Is high-end audio dying, if not dead already???


Without sounding like the mad prophet of the airwaves, I think high-end audio is in its death throes. I would like to hear other opinions on this issue, but I think it is time to raise the question and also some hell as to what is happening to the high end audio and audio in general.

Here's why: Most of the major audio publications spend a great deal of time on romancing the "absolute" fidelity of computer audio and music that is digitally processed. On the other hand, you have critics, reviewers, celebrating the comeback of vinyl, analog, and turntables. The mantra goes: "it really does sound better, like real music", so chuck out your CD player, and buy a $5000 analog rig, and have fun again cleaning, preserving (a medium) searching record huts worldwide for pristine vinyl gems. Maybe, there are some shellac gems out there also

It seems the CD format has "OUTLIVED" its usefulness in the pursuit of the absolute sound because its technology and soft ware has never convincingly improved. It is like the BB King tune "the thrill is gone" or saying kids let's just change the channel for something more exciting and new.

High-end audio seems to now ( as the old joke goes)require a degree in engineering or rocket science to understand the circuitous (bad pun) route to audio nirvana. Equipment has gotten more expensive over the last 15 years, under the pretext that the electronic functions have increased and become more complicated. Take a look at the back of a 5 channel receiver or amp, or home theater receiver, a digital processor, etc. and you will see the future of audio. It might be easier to hook up a heart and lung machine.

Ironically, as high end audio and audio in general evolves, the music industry delivers more shit to the public's ears, Geez, I never knew that in order to really enjoy Shakira, JZ, Pharell, and the rest of the talentless trash discovered and pushed by American Idol, The Voice,and the popular Mega media, would require hearing it in absolute sound.
sunnyjim
Yes and No.
Yes - for people who don't care about good music and sound.
No - for people who care about music and good sound.

We are on this site because we love music and this is our hobby. 99% of the people I know don't care or have no interest.

Do you care about egg shell carving? That apparently is also a hobby and so is Cigar band collecting. I don't care about them!
High-end follows the wealth distribution, which is flowing to fewer and fewer people in the U.S., and also to nations in the East.

There seems to be a new price model targeting this new, narrower customer base of concentrated wealth around the world. Outrageous markups can make the vendor rich when the customer base is not price sensitive, and also be an easier business model than dealing with higher volume at lower margins. Sell 1000 $5000 power cords and you're done.
The most expensive stuff seems to continue to get even more expensive so I suppose it is not dying assuming someone actually can still buy the stuff.

I suppose nobody wants crappy looking pro stuff in their palace.
I guess you would have to define what "high end audio" actually is.

I was talking to a guy last weekend who swore he was an audiophile and had a high end system. It was a home theater system that ran around KEF speakers, a Denon AVR (top of the line) and an Oppo DVD Blu ray player. He swears music is more important to him than video, and his rig can do music ridiculously well. Also, surround sound music is MUCH better than stereo sound.

I just met him last weekend, he is a neighbor of some woman in distress I was assisting. Her audiophile husband passed away 7 years ago, and her system has been on the fritz for 5 years now. Turned out to be a couple of blown rail fuses in her Threshold amplifier. She also had a conrad johnson preamp and Quad ESL-63 speakers, Thorens turntable, Nak cassette deck, Carver tuner and JVC CDP. The neighbor came to help me pull the amp down, it was on a shelf 7 feet high. Who the hell puts a 100 pound Threshold amp 7 feet up off the floor?

Anyway, once he heard the Quads up and running, he had to admit that he was surprised at how good that "old gear" sounded. I'm wondering if he is now questioning whether his system is still "high-end".

"High-end" is in the ear of the beholder.