Where is great audio going? - Headphones and Mid-Cost


I've been thinking about this for a while. If CES is any indicator, the high end audio market is shrinking.
However, music consumption is not. Where is the disparity?

In my humble opinion, it is going to headphones and mid-cost gear.

Before I go too much deeper, let me say that I feel there is a big difference between "high end" and "very expensive."  Not everyone agrees with me. If a cable costs $30K it MUST Be high end right? That's not me.

The modern audiophile is much more likely to be into headphones. Discussions about headphones, and DAC/headphone amps have incredible high participation. I'd venture to say that there are a lot more headphone audiophiles today than traditional 2 channel.

This is for a couple of reasons. Cost is a factor, but also space. You don't need much more to have a great headphone setup than your desk. To get a great stereo setup you need the space, the acoustics, and considerate neighbors. The average apartment dweller (like me, sadly) just does not have the resources to build a home, with a separate listening room. Also, we spend so much time in front of our PC's, that if we are going to enjoy music, it makes sense we optimize for it rather than a listening room.

My point I think is that we are going to have to stop looking to $50k amps to drive the high end. We have to disconnect ourselves from the idea that price = value and start thinking about our community as being able to encompass more music lovers in the way they live today.

Best,

E
erik_squires

Showing 5 responses by schubert

Also, US dollar is over valued simply because it is the reserve currency . Taking 15% of "pie" off and allocating that to Chinese
is hand writing on the wall for financial markets .Trust in US in general is at all-time low .
I think if there was a law stating you had to listen to a say, $1500 headphone system
for a least a year before you could buy anything else there would not be many speakers sold .
Same here , O-10 .My point is that if we all had to do a year on "phones most of us would be comfortable with them as would our bank accounts .