Hey....work.....I am on the road 95% of the time now trying to sell Hi End analytical instrumentation to a shrinking Big Pharma market. And universities and colleges cannot even get an instrument grant from our wonderful government. So even if you get a PhD in a science there are not many jobs; 20-30 applicants for that one position. Average salaries for a PhD in Chemistry was about $75,000.00 in 1990, now it stands at $75,000-$80,000.00 Zero increase in 20 years! And student loans running over $100,000.00; just great if you starting out. Not too many budding audiophiles with that load on their minds.
I do not think I have been in a high end audio store, just to shoot the breeze in 5-6 years??? I heard Magico make great speakers, but I have not even had the time to listen! I let my two subscriptions to Stereophile and Absolute Sound lapse. Even they became boring as hell. Same clap-trap issue after issue. I am surprised they stay in business. Would you ever see a review of Opeth (death metal) or Lerna Auerbach (who composes classical music NOW!): NO, just another review of some audiophile CD of Journey. When they reviewed a Jeff Beck CD ( and if anybody cares, I always thought the Yardbirds with Jeff Beck in the 60s where the most innovative group, not those idiot Beatles), they said, Jeff's new CD "is so creative." I purchased not because of their review, but because I happen to like Jeff. Played it once. It was god awful. I frisbeed it into the woods behind my house. What a crock of crap those re-viewers are. And self-delusion on my part that Jeff was as gifted in the 10s as he was in the 60s 70s and 80s.
Right at this moment, I have a pair of $20.00 Sony computer speakers hooked up. I am listening to a CD full of very crappy mp3 files of very obsure 60s garage bands. So at this minute, it really does not matter whether I am listening to my rig or not. I think I am listening 99% of the time on my car stereo anyway. Which ain't half bad 10 speaker HK that came with my little 2006 Bimmer (when I
was properous ;)))] with 200,000 miles on it now (cannot afford a new one). Don't even get me started how crappy BMW cars have become. Hey my mother-in-law just bought a Buick LaCrosse with the new 5.1 HK system....really not half bad. The stereo, not the car LOL LOL Thanks for reading!