150,000 out of 7 billion. Interesting. I work as a realtor in Silicone Valley where disposable income is crazy high. People can buy anything they want. I have seen thousands of homes on our Tuesday tours over the years. I have seen only two homes with true audiophile equipment in all those years. In way of contrast, Ferrari's are somewhat "common" here. In addition, in my many years of owning high end equipment I have never had even a single convert who heard my stuff and said "I want that". It's certainly NOT true that if people just heard the stuff they would want it. I tell people what my stuff cost and I can just see in their faces they are thinking "what a F**king waste of money".
That's an interesting comment, I would have expected that those wealthy folks would have everything high end. But I guess some people buy fancy stuff to show off to others...which is less likely to happen with a new stereo (as opposed to a Ferrari)
The amount of emotional satisfaction that analogue audio brings is huge. But it’s like any attraction, the women I find attractive, my friends may not understand what I see in her, they may not understand the emotional quirks that she brings me, it’s all down to personal taste. So long as you’re experiencing that joy from somewhere in your life then it’s a win.
The only people I can talk audio with are strangers that I sell or buy equipment to/from. Anytime I bring it up with family or friends, their eyes glaze over like a deer in the headlights.
I listen to most of my music as MP3 or FLAC via a smart-phone with headphones, or in the car. Because on-the-go, is probably the only time I get to listen. I did get to listen to quite a lot of really high quality audio equipment in the early 80s. But only because I worked as a tester and QC at a company that made high-end amplifiers, Radford Audio in Bristol.
As a quick side note, my family and I vacationed in Silverthorne (CO) in 2021 and it was wonderful. We rented a nice house but we noticed that it had no air conditioning. At the time, I didn't realize that when you are at elevation (over a mile high or so), there's no need for that. Silverthorne is a hair over 9000ft above sea level so the summer temps were very moderate - mid 70s during the day, mid 50s at night. It was really nice, especially compared to the furnace-like temps we experience here in the plains of the midwest during the summer. Anyway, I can understand the frustration of wondering why non-audiophiles can't or won't appreciate higher quality sound. I have introduced my family to such things and even they admit they can hear differences for the better in higher quality gear and music. However, while they appreciated what high quality music and gear could offer, they preferred what they received from their MP3/Bluetooth, etc, set-ups. It doesn't bother me because they are still getting enjoyment from it without all the fussy, complicated (at times), processes that many audiophiles love or hate. If we audiophiles are really honest with ourselves, introducing the uninitiated into the world of audiophile-dom is potentially introducing a entire new world of even more frustration, elitism, and discourse. In order words, it's really becomes more about what *I* think can give you the best sound as opposed to what the audiophile community thinks. This can make the audiophile community one of the most dysfunctional groups on the internet. If anyone out there is not an audiophile, enjoy your bliss! 👍🏻
I enjoy presenting my constantly changing sound systems with those around me. sometimes they ask if I could provide or help them acquire a system so they can appreciate it better in their own homes, Most folk I think actually prefer the experience of my music selection, spaces and systems... love em all!
I estimate there are far more audiophiles in the world, if you define audiophiles as people who remain interested in sound quality after they purchase a piece of audio equipment. My definition of audiophile includes anyone who reads about, shops for, or scrutinizes audio equipment regularly, as a pastime. I think that number, worldwide, is more like 2% of the industrialized world. That would be more like millions.
An audiophile has nothing to do with tinkering with over priced snake oil products or any products for that matter. An audiophile is someone who enjoys quality sound.
@@davidfromamerica1871 explain yourself then. I have met 2 people in my entire life who care whatsoever about home audio. And I know A LOT of people worth north of 30 million. I know a few more people who are into car audio, but not the detailed kind. Just bass and loudness. You are living in the fantasy.
@@blanchbacker I've met a few more, but I'm with you. It's rare to meet people who care at all about audio fidelity and quality - and this is in an industrialized wealthy country. The number of people who care about audio equipment in poor countries, or where electricity isn't even reliable is nearly non-existent!
@@blanchbacker I know quite a few musicians and not one of them is an audiophile 🙂Audiophiles are like "photographers" who spend more time on the forums talking about gear and the next great thing they're going to buy than they do actual photography.
