High End Audio-Gaining Higher Ground?

I teach in a university and without question, young people are flocking to better quality. 80% of young people into music today are buying it solely on vinyl.

Intermediatic

Really? Can you back that up with any data?

"80% of young people into music today are buying it solely on vinyl. "

I do find that hard to believe.

Some interest in vinyl in pockets perhaps, like certain Universities. College kids often do things just to be different.

One of my son's 3 room mates last year did have a turntable, vintage receiver and records in his dorm room. I was impressed! Only 25% of the kids in that room though. That's about the extent of my stats on the subject. :^)

Here's the deal in a nutshell.

40 years ago, most people listened to the radio and records on a cheap Soundesign or similar integrated stereo made in Japan that cost maybe a couple hundred dollars max.

It sounded like crap!

MEanwhile people with good taste in music invested somewhat more and got much better sound.

Now, $200 buys a nice portable device and phones that actually sounds really good! Home gear can sound better too, but only for a price. It cost more to produce good sound at a larger scale, like in most any room compared to with headphones. But the $200 mobile/portable rig most people have can actually be quite good, so the difference, if it exists at all is much more marginal and harder to justify.

There you go. That is where we stand today. And the gap between average affordable sound quality and the best possible will likely only continue to close, not widen, over time.

Mapman, It's hard to believe, but true.
I sell records/CDs 96%/4%. CDs hardly ever sell at all.

I think most oung people get their music online these days.

Little reason for most to buy CDs anymore.

CDs have always been an inferior product to own in terms of overall utility due to the small packaging. Now, most digital music is had online.

For something to hold and look at as well as listen to, 33 1/3 has always remained the best.

For digital, new music servers and services are starting to add content that helps enrich the digital listening experience over what you get with a CD. I've started using PLEX and like it a lot. Supports high res video and music streams and formats for good sound quality to boot.