I am NOT mr. doom and gloom…
… no matter what Neli might say,… 🙂
Look, I see it like this.
At one time you HAD to have a home stereo if you wanted to hear music at home.
Then there was the transistor radio, boom boxes, home theater, digital homes, and now ipods.
Lots of competition.
Unless we become ‘popular’ again – like the World Wrestling Federation, choppers, lime green indoor painting, etc. – it will be only the audiophiles and music lovers with lots of money who have home stereos.
Oh, wait, we are there now.
In fact, this is one of the reasons we got into audio on the business side – everybody in this hobby [for the most part] really loves it. They are not just ‘getting some music for the home’ they are pursuing their love of music, of technology, of their inner selves… whatever.
The software industry used to be like this, and then it grew and now there are all sorts of people who do not really care for it but who of course have to pontificate about it to everyone they meet [yep, still some people like this in audio too, huh?].
With the high-end audio consumer becoming fewer but more passionate and demanding, and the general public going elsewhere, audio manufacturers are able to make higher quality products. To a fewer number of people overall, yes, but I think it is the Polk and Monitor mid and low-fi home audio folks who have to worry – not the high-end.
But of course, this high-quality, and complete lack of economy of scale, drives the prices higher…
As a related note, I think the desktop computer’s days are numbered in a similar manner. The general public will have no need for them in 5 to 10 years – having moved to tablets. So… what does that mean for computer audiophiles? It means that expandable computer boxes, which will still exist [for gamers, CAD workers, programmers, etc], will be much more expensive – given as how the economy of scale which makes them cheap now will no longer exist.
So all these changes are just what is – not gloom, not doom – and they are no where near as bad as getting old and going bald and gray.
🙂
I think that flying cars will be the next big thing. No just kidding, it always seems like change is a steady movement. But it has bumps, speed bumps in the process.
Computer speed will increase by x amount and it seems like everyone wants a smart phone. But will it? Do they? The venders say we want all this stuff, but as fast as my computer gets, it is still not fast enough and never will be because I compare it to my brain. The same can be said with sound as it gets better, it still can’t match what the ear can do. So is the next thing going to be a robotic ear of sorts that can make bird songs clearer than they orginally were?
I think that there will be those that want a better solution for sound and will seek out those that can provide a better sound (whatever that is, I listen to AM radio, LOL).
Hi John,
From what I understand, the bionic ear will be one of the first ‘enhancements’ available [me, I want bionic hair and bionic memory banks…].
I doubt many audiophiles will go for bionic ears, if and when they become available. Audiophile gearing is already much better than average – because we use it a lot [it is apparently one of those use it or lose it bodily functions]. But who knows…
Thanks for posting!
-Mike