Great attitude. I feel the same. I love listening and tinkering and improving and listening. It is a great hobbie and I feel blessed to be part of that little club that has turned on to great sound reproduction. Even within the community, those of us who have experienced and enjoy the level where micro detail shines are a subset within this tiny community. It becomes apparent when you get the heated discussion on cables, low phase noise clocks, or cable lifters. Triodes and vinyl. Clearly there are tons of people who have systems and or ears that cannot expose the tiny sounds that create the space around and natural timbre of instruments. I don't get angry when they ridicule me. I simply feel a bit lucky.
It’s ok Paul to go off into the weeds. 🤣 Fascinating conversation is established from the history & experience’s & knowledge one has in life and yes of course even the (opinions) all tucked away in your cabeza. Share them. I find them fascinating and human! People can find a hobby like this loaded with snobbery & conspiracy and you are part of a small group of people who gets it, but never uses it to talk down too anyone! My favorite audiophiles are the ones who share and enjoy every aspect about it from start to finish. You bridge gaps in the hobby and most of all the love of music by doing these videos and helping to understand it. I think it’s way cool!!! 😊😊
The secret is to be happy with what you have. My wish list is endless but the limitations of money and space will always be a constraint. Chill out and enjoy what you have
Yeah, I’d say the amount of non-audiophiles “converted” after they’ve heard a really good system is tiny to nonexistent, and that’s not unusual: how many people have been shown fancy cookware, luxury cars, expensive watches, boats etc. and have said “Oh, that’s nice” and have thought no more about it? Take it as your own special hobby and don’t be frustrated when others don’t show the same amount of passion.
There’s people who spend their whole life not experiencing certain things. Like those who never experienced the true sonic impulses of infrasound. And then those who swear it cannot be heard but I’ve noticed that not everyone’s hearing is the same. Just because you say it cannot be heard does not mean you can say that I can’t hear it.
@@bailey2517 Lowest I can hear or sense pulsation is about 12hz. And that’s usually in a corner of a room or inside a vehicle. But in an open space, I can start to sense around 17Hz above.
@@Bassotronics dang 12hz?? I wonder what that sounds like. I mean, I've "heard" ultra low bass, even on the 4" sub I made, when I put me ear to the port, I could easily hear below 20hz. But I wonder how much different it sounds compared to a proper 18" subwoofer tuned to, say, 12hz. I'm sure that would be an entirely different experience. Idk if what I was hearing was even a real frequency but it seemed like infrasonic sound so idk. The 4" sub was tuned to 22hz though. I had to put my ear directly next to the port to hear it near 12hz.
@@bailey2517 Yea almost any sized woofer or subwoofer can play Infrasound. The bigger obviously the more SPL and the more it will shake your body. And referring to tone, at least in my case, I can hear it as a tone with its harmonics down to about 20Hz, less than that it becomes more pulsating and throbing to the ears. Now that you mention 18” subs, I actually am using an 18” Subwoofer in a T-line system tuned to around 17Hz in my vehicle So you can imagine how much my windows shake.
Different strokes for different folks. Witness for the prosecution is a great watch, they suspend belief withiuot any mass murder or special effects. Great story coupled with great acting and well worth the watching.
I'm envious of people who don't care too much about audiophile quality - they're not obsessive, they enjoy music just fine, and they appear to be at least as happy as I am 😀
Exactly its all about the music. Writer is getting frustrated having a really nice set-up, while others love the music anytime anywhere, maybe more than him.
I greatly enjoy your videos. They are informative and to the point, most of the time, lol. I am happy this one had some of your witty side bar. I just watched, Witness for the Prosecution as per your recommendation. What a fantastic classic, who done it. Please let me know if you have any more classics you can share. Thanks much!
I try to introduce people to good sound especially younger people. I have an Infinity Interlude HT system and a Marantz av7005 preamp and a Carver AV 705x amplifier and though many may not consider it Audiophile it sounds pretty amazing. I always explain that you can start with a receiver and a pair of $300 speakers and have a marked improvement over BT speakers or sound from your tv.
“But the world doesn’t want to change.” Oh, that is so great, Paul. I mean it. Think how much we could lower the public noise level (to use an audiophile term) if folks accepted that yelling at each other rarely changes minds. Put your idea out there and let folks chew on it if they want. Good ideas have a way of surviving the process.
What’s cool? When your musically gifted in laws come over for Thanksgiving dinner and in the background you are playing music and they stop screaming at each other, walk over to your system and sit there in silence. They had never heard music they way it was intended. And yes, the PS Audio CD transport is really that good.
