Why do all audio forums on the internet seem "dead" ?

I can tell you the audiophile market is dead. Resale value is non-existent.

Pro audio market is doing much better though.

New ideas about what? $1000 on headphones is either too much or too little, what a waist of money. The best value is tuned reel to reel deck connected to, say, vintage Rowland electronics, playing through a number of good vintage speakers. Those kids should come over here and learn something. Especially before spending big.

As audiophiles continue to stove pipe their systems and as the high end shifts into high gear at least as far as prices go I've dumped my perfectly fine Sennheiser 600/Woo Audio All-tube Headphone amp/Hyper modded Oppo 103 for the peace and harmony of a vintage Sony Walkman CD player with vintage Sony Ultralight headphones.  No more obsessing about house AC, power cords, speaker cables, EMI/RFI, magnetic fields, room acoustics, big honking transformer issues, circuit boards rattling around, interconnects, wall outlets, fuses, grounding issues. No more teacher's dirty looks.

I too have noticed a big drop off on Audiogon discussions and quite frankly advertised items don't sell as fast as a few years back.

Geoffkait- Just because your tired/worn out with "important" issues that determine sound quality is irrelevant. Unless your trying to be funny, many of us enjoy the journey regardless of the cost or mistakes! Your post reminds me to blast "School's Out"!!!