Went to an Audio Society meet last night...

Hi-FiGuy

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Feb 23, 2015
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And I have to wonder if they/we are really serving the community/themselves for the betterment of the hobby/industry.

Not ONE person there brought new meat ;) to the meet to maybe introduce them to the addiction, I mean hobby.

I was walking into a demo room, a theater, when an staunchly old dude literally runs into the room and yells, "wait a minute, that's my seat" and slides in between me and the sweet spot seat.

In the same room latter with about 8 people in there watching the movie, not loud I might add, an employee of the store comes in and says "sorry guys we cant do demos in the other room with this on" and shuts down the audio and walks out.

They completely missed the interest that the theater had generated that night, COMPLETLEY! Very nice theater and not a single employee stepped up and worked it. Instead it was treated like the red headed stepchild. GIANT MISSED OPPORTUNITY!

Another staunchly old dude wanted to argue formats in the middle of a demo of some extreme top shelf gear. While he tried to say we should all accept equally all formats he had to drive home why his chosen format was the best. Basically the "Why some of my best friends are (insert race/religion/sexual preference of your choosing here) mentality.

At another meet the demo was more extreme top shelf gear and it turned into 1 1/2 hour debate over RIAA curves, the rep was fit to be tied.

GENTLEMEN, IF YOU WANT TO TALK/ARGUE DURING A "LISTENING" DEMO, WALK OUT OF THE ROOM FOR GODS SAKE...PLEASE REMOVE YOURSELF.

The shop owner was gracious as always and served up some good food and was a decent evening and I was able to get into a couple rooms by myself for a bit and that was nice.

So to recap, as this was, and usually is a group of staunchly old (mostly) white dudes, not getting any younger, give it a rest already! You are not helping improve your image AT ALL!

To note I am a 53 year old staunchly white dude.

Give back for a change, bring some younger people and introduce them to the madness.

Be polite to others. As in the terrible movie Roadhouse, "What do we do"? "Be nice".

If the track being played is not of your liking, SHUT THE HELL UP none the less. I know its not classical music, but SRV Tin Pan Alley is one of my all time favorite songs, amp buzz and all.

Just because you don't like the track doesn't mean its your turn to bestow your wisdom upon us.

It seems that nobody seems to grasp that this hobby is 100% subjective and EVERYBODY has their own tastes and likes, RESPECT THAT and move on!

Its our differences that give us the choices in equipment that is available to us.

I like white cars, don't beat it dead why I should drive a red car!

Back to you regularly scheduled programming...
 
Last edited:

GaryProtein

VIP/Donor
Jul 25, 2012
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NY
I have to say, you are right on all counts!

People should stay on topic, young people should be invited, politeness counts, and if the host can't give a quiet backdrop to the meet, he shouldn't host one.
 

Fred

Well-Known Member
May 31, 2010
296
5
365
Covington, LA
I'm scheduled to host an audio meeting (New Orleans Audio Society) later this month and have made a point to invite a younger guy that works in my office, who has shown some interest in audio. Other than that, it will be the usual suspects (which I am very happy with since they are good company) but it does strike me often that we truly need to make a better effort to attract younger members. I can say with confidence that in my small corner of the audio world, that is not happening. What will our club look like in 5 to 10 years?

I often feel that we are a dying breed. :(
 

Hi-FiGuy

Member Sponsor
Feb 23, 2015
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Exactly...

There has never been a better time for the younger crowd and good sound, we just need to let them hear something that they are actually interested in. Put on some Cage The Elephant or some Vampire Weekend or anything they want to hear and don't tell them about ringing tweeters, nulls and first reflections, be quiet and let them listen. Step up to the 21st and have a Bluetooth device and let them stream something on their device. A perfect time to demonstrate the difference.

Have a smaller floor stander system and a sat/sub systems available set up properly to give them a path at which they can start the good/better/best journey.

If you bring in a young crowd and sit them down in front of a 300k system and force them to listen to classical music or some other obscure music that "makes the system sound good" you have lost the battle before it even started.

We need to give them a path so latter in life they can become staunchly old people spending the big money to keep this industry alive.

Headphone sales are better than ever.

Record sales are better than ever post lp prime.

