How do we get more people excited about HiFi?

[IXOYE]

HIFI interest will never be the same for today's young people as it was for us who grew up in the 60-70s, we only had our records and turntables to gather around, Internet, online shopping and streaming have changed everything, for the worse if you ask me.

 

[Doodski]

Based upon my 9 years experience selling and demoing audio gear I found the best way to involve people is to give them an active demo of the gear. That way they can see it and hear just what the various gear is capable of. I think it is really the best way for short term and long term thinking and planning purchases for people that decide they want to be involved with a good system of their budgetary requirements. I don't see any other method that is as effective. That brings up a major issue in that shops are not so numerous as they once where and the selection may suffer too.

 

[Karmacoma]

If they like music and if you make them listen to a good system, they'll easily get into it. But people do spend a lot more money on Nomad solutions right now, headphones and bluetooth speakers, so there's less money available for a state of the art audiophile system.

 

[Doodski]

If they like music and if you make them listen to a good system, they'll easily get into it. But people do spend a lot more money on Nomad solutions right now, headphones and bluetooth speakers, so there's less money available for a state of the art audiophile system.

From looking at people around me that do listen to music on nomad systems, I think you nail'd the issue right on.

 

[egellings]

No one I know is into audio at all. When they hear my setup, they like the sound but don't care about getting it themselves. The phone & earbuds suffice. I think what's important today is portability and acces to limitless music at the touch of a small screen. A stationary setup simply won't do, no matter the sound quality. The earbuds can sound surprizingly good, too, although not up to ProAc or Wilson.

 

[test1223]

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.

I get your point, but without a decent placement of the speakers a proper listening distance and at least minor consideration of room acoustics a sonus system isn't really good. And I think there aren't many with a real sonus stereo system out there?

I still think that most younger people haven't ever heard a good sounding system, besides good headphones maybe.

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

Yes that is a major point. The hifi brands hadn't any issues with being cool in the past and missed the change of what is cool big times.

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.

If snake oil is portrait as being the important part than I think your statement is true.

If it is portrait as being a "tool" for getting the last % out of your system, than I think it is essentially a good thing (and snake oil gets the last % out wire the eyes and thoughts which also contribute to the sensation of sound). With this framing it will start discussions and involvement in hifi and how everything works.

 

[Doodski]

If it is portrait as being a "tool" for getting the last % out of your system, than I think it is essentially a good thing (and snake oil gets the last % out wire the eyes and thoughts which also contribute to the sensation of sound). With this framing it will start discussions and involvement in hifi and how everything works.

I think I understand your comment but if I am incorrect let me know. I think snake oil is a bad part of HiFi because people buy that stuff and then if they are honest with themselves and don't let bias fool their minds they will realize that the improvement is zero or near zero. They will be suspect of the entire industry after that. They could spend more on the speakers and get real improvement.

 

[pderousse]

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?

Are you actually suggesting the youth should sacrifice a worldly outlook so they can be a homebody with audio gear and that the public school systems should accommodate the idea? Hard to know where to begin with that idea

 

[GXAlan]

For the younger crowd, throwing the Era’s Tour on a premium sound system will be superior to iPad/iPhone.

Movie soundtracks, anime soundtracks and even video game sound tracks are also great opportunities to showcase a premium sound system.

 

[pderousse]

Humans love music and always have. I’ve never met one who does not. Nothing has changed since the time we were all kids. If anything, this 30 year teacher has observed a major increase in music listening among 14-23 year olds, and production. They literally cannot resist. Moreover, now anyone can easily make it and listen to it anywhere.

A few things really got me into audio reproduction (which is very different from music or audio): 1) taking a music appreciation class in college - high end system, tuned to the room, knowledgable guide, instruction on terms and especially mandatory concerts; 2) Tower Records - If you do not know what that culture was about in the 1980s-90s and even if you do, do yourself a favor and watch the documentary. TR still exists in Japan, where high-end I remains strong. Music is social and if your business is not, consider how it can be.

Video games have increased music appreciation among younger people. Ambient/electronica is among the most popular genres in music. Are audiophiles keeping up, or still stuck in (all due respect) the Eagles and Pink Floyd? How welcoming are audiophiles to younger interests wherever they may encounter higher-end.

 

[Petrushka]

Humans love music and always have. I’ve never met one who does not. Nothing has changed since the time we were all kids. If anything, this 30 year teacher has observed a major increase in music listening among 14-23 year olds, and production. They literally cannot resist. Moreover, now anyone can easily make it and listen to it anywhere.

A few things really got me into audio reproduction (which is very different from music or audio): 1) taking a music appreciation class in college - high end system, tuned to the room, knowledgable guide, instruction on terms and especially mandatory concerts; 2) Tower Records - If you do not know what that culture was about in the 1980s-90s and even if you do, do yourself a favor and watch the documentary. TR still exists in Japan, where high-end I remains strong. Music is social and if your business is not, consider how it can be.

