High End Audio Equipment, Status Symbol?

It will never be a status symbol because unlike Mercedes, or Lexus, no one outside this small inbred community has ever heard of Halcro, Krell, Jolida, Conrad Johnson, or Soundlab. There has to be a level of recognition by the general public for something to be a status symbol.

This is just a race by a small group of people on AudiogoN and similar websites to put together the perfect system before anyone else does, but before we bankrupt ourselves in the process.

Could you imagine what the average consumer would say if the saw an ad for Wilson speakers in Readers Digest?

"$20,000 for speakers!?! Where's the nitroglycerine?" they would gasp, as they clutched their chests.

Ma and Pa Kettle would soil themselves at the very thought. People on AudiogoN respond with shock, the average person would suggest the death penalty for people like us!

Lexus markets Mark Levinson audio packages for their cars now. Interesting development. I wonder how many Lexus buyers know about Levinson. Levinson may be risking their reputation. Can you imagine those buying Lexus buy Levinson home equipment as a status symbol?

For the most part, when I mention the manufacuters names of the equipment I have/had owned, I do not get the shock and awe factor. Probably because the average Joe on the street has never heard of them. Bose has successfully marketed its' name as 'as good as it gets'. How sad.

Status symbol? Nope, to little recognition.

Labeling someone a "status seeker" is cynical at best and is usually just a weak attempt to compensate for the "Labelers" inability to obtain the so-called "status symbols."

I think there are probaably people on this board who think so.
Sure is a small sub-culture here, and most of us probably do not have friends in this hobby, but i get the feeling that some people get a real nice feeling when they finally get to enter "Krell" or "Mark Levinson" into thier virtual systems.

Im also sure that there are are people here who gain a sence of validity when they aquire something that is coveted, or expected and not yet owned.

I will be the first to say i use a reciever, and i want to go to a amp/pre-amp setup, however, I have also seen instances here and there (not often) where people look slightly down upon others for having inferior equipment, as if by default, the fact that they might have lesser quality equipment reduces thier credibility, and they must not know much about this.
Or,
the other way, someone with inferior equipment might look up to other folks because they do have the equipment that they desire. And might base thier decisions upon the advise of those who own the nicer stuff, when in all actuallity, they could actually be a overly rich, self richeous pompus idiot, who does not know his ass from a sine wave.

I for example still have the reciever. But due to my profession i understand more about electronics and sound than a good majority of people on this site. (Im not trying to brag, there are plenty of people who know more than me as well)

While i am sure most people here on the 'gon' are only interested in having the quality that comes with it, i still think there is something satisfying about listing some Watt Puppys on the virtual system.

I think in a way, in this own subculture, that certain brand names offer credibility, which can also be considered a status symbol.

I dont see anything wrong with it. But if Norh is as good as it claims, then why do people bother with amplifiers in the sub $2000.00 price range? I think the name sometimes has something to do with it

IMHO, 2C