When you are at the record store flipping through lp's, lift your head and look around at who is there buying records, it isn't us, its a younger crowd. As of late when I have been in the stores I am usually the oldest one there.

If you look around you at audio shows there is a younger crowd taking a look. I have noticed that the last couple years at T.H.E. Show Newport.

A couple years ago I watched a lot of younger people blown away by a Peachtree/DynAudio stand mount/Laptop set up and walk out of rooms in less than a minute with bigger/better systems in them. That system was the perfect entry level system to fuel the addiction.

The younger crowd is living in smaller places longer, the systems need to be smaller until they can afford bigger.

It is our job to show them good sound is possible at all levels and get them addicted.

The demographic has changed but the path is still there.

We seem to want them to "get it" at our level immediately, lest we forget how we got to where we are today?
 

asiufy

Industry Expert/VIP Donor
Jul 8, 2011
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almaaudio.com
Hi-Fi Guy,

I hear ya, and I agree with you too.
I see you're in SoCal... I'd like to invite you to my store (see sig below). We hope to have created just the necessary environment for the younger crowd to realize the difference proper hi-fi makes in the enjoyment of music, be it classical or Cage the Elephant.
With the records readily available (and not only of the audiophile kind), you can just grab whatever you like and try it on that 300k system... :)


alexandre


Exactly...

There has never been a better time for the younger crowd and good sound, we just need to let them hear something that they are actually interested in. Put on some Cage The Elephant or some Vampire Weekend or anything they want to hear and don't tell them about ringing tweeters, nulls and first reflections, be quiet and let them listen. Step up to the 21st and have a Bluetooth device and let them stream something on their device. A perfect time to demonstrate the difference.

Have a smaller floor stander system and a sat/sub systems available set up properly to give them a path at which they can start the good/better/best journey.

If you bring in a young crowd and sit them down in front of a 300k system and force them to listen to classical music or some other obscure music that "makes the system sound good" you have lost the battle before it even started.

We need to give them a path so latter in life they can become staunchly old people spending the big money to keep this industry alive.

Headphone sales are better than ever.

Record sales are better than ever post lp prime.

When you are at the record store flipping through lp's, lift your head and look around at who is there buying records, it isn't us, its a younger crowd. As of late when I have been in the stores I am usually the oldest one there.

If you look around you at audio shows there is a younger crowd taking a look. I have noticed that the last couple years at T.H.E. Show Newport.

A couple years ago I watched a lot of younger people blown away by a Peachtree/DynAudio stand mount/Laptop set up and walk out of rooms in less than a minute with bigger/better systems in them. That system was the perfect entry level system to fuel the addiction.

The younger crowd is living in smaller places longer, the systems need to be smaller until they can afford bigger.

It is our job to show them good sound is possible at all levels and get them addicted.

The demographic has changed but the path is still there.

We seem to want them to "get it" at our level immediately, lest we forget how we got to where we are today?
 

JackD201

WBF Founding Member
Apr 20, 2010
12,308
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1,820
Manila, Philippines
You mean your dealer doesn't have these? Tsk.Tsk.Tsk.

quiet.jpg
 

Hi-FiGuy

Member Sponsor
Feb 23, 2015
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385
Thanks for the invite, I am down that way on job sites from time to time, was just there last week, I will stop by.

To be sure I am not the young guy (53) complaining, I am an aware old guy trying to bring awareness to others that we need to take in the young, someone to pass the torch too so to speak.

Otherwise there is might be a period in time of not enough people to carry on this industry. Gotta get these guys young so when they have the means latter in life they will purchase.

If a younger person walked into the place I was at even to buy a record, they 1. had zero selection to their genre and 2. most everything was $40 or more a copy.

P.S. I do not and never will own Cage The Elephant, illustration purposes only :p
 

JackD201

WBF Founding Member
Apr 20, 2010
12,308
1,425
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Manila, Philippines
LOL! Yeah I loved that one!

Now depending on the locale........

HushYall.jpg

maybe some Canadian friends?

canada.jpg
 

Johnny Vinyl

Member Sponsor & WBF Founding Member
May 16, 2010
8,570
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Calgary, AB
^^^^ Nice ones Jack! haha!
 