Video games have increased music appreciation among younger people. Ambient/electronica is among the most popular genres in music. Are audiophiles keeping up, or still stuck in (all due respect) the Eagles and Pink Floyd? How welcoming are audiophiles to younger interests wherever they may encounter higher-end.

I have a grandson who’s a big fan of Philip Glass.

 

[Mart68]

Are you actually suggesting the youth should sacrifice a worldly outlook so they can be a homebody with audio gear and that the public school systems should accommodate the idea? Hard to know where to begin with that idea

No, it was just a joke.

 

[Blumlein 88]

Things are different. They'll never be the same again. People have always loved music that hasn't changed. How it manifests itself other than tiny niches is driven by multiple larger issues beyond our control or ability to "get people excited about hifi". Mostly nothing you can do or should do. It will all work itself out.

I think the biggest thing if you wanted to worry about it now is how do unknown worthy musicians make a decent living? Even that is going to yield to other pressures in the world. I do think almost all of history you had to love music so much you couldn't live without it to make it as a musician.

 

[pderousse]

Things are different. They'll never be the same again. People have always loved music that hasn't changed. How it manifests itself other than tiny niches is driven by multiple larger issues beyond our control or ability to "get people excited about hifi". Mostly nothing you can do or should do. It will all work itself out.

I think the biggest thing if you wanted to worry about it now is how do unknown worthy musicians make a decent living? Even that is going to yield to other pressures in the world. I do think almost all of history you had to love music so much you couldn't live without it to make it as a musician.

That’s dark

 

[JeffS7444]

Like aquarium fish and model railroads, I think that traditional home hifi works best if you expect to settle down in one place for awhile. But I think people have become more, not less, nomadic in the USA since my parent's and grandparent's generations.

 

[Mart68]

Like aquarium fish and model railroads, I think that traditional home hifi works best if you expect to settle down in one place for awhile. But I think people have become more, not less, nomadic in the USA since my parent's and grandparent's generations.

between '87 and '98 I moved 9 times. Biggest PIA was moving the vinyl records. Chucking an amp and speakers in the back of a car is no big deal. Nothing like having to dismantle and rebuild a model railway which I imagine would be an enormously time-consuming task.

For many years I always had people round on a Saturday night to play poker. All of them ended up buying a proper hi-fi system after being exposed to good sound. They're not enthusiasts or audiophiles and they don't tweak or upgrade their systems but that exposure, over a reasonably long term, was all it took.

Perceived cost was an issue for some but once explained that it would only require spending a few hundred, they went for it.

How you get more people exposed to the benefits of a proper hi-fi system I don't know, but I feel that, and education regarding the cost (most civilians do seem to perceive that it requires a minimum spend of thousands), are the keys.

 

[dimedrol]

hifi as a culture of chasing and stacking expensive and usually exotic components and music releases, previously flourishing on the common lack of information and filled in by bro-science, is completely dead. And... good riddance. Good sounding equipment is now affordable, compact and ubiquitous. For those few who are not satisfied there's always the pro audio market with reliable and proven no-snake-oil solutions. In my 25 years of buying stereo equipment these are by far the best times.

 

[Mr Swing King]

I some times catch a ‘reaction’ video over Jootoob where a young guy/gal listens to Pink Floyd, Dire Straits or even Pavarotti for the very first time.
…and well the truth of the matter is that tears of joy and goosebumps city don’t need “hi-fi” in order to take place.
I’d much rather people dive straight into music via their airpods or whathaveyou than ending up discussing hi-fi.
Hi-fi, in the mainstream at least, is the equivalent of tasting cutlery at the restaurant and completely ignoring the osso buco on your plate.

 

[DanielT]

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.

Speaking of SONOS. Why would a non-HiFi enthusiast buy traditional designed HiFi speakers when you can go down to IKEA and buy two nice SONOS
Picture Frame Speakers that also sound good? Even Amir likes them:

Objective measurements don't fully support my highest honors, but my listening test results do. So it is my pleasure to give a strong recommendation to Ikea SYMFONISK picture frame speaker by Sonos.

Ikea SYMFONISK Picture Frame Speaker Review

This is a review and detailed measurements of the Ikea SYMFONISK picture frame speaker designed by Sonos. I purchased it a couple of days ago from Ikea store for US $199. Their website said they had 42 in stock so they are planning to sell a lot of them. That said, there was not a single...

audiosciencereview.com

Traditional manufacturers of "traditional" speakers have to think twice about what the market wants. The demand for vinyl, record players is there.
A record player together with wireless active speakers where you only need to plug in a power cable and be able to switch between vinyl and streamed music. That's what people want. Create good sounding solutions for it in that case. Don't go against the flow.

 

[kemmler3D]

Create good sounding solutions for it in that case. Don't go against the flow.

Agreed... people want what they want. Wanting them to want something else is doing it the hard way.

I think KEF get this. The LS50w and LS60 and a few others are leaning into an all-in-one world. Makes sense if you ask me.