HiFi lacking social recognition?

As I write this, I am listening to the Goldberg Variations performed by Murray Perahia from beginning to end and am again mesmerized. One issue is that there will always be music lovers, but most people will not take the time to listen to anything from start to finish these days. Therefore, appreciating music and doing so on a good system will never make any popular list. Another issue is that technology and ipods, as Beheme says above, have placed a distance between average consumers and audiophiles. If you can get excited about putting 3,000 songs of compressed quality on a device that lets you stay on the go and not ever have to sit down and really listen, then you will never know that your missing anything. I'm afraid that it will be more and more quantity over quality, and those that really take time to listen will be more and more the exception... nevertheless, the Goldbergs(and all music) will always have the potential to mesmerize anyone who will really listen.
John

When the iPod first appeared, my initial reaction was, there goes the high end. But now that I have one and use it on business trips, I believe that in the long run there will a resurgence of the audio business as younger people begin to make expendable income. At least those who care about music will pay enough attention that they will eventually want something that sounds good for dedicated home listening. Hey, the blank cassette tape format was supposed to destroy the LP industry, that didn't happen. And for recordable DAT and CDs, same thing, the music industry is in the pooper these days because of promotion of music that doesn't even qualify as wallpaper, and because of independent musicians that make good music in an independent fashion and then, as required the industry, self produce their art before they are recognized. Long gone are the A&R guys. I am hopeful and I think the iPod will evolve more toward the best that audio has to offer. There are enough of us out here to perpetuate our interests and share them with others. People will always be drawn to that which is good and fullfilling. There's only so much partying you can do.

I think it's a sign that when people buy luxury items they usually want others to be able to see it: ostentatious displays of wealth are in.

Hifi fails lamentably on this account, which makes it much more worthwhile in my opinion.

Crap! This was my only chance to get into Forbes. Oh well...