Why aren't the older members still active ?

Tpreaves. I love that answer you've been putting in the "What's the best" threads. Very true.

I'm no surprised members stop posting here after some time. Maybe they have found what they were looking for or achieved a sound with their system that they find acceptable. I've been here a relatively short time and one thing that has come to really bother me are all the same repetitive questions. Best $1K DAC or best speaker under $XX dollar amount. Please make it stop.

That is what the archives are for. Search there and read up. I've been in other forums where the search capability wasn't there or downright horrible. The searching function here is pretty good. Or use your favorite web search engine. Put your topic and and then add site:forum.audiogon.com after it. Lots of good stuff in the archives will show in your results.

Sometimes I wish moderators would delete those repetitive threads but what can you do.

I also think the arguments that break out in some threads that would make other members want to go away. Some threads really get derailed. I'd love more moderators to delete some of that stuff as well to keep the threads from getting ugly.

Products change but principles not so much.

Not much new ground broken relating to principles of good sound these days that probably have not been hashed through to death prior.

Maybe more so with digital audio where the technology is still evolving rapidly. Less so with analog technology which does not change all that much anymore in comparison.

New products come out all the time still though, so there is new information to be discussed and honed relating to specific products.

So together I suspect that as most settle into contentment with what they have, activity on A'gon tends to lessen.

If you are in the market for or even just curious about new stuff or looking to sell, then not so much.

Also I have to say that this is a very static site that does not change much in appearance nor features compared to many sites. Innovation does not seem to be a big consideration, FBOFW. Perhaps that contributes to people losing interest over time?

I agree that people move on and often have nothing more to say than what has been said. You move on because of other interests and focuses in your life, a pretty normal process I would venture. Some come back, like I have over the past year or so after my interests in the audio side of the hobby was renewed again and had more time because of the economy.

In any case I do believe the open dialogue that was permitted in the early years, as others have noted lent itself a certain flavor that has been lost. Part of it was the relative newness of internet communication. Of course the moderators had their hands full in drawing the lines and how to control the site along with lacking the resources early on, I would guess. When they realized the potential to make money they were pretty much compelled to control the discussion forums to limit some of the contentious that sometimes developed and protecting themselves from potential financial liability. From that point on the site became a bit more controlled and a bit more bland IMO. Having said that there are always newcomers that fill in for those that have left generally adding a great deal of fresh perspective on audio matters and of course the new guys always wanting to know what the "best" is, me too for what its worth and I HEAR you TPReaves.:)

Today this site is primarly a place to buy and sell gear in a safe manner. I don't know if the present proprietors envisioned it as to what it has become but I would certainly venture that they found out it was a pretty good business idea and overall they've done an admirable job!

perhaps, older people do not suffer fools, gladly.

some people have more patience for tolerating presumptuous opinions without the facts to back them up.

...woo, woo, woo.