🧢🧢🧢 my relatives said “cool” and then proceeded to not care. And I have a family of musicians. Most boomers are deaf, anyways. (Not using boomer as an insult here)
I could honestly care less how others wish to listen to their music, it's none of my business. Getting frustrated at others seems to me to be a control issue. I listen to music the way I choose to. Granted, it's going to be dictated by what I can afford, and if others don't like it, that's their problem. I don't want to come across as "that person" but it seems like an odd question to ask. It's a common issue with those who can spend unlimited amounts of money on audio gear that they tend to look down on those who can't. We would all love to get the best gear money could buy but limited budgets and more important priorities dictate....whew, thank you, I feel better.
I can tell you that I grew up around people that thought nothing about going into debt $55k for s bass boat but would think $200 for a piece of shit plastic compact stereo would be too much.
That's the right attitude to have! I have tried to convert a few people (and still try lol) but by and large folks just don't care. Most think our tiny nitch hobby is sorta crazy. It used to perplex me why more females have no interest in our male dominated hobby. Over the years I have just come to accept it and enjoy the systems I have put together!
"The latest" Agatha Christie - we all mutter 'Death on the Nile' under our breaths, to be met with Charles Laughton in the 1957 (!!) Witness for the Prosecution! Awesome, made me chuckle.
As an amateur musician who plays and records... I don't care THAT much. It's like a photograph... does every one need to have the perfect sharpness, contrast, colours, composition and lighting? No, because it's the content and the message that matters more. Most people are not sitting at home in a quiet room critically listening to music; the majority of people don't need better than "good enough". I listened to AM radio and crappy cassette tapes as a kid; everything we have now is magical 😀
Everyone has their own hobbies they see value in. I learned long ago people will pay for if they can afford what they see happiness in. I see items for 10,000 I would not pay a nickel for but that is because I have zero interest in that hobby so it has little to no value to me for enjoyment. I do not put time anymore into people for my industry of commercial real estate unless I see the passion there to learn.
Very true, then you calculate In the amount of people who have the means to obtain the highest echelon of any hobby and the numbers become even smaller.
A lot more people would be interested in quality audio products, if they got to listen to a professionally set-up, high-end system (or even something mid-way between what they have and high-end). Part of the reason, for the minimal demand, is the public's general obliviousness to the beauty, joy, and excitement of how amazing music can sound vs what have come to accept as the way it sounds. Well to do people have no problem plunking down loads of $$ on a fancy car, because they see the fancy cars, and they know about the fancy cars. But if they never saw Ferrari's and Lamborghini's, they, too, would not desire those cars, because they never saw one. With music, if they never hear an amazing stereo, then they have no interest in what they never heard. Also, countless people think that they have heard great sounding stereos, when they never did. Many have, but I believe that many more have not, even though they think that they have. So they heard a Bose system at their friend's house, or a bass pounding car stereo, and now they believe that they heard the best. For example, few people have heard music that projects voices and instruments, several feet beyond the outer edges of their speakers. Yet, many of those people will tell you that they have heard great sound reproduction -- and they are telling the truth, as they know it. They simply have no clue about that which they never heard, and what they do not know exists. So when you ask them if they would spend $10k, $25k, etc, on a stereo, they associate that amount with what they heard, and will say "I would never spend that kind of $$ on a stereo". But if they actually heard such a stereo, professionally set-up, with all the makings of throwing a proper soundstage, I suspect that many more people would consider such a stereo, if they could afford it. But even on a low budget, they choose mass produced, name brand components that are not very good, and they plop their speakers down where they look the best. For $2,500, with the right speakers and receiver (or integrated amp) you could have a very good sounding system that does nearly everything right. But most people neither know know what "right" is, nor do they know about the brands that focus on affordable quality, because they never heard it (including some folks that participate in this channel's comment section, such as the cable deniers).
