can this fact be accurate?

I am pretty amazed at the 100,000 figure, to be honest- it would not surprise me if that number was 25,000. I live in a Northern California, we have a Club, we get about 30-40 people for a big event. I'd imagine in smaller towns/area-they may not a single person into high-end audio.

a bit off topic, but somewhat related. I was reading an article about a LP release--from a major rock band, the LP was 22 in the charts, but had sold only 27,000 copies in the US. Contrast that to a recent video came release (Call of Duty?), that sold over 20,000 copies in each store. It tells me, people have other priorities than music.

If this statement really is a fact (which I cannot confirm or deny), it is accurate. ;-)

Kal

Based on just an uninformed gut feel, that number sounds about right. Even if it's all USA, high-end is still a niche market and I agree that there's a lot of manufacturers out there fighting it out for a small market. That's why I choose to buy my gear from established manufacturers. Who knows which ones will survive the audio wars.

It would depend on how someone defines what a high end audiophile is? If you would define it as someone with a system with a value of over $100,000, then that number could be alittle high! If a $10,000 system was the benchmark, then that number would be alittle low. The statement is rather meaningless in and of itself!