How do we get more people excited about HiFi?

[test1223]

Hello,

a few decades ago HiFi was a popular hobby and in almost every living rooms was some audio equipment. Most HiFi people from today know these times and miss these times.

The rise of the computer, video games and the internet shifted the focus of a lot of people away from HiFi. A whole young generation wasn't that interested in HiFi. And HiFi as a hobby and a whole industry is now a small group of people.

Since the love for music and the potential desires for good audio quality of music, video games and movies hasn't faded a way, I think the industry has failed to demonstrate the young generation how fun good sound quality is.

If you are also a bit sad, that HiFi isn't very popular anymore there is the question how we can change that?

I think we have to hook the younger generation since most of the hobbies are formed in the age from about 12 to 28. Almost no one of this age group has ever heard a very good sounding audio system, so it isn't a surprise that only very few become hifi people.

Most of today's enthusiasts came from headphones since they are more popular in the younger generation and there was a hype with beats a decade ago.

From an industry perspective I think I is worth to get/ hire some influencers to show the younger generation that there is HiFi.

As a HiFi company with a good listening room it might be beneficial to invite local school music or engineering classes and let them play thier music in this room which is embedded in a factory tour.

As a HiFi dealer it might be interesting to get the gamers somehow into the store so that they will hear how good their games can sound.

What are your thoughts about the whole topic?

Best
Thomas

 

[Jim Taylor]

The rise of the computer, video games and the internet shifted the focus of a lot of people away from HiFi. A whole young generation wasn't that interested in HiFi. And HiFi as a hobby and a whole industry is now a small group of people.

That depends on what you call "hi-fi".

I think young people today are just as interested in accurate reproduction of music as were we. The trappings, however, are different. We had big wooden speaker cabinets and successions of metal boxes, all of them bulky and filled with hot tubes. Kids now have phones and IEMs.

I think everyone - all over the world - is just as interested in music now as we ever were ... maybe more, since access is easier now. The appearances are just different.

Jim

 

[mglobe]

How do we get people, regardless of age, to sit down and actively listen to music? This in a nutshell is in my opinion what has shifted the market. As sound reproduction got more and more convenient (CD’s, cassettes, Walkman, iPod, streaming,….), listening to music shifted from an active and specific thing to do, to having music playing while running, walking, driving, cooking,…. Getting that genie back in the bottle is difficult at best.

 

[Sokel]

Make them listen to it.
I gather young people at my house all the time,they are very interested once they now what's all about.

So,you,as a dealer just make happenings for them,with gear that are affordable enough to start (Yamaha or Nad got the most of us in Europe to it) but top of the line also as SOME of them (some young people that involve with software have already make their first million) have both the big room and the money to afford it,along with the usual new-rich,bragging rights.

 

[Jimbob54]

Far fewer people in that younger demographic either own or rent accommodation that is suitable for full room "hi-fi" than in previous generations. The 70s/80s/90s were a time when home ownership was the norm for 20-30s whereas I suspect its now far reduced. And yes, headphone/iem listening has boomed probably both because of this and other factors. That can very much be a "hi-fi" experience though but I still get the gist of your post.

I see desktop/ nearfield hifi as probably the area where most speakers are used by the younger generation, especially post pandemic. But how prevalent that set up vs bog standard cheap PC type external speakers are I dont know.

 

[dualazmak]

Make them listen to it.
I gather young people at my house all the time,they are very interested once they now what's all about.

Fully agree!!
I too invite young (and senior) people at my home listening room (ref. here for the latest setup), not all the time but at some special occasions, and they are always very much interested and impressed once they listen to several music tracks within my "Audio Reference Music Playlist" consists of wide variety/genre of music...

For such opportunities, I believe it would be critical to have/prepare Reference/Sampler Music Playlist consists of wide variety/genre of music (fit for his/her music preferences) in excellent recording quality.

 

[test1223]

How do we get people, regardless of age, to sit down and actively listen to music? This in a nutshell is in my opinion what has shifted the market. As sound reproduction got more and more convenient (CD’s, cassettes, Walkman, iPod, streaming,….), listening to music shifted from an active and specific thing to do, to having music playing while running, walking, driving, cooking,…. Getting that genie back in the bottle is difficult at best.

That is an interesting thought. I think you are right.

I think the number of people who listen to music only was never really high, but they never the less had a stereo system in their living room in the 60-90. All those people now have most likely a bluetooth speaker or use there mobile phone for listening to music

One important use case for a classical stereo speakers is computer, movie and video game sound, since you have a dedicated place for it. There are few people with home cinema sound systems and even much less with a good stereo system. I guess many people would love good stereo sound for movies and videos games, but they aren't aware what you can accomplish with a good stereo system. And have a cheaper multi channel system in mind when they think of a good sounding system.

Far fewer people in that younger demographic either own or rent accommodation that is suitable for full room "hi-fi" than in previous generations. The 70s/80s/90s were a time when home ownership was the norm for 20-30s whereas I suspect its now far reduced.

