I'm 33---so am the generation manufacturers want to corral and I am the only person I know my age (on Wall Street or buyside or wherever) that is an audiophile and have been so for 10 years.
One big problem is the abundance of media to take our time. Social networking, blu ray, ipods, itouches, smartphones, online activity---all takes place of music.
For those who are waiting for the next Elvis or Frank or Floyd---- Radiohead is at least as good as Pink Floyd ever was---there is a professor at Northwestern in the music department who wanted to teach a course on them. You might pick up the latest Arcade Fire for someone who could be the next one. Wilco is another extremely talented band---how about Muse (they are ridiculously overseas popular)? Dave Mathews is still selling out concerts for as long as the Grateful Dead were. Equivocating my generation to Biever and Lady Gaga is extremely ignorant, at best. I'm sure all of us can point out shitty 60s, 70s, or 80s rock/pop. The Monkees, Kansas, and Tiffany to name a few??
I find older audiophiles in general don't care about new music. When I used to walk into audiophile shops and ask for rock---the Eagles was put on. At shows we get Diana Krall and the ilk. Come on guys! One of my older audiophile friends in his 50s doesn't have a cd with a rock band from the 2000s---but loads up on every Steely Dan or whatever 70s bands that is extinct. I forward him new stuff all the time but have never heard him buy a copy. Take a pause from buying Steve Hoffman audiophile approved rock and go out and hear some new bands. Even explore some electro stuff (Hotchip, Thievery Corp, Air, Gotan Project etc) while you are at it---this is what younger folks are listening to a lot of these days.
Audiophile pricing has gotten extreme which has turned off people to this hobby. All other technology comes down in price, but audiophile pricing has gone stratospheric in recent years. I used to be able and go buy a great pair of speakers for 5k-10k. Now that is more like 25k---and mags like TAS focus on 60k BS cables, 4k "tweaks," and other nonsense instead of things that younger audiophiles would care about stuff like music servers and to a more limited extent, vinyl (without 60k phono stages). If you are a young guy and you see a bunch of 40k speakers and amps, you feel the price of admission is only for the "crazies." On the other side, the new writer for Stereophile Steven Meijas (sp?) seems like the kind of guy we need to see more of---his new "Entry Level" column is extremely well written and relevant to younger folks just getting started!
These are just some of my thoughts and pet peeves---hope not to offend anyone, but this subject strikes a chord with me.
KeithR