Really engaging thread. I can't resist a few thoughts (and why should I? It's the internet).
First, I strongly agree with the few who have pointed out that most of the systems out here are far beyond most people's means. The median household income in this country is in the mid-60k range; remove the top 1% from the equation and that median income drops quite a bit. A $1200 cd player, which wouldn't be noticed out here, is outside of most people's imaginations--and means.
Second, I do think we want to be careful about snobbery out here, not so much about the audiophile hobby but about music. There's a vibe out here that implies that there's a simple correspondence between our elaborate systems and our passion for music, as if we love music more than others because we are willing to commit our lives to high-quality reproduction. That's silly in a lot of ways. This hobby is about gear, not about art (and that's just fine!). For one thing, a person with considerable disposable income might love music so much that they put that money into attending concerts around the country; or spend their money on their own instruments; or donate that money to local musical organizations. I live in the world of the arts and I know plenty of people passionate about music, deeply so, who commit to that passion in ways other than buying expensive stereo equipment. For another thing, some people love and know music well enough that a modest stereo suffices for them to hear the beauty in the music (even if we say it's not there in the sound). An analogy: I know many people who have spent more than $150k on their kitchens (Viking stoves, etc) and I also know plenty of people who are knock-out cooks. In my experience, if there's any connection between the two, it's an inverse one. Great cooks are often just fine with modest kitchens.
One might say that we're over-compensating out here! I'm not saying that, just that most folks can't afford even mid-level equipment (and virtually none of the stuff that we see for sale on this site every time we come out here), and that there's not much correlation between our systems and our love of music. I'm not saying we don't love music! Just that one can love music without committing to this hobby!
First, I strongly agree with the few who have pointed out that most of the systems out here are far beyond most people's means. The median household income in this country is in the mid-60k range; remove the top 1% from the equation and that median income drops quite a bit. A $1200 cd player, which wouldn't be noticed out here, is outside of most people's imaginations--and means.
Second, I do think we want to be careful about snobbery out here, not so much about the audiophile hobby but about music. There's a vibe out here that implies that there's a simple correspondence between our elaborate systems and our passion for music, as if we love music more than others because we are willing to commit our lives to high-quality reproduction. That's silly in a lot of ways. This hobby is about gear, not about art (and that's just fine!). For one thing, a person with considerable disposable income might love music so much that they put that money into attending concerts around the country; or spend their money on their own instruments; or donate that money to local musical organizations. I live in the world of the arts and I know plenty of people passionate about music, deeply so, who commit to that passion in ways other than buying expensive stereo equipment. For another thing, some people love and know music well enough that a modest stereo suffices for them to hear the beauty in the music (even if we say it's not there in the sound). An analogy: I know many people who have spent more than $150k on their kitchens (Viking stoves, etc) and I also know plenty of people who are knock-out cooks. In my experience, if there's any connection between the two, it's an inverse one. Great cooks are often just fine with modest kitchens.
One might say that we're over-compensating out here! I'm not saying that, just that most folks can't afford even mid-level equipment (and virtually none of the stuff that we see for sale on this site every time we come out here), and that there's not much correlation between our systems and our love of music. I'm not saying we don't love music! Just that one can love music without committing to this hobby!