How large is the very high end audio market?

[audioguy]

Unfortunately I think the situation is going to get even worse here in the US (for all high end industries) based on our countries economic crisis and the objectives of Obama.

Amen! and Amen!!

 

[Phelonious Ponk]

One other fact worth mentioning is that in general, in good electronics, the price of the product drops and more is offered...if only the same thing happened in other industries. Therefore, high end prices should be declining all the time, shouldn't they?

High-end prices may not have declined, but high performance has dropped like a stone. Shure makes an ear canal phone for the pro market (used as on-stage in-ear monitors), the SCL2, that is about as dead accurate as any transducer can be. They can be found online for less than $75. Ever seen the specs of a current iPod Touch? Not perfect, but definitely "high-end." Plug a pair of SCL2s into a Touch and you have high performance high-fidelity for about $300. It will not have the impact or the bass extension of big speakers moving around a roomful of air, but in terms of noise, distortion and resolution of detail it will be damned hard to beat. By any objective measure (there's the rub...) it will rival headphone systems costing thousands and best more than a few. There are quite a few things performing the same kinds of limits-defying feats in the speaker system world, you just have to find them. But sad as it is, you'll seldom find them in the "high-end."

P

 

[FrantzM]

High-end prices may not have declined, but high performance has dropped like a stone. Shure makes an ear canal phone for the pro market (used as on-stage in-ear monitors), the SCL2, that is about as dead accurate as any transducer can be. They can be found online for less than $75. Ever seen the specs of a current iPod Touch? Not perfect, but definitely "high-end." Plug a pair of SCL2s into a Touch and you have high performance high-fidelity for about $300. It will not have the impact or the bass extension of big speakers moving around a roomful of air, but in terms of noise, distortion and resolution of detail it will be damned hard to beat. By any objective measure (there's the rub...) it will rival headphone systems costing thousands and best more than a few. There are quite a few things performing the same kinds of limits-defying feats in the speaker system world, you just have to find them. But sad as it is, you'll seldom find them in the "high-end."

P

Not one to equate great specs with great sound .. This is the second time I have heard/read about the Shure SCL2s... earphones. I am somewhat forced into listening to music mainly through Headphones. It lacks what I call the tactile sensation and the realism of a well set up full range speaker ... yet, My current headphones the Denon 5000 .. have lead me to understand even more than before how flawed speakers and rooms are... Almost humbling ..now to be able to get that for $75 should be of great interest if only for one to properly tune/correct one's system.
I think I will just buy one right today and P if it is not that good you may have to reimburse me

 

[flez007]

Almost everyone who enters my dedicated room and listens for 30 minutes says " I want one like this ", when I mention that they can start with a $5K investment and move up later I loose their attention.

Interestingly enough, many of them invest $5K or more in TVs/screens, cars, motorcycles, dinning and on so many other areas (some questionable) without a doubt.

This hobby is a selfish one, 75% of the time I listen to it is me in front of my Guarneri's allocated in my "nothing-box", I have a year or so with a 100 inch projector and have seen 5 movies so far with my family, with whom I spend A LOT of time traveling, dinning and having a great time together.

For me this hobby is destinated to be small, very small.

 

[DWR]

Hi Flez
I agree with what you are saying, I think what has happened is that a lot (the majority) of people do not have the TIME to actually sit down and listen and enjoy music like most all of us here do. They will spend that 5k on the motorcycle, car, TV because they will actually spend the time with those items thus justifying in their minds the monetary outlay. I for one am sure glad I have the time to listen to my system, and like you say most of the time it is by myself, but still I treasure these hours I get with the music. So yes this hobby is destined to be small, very small.

 

[garylkoh]

Interestingly enough, many of them invest $5K or more in TVs/screens, cars, motorcycles, dinning and on so many other areas (some questionable) without a doubt.

This hobby is a selfish one, 75% of the time I listen to it is me in front of my Guarneri's allocated in my "nothing-box", I have a year or so with a 100 inch projector and have seen 5 movies so far with my family, with whom I spend A LOT of time traveling, dinning and having a great time together.

For me this hobby is destinated to be small, very small.

Flez,

You have hit this precisely on the spot. This hobby is an extremely selfish one - with one sweet spot. In the highest of high-end loudspeakers, the design has been perfected to the point where the sweet spot is a basketball-sized spot where the head has to be positioned. If you are taller or shorter than the single person that the set-up is customized for, you will not get the perfect experience.

Even a Ferrari or a Ducati has two seats. If you dined or traveled alone.... what would you spend?

For the high-end to survive, we need to make it more inclusive. Include the family, include the friends. Otherwise, the listening room is nothing more than a giant, expensive pair of headphones. Until the market can grow beyond the supremely selfish, the price-performance for high-end is dropping like a stone. If your system can encompass your partner, you have doubled the price-performance of high-end.

IMHO of course.

 

[Phelonious Ponk]

Not one to equate great specs with great sound .. This is the second time I have heard/read about the Shure SCL2s... earphones. I am somewhat forced into listening to music mainly through Headphones. It lacks what I call the tactile sensation and the realism of a well set up full range speaker ... yet, My current headphones the Denon 5000 .. have lead me to understand even more than before how flawed speakers and rooms are... Almost humbling ..now to be able to get that for $75 should be of great interest if only for one to properly tune/correct one's system.
I think I will just buy one right today and P if it is not that good you may have to reimburse me

Well, Frantz, I didn't say you would like "about as dead accurate as any transducer can be." I personally prefer my trusty old Sennheiser HD580s to ear canal phones most of the time. They're not dead accurate. They're a bit on the warm side. But it's a very comfortable listen.

P

 

[caesar]

I have heard Charles Hansen of Ayre say that there are about 250,000 homes in the US that are potential customers of "high end audio".

Additionally, yes, high end is struggling now. But who isn't struggling right now? This is a hobby. It is a luxury. High end furniture, autos, high end appliances, high end homes (with large theatres), expensive clothing shops, travel, etc., are all struggling, and we must keep things in perspective before carving the tomb stone.

 

[slowGEEZR]

Even a Ferrari or a Ducati has two seats.

My Ducati only had one seat. Sorry, couldn't resist.