in the H/T. I don't understand it, there have been several times I have avoided watching something until I can enjoy it in the H/T.

Home automation seems to be the new trend and home theaters are on their way out! Just look at the magazine rack. 15 years ago there were at least a dozen home theater or audio type mags now you are lucky if you find 3 such publications. Same on the web, back in the Sound and Vision days there were dozens of home theater and audio forums now there is only a few left. Heck when was the last time we had visitors to welcome and explain this 'new' hobby to and make recommendations, etc.

We're still here because we are 'friends' and like to hang out online with each other. Our function as an audio and home theater information source has long since waned. Other than the occasional questions we ask each other it has been a while since we served as a conduit of knowledge and understanding to neophytes searching for entry into audio nirvana.

 

[MakeMineVinyl]

I think the number of new people coming here looking for advice could be counted on one hand, unfortunately.

 

[Haywood]

I frequent the Home Theater, Plex and HTPC subreddits on Reddit and they are all pretty active. AVS Forums is quite active as well and the Plex Forums are always busy. Those are just the ones I frequent. There is definitely a lot going on in this space. You may wonder what HTPC and Plex have to do with it, but a high percentage of those people are also HT geeks.

 

[Towen7]

We talk a lot about millennials not caring about higher quality systems and I don't disagree. Most don't even own a TV or a set of speakers that's not built into a mobile device. I may be dead wrong but I anticipate that will change somewhat as they mature. While I don't think that my kids or grandkids will care as much as I do about home systems, I do think they will eventually aspire to own and use better gear.

 

[Botch]

Millenials also have completely different goals and ideas wrt careers, personal relationships, and even car ownership/driving (most of them shun it, which completely blows past me).
Would be interesting to see theories that tie all these traits together.

 

[MakeMineVinyl]

Millenials also have completely different goals and ideas wrt careers, personal relationships, and even car ownership/driving (most of them shun it, which completely blows past me).
Would be interesting to see theories that tie all these traits together.

Its almost neo-hippie-ish in a way.

 

[Bote]

Sad but true. My grandson is always with his phone. I often invite him to watch movies from my setup but he would just stick to his phone and watch his movies there in the confines of his bedroom. New generation new whims and caprices.