JackD201

WBF Founding Member
Apr 20, 2010
12,308
1,425
1,820
Manila, Philippines
Well, Something for Nothing plays inside my head every time I see your avatar and it never fails to put a grin on my face. Consider the little gag pics a thank you. :D
 

taters

New Member
Jun 6, 2012
301
0
0
And I have to wonder if they/we are really serving the community/themselves for the betterment of the hobby/industry.

Not ONE person there brought new meat ;) to the meet to maybe introduce them to the addiction, I mean hobby.

I was walking into a demo room, a theater, when an staunchly old dude literally runs into the room and yells, "wait a minute, that's my seat" and slides in between me and the sweet spot seat.

In the same room latter with about 8 people in there watching the movie, not loud I might add, an employee of the store comes in and says "sorry guys we cant do demos in the other room with this on" and shuts down the audio and walks out.

They completely missed the interest that the theater had generated that night, COMPLETLEY! Very nice theater and not a single employee stepped up and worked it. Instead it was treated like the red headed stepchild. GIANT MISSED OPPORTUNITY!

Another staunchly old dude wanted to argue formats in the middle of a demo of some extreme top shelf gear. While he tried to say we should all accept equally all formats he had to drive home why his chosen format was the best. Basically the "Why some of my best friends are (insert race/religion/sexual preference of your choosing here) mentality.

At another meet the demo was more extreme top shelf gear and it turned into 1 1/2 hour debate over RIAA curves, the rep was fit to be tied.

GENTLEMEN, IF YOU WANT TO TALK/ARGUE DURING A "LISTENING" DEMO, WALK OUT OF THE ROOM FOR GODS SAKE...PLEASE REMOVE YOURSELF.

The shop owner was gracious as always and served up some good food and was a decent evening and I was able to get into a couple rooms by myself for a bit and that was nice.

So to recap, as this was, and usually is a group of staunchly old (mostly) white dudes, not getting any younger, give it a rest already! You are not helping improve your image AT ALL!

To note I am a 53 year old staunchly white dude.

Give back for a change, bring some younger people and introduce them to the madness.

Be polite to others. As in the terrible movie Roadhouse, "What do we do"? "Be nice".

If the track being played is not of your liking, SHUT THE HELL UP none the less. I know its not classical music, but SRV Tin Pan Alley is one of my all time favorite songs, amp buzz and all.

Just because you don't like the track doesn't mean its your turn to bestow your wisdom upon us.

It seems that nobody seems to grasp that this hobby is 100% subjective and EVERYBODY has their own tastes and likes, RESPECT THAT and move on!

Its our differences that give us the choices in equipment that is available to us.

I like white cars, don't beat it dead why I should drive a red car!

Back to you regularly scheduled programming...

It sounds like you were at a Bob Levi show. The guy that runs the Orange County audiophiles societies. The shows are filled with old men 50 plus. Young people want nothing to do with this scene. When the boomers are dead and buried that will be the end of the shows. I give it about another 10 years. When the boomers retire most don't have money for purchasing new audio. When are coming to and end of an era. Enjoy it while it is here.
 

amirm

Banned
Apr 2, 2010
15,813
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0
Seattle, WA
Unfortunately what you said more or less applies to the high-end shows just the same. If I want to feel young, I go there :). Everyone is my age or older. And the coveted sweet seat is taken and protected like it is one's throne. It is like the fight over the seat arms in airplane coach! Sometimes I wait 15 to 20 minutes and then give up as the person will not move to give another person a chance.

Part of the self-selection is the choice of music. Not only are we the older generation, we seem to have huge fondness for older music. This doesn't resonate with younger people.
 

DaveyF

Well-Known Member
Jul 31, 2010
6,129
181
458
La Jolla, Calif USA
"This doesn't resonate with younger people."


What I think truly doesn't resonate with younger people is the asking price of most of the gear today! In the day, I remember going into a high end shop and NOT being too surprised at the cost of the gear, BUT being surprised at how much better sounding it was compared to the usual stuff at the department and other big box stores. That is what drove me into 'high end as a youngster. A better sound and for NOT a lot more money. Today, the newbie wants the same thing....something for manufacturer's and dealers to ponder.
 