There was a time when the commoner actually needed stereo ,just like they need a car ,and those that loved music would justify the cost of a hi end system.Now a 180 has happened bc there's no longer a real need. The stereo industry is selling for the most part to select group of enthusiasts who have financial means -Which is why there is this really stupid priced stuff out there
@Nicholas "But the real truth is most people can not hear the difference and the reason is their ears are trained to hear one dimensional plus focus is only in one direction." Wring that that is "the real truth" does not make it "the real truth" Anyone, that can hear a sound coming from their right, can hear a soundstage the paints a sonic image of a coming from the right (or left, as the case may be). Asserting that people cannot identify the direction from which a sound originates is silly. This tells me that you never heard such a stereo. "Some company a while back did a test decent sounding basic turntable vs MP3." That is like me saying: Some company did a test with a decent running family sedan vs a decent running suburban utility vehicle... The validity of such a test would need to specify every component in the stereo, down to the cabling and the source of each song (the specific stamper codes (vinyl) and specific album from which the mp3 was released). The test also needs to specify who set up the stereo, and what qualified them to do so, expertly. "I have actually even heard people say to a fantastic sounding high end system that it sounds too good and I don't like this." That probably was due to using the wrong song selections, or that system was not fantastic sounding. To those that prefer a drum machine to a talented drummer, they will likely always prefer sizzle-boom, not care a whit about sound quality, and simply want to blast their favorite songs. To those that prefer compressed sound, it is probably due to them living their lives, having never heard anything other than compress sound. When properly recorded music is introduced to them, it is foreign to them, and triggers them to believe "something is wrong". The music sounds wrong, because they never heard it sound that way. When all you have ever heard was wrong, then decades later, when it is right, it is hard for some people to process that the "right" sound really is "right". It is hard for some people to come to terms with having enjoyed so much garbage sounding music for all of their life. Also, not all high-end stereos are for every person. I have listened to a number of highly regarded speakers and associated gear. I have heard ProAc speakers, which have an attractive sound quality -- but not my taste. I have heard Vandersteen's Quatro speakers 3 or 4 times, and I would never have considered purchasing them. I did not understand why they got such great reviews. Then, when I heard them at Audio Connection in Verona, NJ, I was blown away. The other locations were either not feeding their Quatros from equipment that makes a good marriage, or the speakers were not properly placed (and that is critical), or the source material was not well recorded, etc. But when those speakers were properly set up, with Aesthetix gear feeding them, they sounding amazing. So when these companies and individual do these blind tests, they are mostly pointless. I doubt any of them know what they are doing. I doubt any of them have the sound quality I heard at Audio Connection. I had a similar experience when I heard Ravel's Studio2 speakers at Lyric HiFi in Manhattan (back in 2007). The first time, they blew me away. The best sound I ever heard. A couple of weeks later, I heard them, again, in the same store, but in a different room with different electronics feeding them, and the sound kind of sucked. The salesperson said that he had just moved them there, and did not have time to set them up properly. The above goes to my point, that even in the country's most prestigious high-end store, they had amazing speakers that once sounded fantastic, followed by sounding nothing special. For a blind test, the stereo is the lab, and that lab needs to be professionally set-up. When done right, people will pass the blind testing, and people will exclaim how great it sounds and that they never heard anything like it. Few will declare their congested mp3's on their sizzle-boom stereo to be the winner.
The other reality is that better sound is now easier and cheaper than ever before. For example, the HomePod sounds pretty good, even to us audiophiles, imagine what it represents to the average person.
Thanks Paul. I think there are also lots of people who never listened to good sound, and definitely not to great sound. I.e. if you never heard a sub-woofer then you won't miss it. But if you heard some music and soundtracks with sub-woofer then suddenly it sounds a lot better. And only then come the realization: I want a sub-woofer. And that is similar with good speaker, etc. Many people have no idea how great things can sound. And I include myself. I listened relative seldom to good speakers, which cost maybe 3000 USD per pair. But I never listened to top speakers like yours.
I don't think it's that they don't care, it's that they don't know they should care. They haven't had the experience. I convinced my neighbour (13 at the time) that higher end audio does sound better. She uses her iphone and some really cheap earbuds cranked up. I listened and they sound like crap, but they were fine to her. I had a modest Fiio music player along with some Dunu headphones. Not great by high end standards, but compared to what she was listening to (heavy V shape, with distortion), it was night and day. We listen to some of the same music so played a track for her and she immediately regretted it as now she understands what quality sounds like. Low and behold she's upgraded her ear phones to some decent in ears (she's 15 now), and has a better source for music when she's in her room. She cares now (though not as much as I do).
If one is able to avoid the need for air conditioning in their living space, that's amazing. Houses especially can do that. As Paul size, a 2-level house can have the ground floor cool even in the summer. One of the tricks is having some windows open on the top floors and letting the air rise from the ground level and exit via the top-floor windows. Cool house even in summer, no need for air conditioning. Wish apartments would offer such physical choices too. :(
Depends on where you live in the U.S. The States have a wide verity of climates. Close to the Candian border, parts of Calif. or high-up in the mountains; not so much is needed. The desert Southwest and in general the Southern States. Don't forget the Mid-West You're going to want that air-conditioning.
