The problem with that is that many of us play CD/SACD/DVD-A through DVD players or Blu-ray players and also run the CD through separate DACS and utilize the multi format players as just a transport for things such as Redbook CD playback. Additionally, many of us have digital and vinyl playback systems that are a number of years old and we only purchase them on occasion though we continue to buy our various forms of media on an ongoing basis.
Rich
True, but CD and stereo amp sales have both been in a slow, but similar, decline for some time, but over the last couple of years CD player sales went from losing a few percent per year, to losing 30% per year. Meanwhile stereo amps continued going in a steady decline. Also, until recently sales volume and value were both on track, but recently CD player sales volume is down while value is up. This suggests people spending more to buy their 'last, best player', in the way people started talking about 'final vinyl' 10-12 years ago.
The 'play it on DVD' market is not statistically negligible, but is easy to track because after DVD came about, CD sales took a dip, and stayed dipped. In other words, where there was near parity between CD and amp sales up until 1997/98 season, after that time and until about two years ago, for every 10 amps sold, there were eight CD player sales. It's now closer to two amps for every player, and dropping. Market research at point of sale does not point to people still using CD and playing it on other components, either, because the same point of sale data points to people walking out of the shop with an amp under one arm and a 'media gateway' device (usually a Sonos) under the other.
The 'we only buy occasionally' point doesn't really matter, here. Or rather, it doesn't really count in this discussion, but highlights another significant OT problem or two. The audio business does a very good job at making things that don't have planned obsolescence, (usually) don't fall to pieces after two years and (usually) hold their value relatively well in the long term. The problem then emerges that a company's legacy quickly becomes its greatest competition; if there are not so many new buyers and the old buyers are happy to trade products from 10 years ago between themselves, your business becomes unsustainable. Where this draws back on topic, is when a sector is in steep decline if those who still have an interest in that sector don't make that interest felt (by buying stuff) it stands a strong chance of disappearing altogether. This is kind of what's happening to Mom & Pop stores; they aren't all run by evil, money-grabbing despots (despite the claims of some online) and yet because when they do their job well, their original clients don't come back that often. Without newcomers to sell to, even the best store quickly becomes an ex-store.
