As We See It.
For the longest time, I’ve found the label “hobby” inadequate to describe the audiophile goal of better sound reproduction. Yes, for some, the mechanics of the High End have become an end in themselves—a way to tinker and tweak, build and rebuild in classic hobby faction. But for many others, specifically ear bud listeners, folks with whole-house systems, and those who’d rather push a button on a remote and sit back or dance rather than roll tubes or tinker, the descriptor hobby falls woefully short.
Recent conversations with high-resolution advocate Marc Finer, of the Digital Entertainment Group (DEG, www.degonline.org) and Stream the Studio (www.streamthestudio. news); Meredith Gabor, of cable manufacturer Nordost; and Craig Allison, of retailer Lavish HiFi, in Santa Rosa, California helped clarify my belief that, to the extent our industry continues to cling to the hobby paradigm, we’re hanging a noose around our necks. In an age when the traditional outlets of man-cave tinkerdom are closing down—witness the fate of bankrupt RadioShack—and increasing numbers of women are pursuing quality audio reproduction, retailers and manufacturers who fail to adapt their sales approaches to the tens of millions of people who’ve made new ways of listening to music central to their lives are doomed to failure.
This story is from the August 2017 edition of Stereophile.
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This story is from the August 2017 edition of Stereophile.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
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