Yes that is also a piece of the puzzle.

I see desktop/ nearfield hifi as probably the area where most speakers are used by the younger generation, especially post pandemic. But how prevalent that set up vs bog standard cheap PC type external speakers are I dont know.

Yes nearfield speakers for the pc is a piece of equipment which the typical hifi companies never tackled. Therefore studio monitors dominate this area if you want to get good sound quality. But overall there aren't many people who use such better speakers.

I too invite young (and senior) people at my home listening room (ref. here for the latest setup), not all the time but at some special occasions, and they are always very much interested and impressed once they listen to several music tracks within my "Audio Reference Music Playlist" consists of wide variety/genre of music...

Make them listen to it.
I gather young people at my house all the time,they are very interested once they now what's all about.

Great!

I think almost all hifi companies didn't realize that their main demo setups in hifi and electronic stores don't reach much people and especially don't reach new people, since the sales from stores where you can demo speakers is constantly declining. Online shopping has taken over and the random guy doesn't have the chance to listen to a good sounding system by walking through a store.

The hifi companies somehow have to jump in to get new people in touch with their audio gear.

 

[Sal1950]

If you are also a bit sad, that HiFi isn't very popular anymore there is the question how we can change that?

Good 2ch playback was a revelation in the 1960 - 1980s but has become rather ho hum for most.
The end of brick and mortar stores with demo rooms has helped to put a real crimp in Hi Fi sales.
I believe a situation where folks could experience what today's technology can offer in great 5.1, Atmos,
and other immersive music & home theater formats could go a long way to perk up interest in Hi Fi.
Build it and they shall come ???

 

[Timcognito]

I think you mean the hobby as half the young people are walking around with IEMs in their ears and then there is the "vinyl renaissance". It is no longer a group thing as the inexpensive playback devices are plentiful, as good as almost anything in the '70s taking a on a commodity status and the music is nearly free with dozens of sources, with far more diversity than the past and it is also a commodity. The new hobbyists are phone and vinyl people, mostly shunned by the ASR crowd and we are the dinosaurs as one does not a have to have a hobby or expertise to enjoy the vast music resources. A home based system is driven by having a home or apartment and disposable income and the price for those things keeps climbing. Lets face it, the audio hobby has been a tiny fraction of music lovers and basically male gear heads since it's inception.

 

[test1223]

Good 2ch playback was a revelation in the 1960 - 1980s but has become rather ho hum for most.
The end of brick and mortar stores with demo rooms has helped to put a real crimp in Hi Fi sales.
I believe a situation where folks could experience what today's technology can offer in great 5.1, Atmos,
and other immersive music & home theater formats could go a long way to perk up interest in Hi Fi.
Build it and they shall come ???

The sales from classic electronics happens mainly online nowadays. So there are the demo room of the companies for the development which can be used, but that isn't much compared to the massive presences in electronic stores in the 80is.

 

[test1223]

I think you mean the hobby as half the young people are walking around with IEMs in their ears and then there is the "vinyl renaissance". It is no longer a group thing as the inexpensive playback devices are plentiful, as good as almost anything in the '70s taking a on a commodity status and the music is nearly free with dozens of sources, with far more diversity than the past and it is also a commodity. The new hobbyists are phone and vinyl people, mostly shunned by the ASR crowd and we are the dinosaurs as one does not a have to have a hobby or expertise to enjoy the vast music resources. A home based system is driven by having a home or apartment and disposable income and the price for those things keeps climbing. Lets face it, the audio hobby has been a tiny fraction of music lovers and basically male gear heads since it's inception.

I think without having hifi as a hobby it is unlikely to get good sound, since you need to know a lot of things to get the placement and room acoustics right. And I guess if you aren't into hifi as a hobby you won't pay an acoustic professional to do the work for you.

 

[Timcognito]

I think without having hifi as a hobby it is unlikely to get a good sound, since you need to know a lot of things to get the placement and room acoustics right. And I guess if you aren't into hifi as a hobby you won't pay an acoustic professional to do the work for you.

I predict, that DSP will be in almost every playback device a touch of button and will good enough to satisfy all but most discerning listeners. Those critical listeners will be the small percentage of listeners that are in the "hobby" now and will be home/apartment owners. Could be wrong.

 

[Natal]

I think you mean the hobby as half the young people are walking around with IEMs in their ears and then there is the "vinyl renaissance".

True. All my 15 year old granddaughter wanted for her birthday were LPs and I was willing to buy her a decent turntable but she said her mom had one - a Crosley suitcase turntable.

 

[egellings]

True. All my 15 year old granddaughter wanted for her birthday were LPs and I was willing to buy her a decent turntable but she said her mom had one - a Crosley suitcase turntable.

Ugh!

 

[Mart68]

Lack of space is no excuse, I lived in box rooms for a few years still had a proper hi-fi.

