HiFi lacking social recognition?

Hi-End Audio is mostly a Middle-Class hobby.

That's because you don't "blow" your bonus by spending it on high-end audio, you are buying a tangible good that will provide you with enjoyment for years to come :)

My take on it is that high end audio is not an emphasis with anyone except our small society of audiophiles, audio geeks, audiophools, take your pick. We are in a minority, a small, closed community. The rest of the world (the majority of people) don't understand the obsession that some of us have with the best possible reproduction of music recordings. Nor do they understand the expense we will go to in order to acheive high fidelity. The fact that Forbes overlooked high end audio gear as a way to blow your bonus check is no surprise. I'm still amazed at how much my attitude has changed about spending large (relatively speaking) amounts of money on audio gear. When I was part of the rest of the world, I would never have considered such spending. But a person gets drawn into more and more spending little by little if they can afford it. Some of us are spending when they cannot afford it. The average person cannot relate to the excesses involved in this hobby and does not have quality music reproduction as a priority. I don't think Forbes is any different.

i think the reason is that the hobby may have a negative conotation and one may be considered eccentric by one's peers if one assembles an expensive stereo system.

the hobby is rather esoteric, as compared to antiques or rolex watches.

It may be time to come out of the audio closet...let's rent a van - white - and pack it with $250,000 worth of gear and drive all the way up and down Bel-Air to show what hifi is all about. One may not be able to wear a pair of speakers like a pair of earings but a Nordost Valhalla as necklace could be the start of the "coming out". And with the help of Lexus, Volvo et al. brands such as Dynaudio or Levinson may make their way up the social ladder...is car audio the Trojan Horse into the Upper Class?