TheMadMilkman

Well-Known Member
Sep 7, 2010
125
0
91
What I think truly doesn't resonate with younger people is the asking price of most of the gear today! In the day, I remember going into a high end shop and NOT being too surprised at the cost of the gear, BUT being surprised at how much better sounding it was compared to the usual stuff at the department and other big box stores. That is what drove me into 'high end as a youngster. A better sound and for NOT a lot more money. Today, the newbie wants the same thing....something for manufacturer's and dealers to ponder.

Which is, I think, part of the reason that millennial audiophiles are showing so much interest in both headphone-based and vintage systems. A dollar seems to go a lot further that way.
 

Hi-FiGuy

Member Sponsor
Feb 23, 2015
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All three of you are very correct!

Taters, you nailed it.

Bob was the most unapproachable person there, have been able to talk to him in the past, this time literally turned his nose on me several times. It really has turned into the "good ol boys" club.

I go to these meetings to listen to the gear and meet some like minded people.

I have gone to these shows now for about four years now and NOT ONE person has ever introduced themselves to me let alone even look in my general direction.

There was one guy there probably in his thirties and was the only one I was able to talk to.

Amir and Davey

Correct on all counts, the industry is really not providing an upgrade path. A 25k speaker is not an upgrade path, its not entry level to the younger crowd.

Like I mentioned earlier about the Dyn-Audio/Peachtree/Laptop combo playing current music they knew. It wowed the shiznit out of a much younger crowd. Everybody was looking for the subwoofer they thought was hidden somewhere.

I know the store owner, they sold a few of those systems and now have customers for life. They spurred the interest, sold the gear and most importantly provided a path to the future.

Mind you I watched as these same younger people walked down the hall into some of the other more expensive "better" rooms and walked out in less than two minutes.

The younger crowd while they are buying vinyl like mad, they are a mobile, on the go crowd and might I say a little more antsy than older generations. Their libraries are going to be more digital and explains the boost in headphone sales.

I believe we need to get them used to good sound on the go so that when they have the time to sit down and just listen they want good gear.
 
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Sharp 1080

Member
Apr 20, 2010
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Dallas,Texas
"This doesn't resonate with younger people."


What I think truly doesn't resonate with younger people is the asking price of most of the gear today! In the day, I remember going into a high end shop and NOT being too surprised at the cost of the gear, BUT being surprised at how much better sounding it was compared to the usual stuff at the department and other big box stores. That is what drove me into 'high end as a youngster. A better sound and for NOT a lot more money. Today, the newbie wants the same thing....something for manufacturer's and dealers to ponder.


I began my affair with audio as a teenager and love of music. The mention of the old white guys mentioned in one of the above posts made me chuckle as they to use to tolerate me in the store asking questions constantly and asking to listen to items I could not afford then. For the record, (I was a young black teenager at that time) ;) I finally achieved getting as a present a Pioneer receiver that was 10 watts per channel. Then a few years in college later bought an Kenwood integrated amp. What helped me when I was younger were friends that were a few years older (5-6) than me into audio that took time to explain to me what to listen for and exposure to a wide range of music. The other factor was the audio store I frequented knew my budget and put together a great preamp and amp combo which was my introduction to separate components. That was my epiphany as far as how well made components with people that possessed the knowledge, attention to detail and time to build them actually sounded better! That's not available to us any longer. The small audio salons have all but disappeared in regards to variety. That's including the big chain stores!
 

scouter

Member Sponsor
Oct 30, 2012
241
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Wrightsville Beach, NC
Timely thread to say the least. My 21 y o daughter loves music, and listened to a Rega Planar 3 six years ago. She was hooked on better audio equipment then and there! Note to all- we were not listening to Bach, Mozart, other mediocre music on audiophile recordings, etc. (even though we could-she is a classically trained violinist), but listened to Beach House, Animal Collective, and many other contemporary artists that are superb in their genre. And guess what? Today's youth attend a LOT of live concerts, so they know what the dynamics of live music sound like. Get them in our clubs- we might learn a few things from them:) There are a lot of youth out there that know nothing else but cds and iPods. We just need to expose them and let their ears be the judge.
 

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