Money is no excuse, use a computer or smartphone as a source (how many young people don't already have both?) and you can get a good amp and decent speakers second hand for £200 or less.

I suppose lack of knowledge of what to buy is maybe the biggest drawback to that. Maybe if schools gave lessons on how to get a good audio set up on the cheap? I'm sure something else could be sacrificed to make the time, French, maybe?

 

[Petrushka]

The demographic that had Fisher consoles, then mid-fi components, now has Sonos or Bose.

 

[mglobe]

I predict, that DSP will be in almost every playback device a touch of button and will good enough to satisfy all but most discerning listeners. Those critical listeners will be the small percentage of listeners that are in the "hobby" now and will be home/apartment owners. Could be wrong.

Sonos has that to some extent right now in some of their speakers if not all. For people who don't want to fiddle with equipment & setup, that path will clearly be the path to good (if not great) sound for the majority.

 

[kemmler3D]

Almost no one of this age group has ever heard a very good sounding audio system, so it isn't a surprise that only very few become hifi people.

This is really debatable. Everyone's heard a SONOS system and they are objectively better than a lot of "hi-fi" stuff that people prized in the '70s.

No, people aren't setting up 2-channel stereos in their living rooms as prominently as they used to.

And, it's not a hobby for young people as much as it was in the 70s, tweaking a system to get better performance.

The point about IEMs are good. What you can get for $25 now stands up to anything you could get under $1000 20 years ago. The value-for-dollar is off the charts now. There are A LOT of youth getting real hi-fi sound now, just not from speakers.

But perhaps this is because it's a lot easier to get decent performance now. What people spent time and effort upgrading from back then was (often) worse than entry-level stuff is now.

To go beyond entry level stereo sound is asking a lot from people who rent apartments and have roommates in their '30s, tend to agree with those points.

But let's take the premise at face value and assume there is a real problem with getting people into "proper" hi-fi.

It's simple, hi-fi has to be cool again.

Vinyl became cool again, and I bet you ten bucks that CDs will be cool again soon.

Traditional speakers are not cool again. Sadly we have people connecting their turntables to pretty much anything that happens to have an analog input.

I think having listening parties and such are a good idea, but they have to be cool. You can't just have a bunch of old beardy guys in hawaiian shirts playing Diana Krall and talking about cryogenic cables and tracking force and spreading BS about DACs.

Something like the Art of Noise event as SFMOMA is more like what we need. Say whatever you want about Turnbull, I went to it, and the exhibition was really successful, cool, and fun, and I think probably turned some people on to Hi-Fi.

What Hi-fi doesn't need to become cool again:

• Pretty much anything you see at a hi-fi convention

What hi-fi might need to become cool again:

• Cool DJs
• Cocktails
• Cannabis (?)
• Interesting listening spaces (with acoustic treatment!!)
• Endorsements from people who are actually popular with youth
• Speakers that look cool
• Cool speakers that are affordable (<$500 pair)

I honestly think someone could do this just by getting record labels, hifi brands, and liquor brands to sponsor listening parties, then market it on tiktok, but someone has to commit to doing it.

 

[terryforsythe]

Hello,

a few decades ago HiFi was a popular hobby and in almost every living rooms was some audio equipment. Most HiFi people from today know these times and miss these times.

The rise of the computer, video games and the internet shifted the focus of a lot of people away from HiFi. A whole young generation wasn't that interested in HiFi. And HiFi as a hobby and a whole industry is now a small group of people.

Since the love for music and the potential desires for good audio quality of music, video games and movies hasn't faded a way, I think the industry has failed to demonstrate the young generation how fun good sound quality is.

If you are also a bit sad, that HiFi isn't very popular anymore there is the question how we can change that?

I think we have to hook the younger generation since most of the hobbies are formed in the age from about 12 to 28. Almost no one of this age group has ever heard a very good sounding audio system, so it isn't a surprise that only very few become hifi people.

Most of today's enthusiasts came from headphones since they are more popular in the younger generation and there was a hype with beats a decade ago.

From an industry perspective I think I is worth to get/ hire some influencers to show the younger generation that there is HiFi.

As a HiFi company with a good listening room it might be beneficial to invite local school music or engineering classes and let them play thier music in this room which is embedded in a factory tour.

As a HiFi dealer it might be interesting to get the gamers somehow into the store so that they will hear how good their games can sound.

What are your thoughts about the whole topic?

Best
Thomas

If the snake oil and lies were fully eliminated, that would go a long way toward building excitement. But, when people believe that they must spend thousands and thousands of dollars to obtain a high fidelity stereo system, some people just lose interest.

 

[kemmler3D]

If the snake oil and lies were fully eliminated, that would go a long way toward building excitement. But, when people believe that they must spend thousands and thousands of dollars to obtain a high fidelity stereo system, some people just lose interest.

That's a big one, too. If people have any mental model of "an audiophile" it's someone who spends Rolex money on weird equipment that (if they have ever heard any such equipment) doesn't sound noticeably different.