For Home Theater, the hobby reached its peak in the early to mid 2000's. Then peaked again around 2013 to 2016 or so with Dolby Atmos. Now it's at a low again because everything has been talked about and done through forums and TH-cam. Once you're caught up, you're caught up.
There are so many price points and diminishing returns are at several price points… I think there is more than 150000 audio files in the world but at reduced price points…
I sure hope there are more than 170k audiophiles in the whole world. I guess it depends on what the criteria is. Many younger audiophiles many of whom can’t afford to own their own home or live in a limited space listen on good headphones to their DAPs or desktop DACs. I’m led to believe sales of such gear to be quite robust.
It is hard to understand that other people simply do not care for music - it is difference between us like those who watch paitings in gallery and others who like any choosen wall paper for their home. Or are happy with ilustrations in book or periodics. And both admire art. only at different level.
In August 2022 for Sprout Amazon Australia charge A$2,057 but Hi Fi retailers sell it for A$1,495. Not cheap but good gear never is, quality is always worth the extra.
in fact the sprout100 didnt score well in some testing done by ASR. Was range in the low ends of the equipments tested. Some cheaper Topping at $200 did better.I would stick with their real lines of products. Thoses sounds great I did listened them many times at audio shows.
I feel like the values of life are changing also, for the average lets call it normal i don’t know but people just work all the time and they still don’t have enough money to buy or care like you say. So ya i dream about this expensive stuff but i still won’t ever have it.
We enjoy grilled vegetables ,along with mushrooms ( especially Portobellos ) along with good movies ….and some wine or beer 😋🤗😁 It is true … some don’t care about music and some do …and that’s OK
ha. this comes right after a segment on ' Hi Res' Dac's etc. I have a decent system, maybe 'above average' ( KEF LS Metas, Outlaw receiver , Thorens T'table , Sony Blue ray / SACD .... audiophile ? probably not. most folks probably have some sort of specialized interest, be it fishing or sewing , reading - whatever. each to their own.
My friends thinks that I'm an idiot investing in my 2 channel stereo. Yes I get frustrated no matter how I much I try to describe what I'm hearing they look at me like 🙄🙄🙄. Hi end audio is an experience and once you experience it there is no going back.
Paul is the LAST person on earth I would ever consider frustrated ... not now anyway .... during the long road to success I guess there were moments of frustration.... I'm in the recording industry for both television movies and music recording of all kinds ... I know first hand what live music sounds like and how close I can get it when reproduced using the worlds best audio equipment... am I frustrated...... ?..... you bet ... when I can't get to listen to what I hear at work when I'm at home ! I get pretty damn close ... but never quite get there.... I wonder if I ever will .... or should I just remain pragmatic and enjoy life 🤗
Pauls right but..for the lucky few who have time to sit and listen to music of an evening not mentioning where to put the equipment (victorian uk homes tiny) this people will get some much more from s record that they think they know well. The rest of us have music as backround sound
I have a fiio k9 pro for pc and a fiio m11 for on the go with a sundara and denon 7200. I Lovee to hear music like this, but my goddd allot of people i know think that Spotify is the best and will Never want to hear my Dsd files. And find it stupid that i bought all that stuff. Meanwile i think to myself 😅😅😅😆😆
It's odd how we want to change the world when we're young and then enjoy elitism when we get old. Besides appreciating high end audio, I've enjoyed Apple Mac computers for decades during which time people have been arguing the toss about Mac vs Windows. The same is happening with electric vehicles. While people are arguing the toss, trying to take the high ground and looking for a fight or simply ignoring technology altogether, I just enjoy it and sometimes feel quite smug. I'm not proud of that but it sometimes feels kinda good!
Paul...Let's go down this journey to those who grew up in the 1950's - 1970's that have an idea what HiFi (the start) is about. 99% of the Kids are listing to Beats and Apple AirPods for their listing pleasure and that's it. Either you have friends, a musician or have an interest in HiFi or Love gadgets that are willing to Pay some $$'s on gear. My 1st time at 10yrs Old (1971) Old at my uncle's home was a Fisher HiFi Console) that I heard sound, and this started my journey. It took me until 1985 (to save $$'s) to purchase my 1st Amp, Pre-Amp. Tuner, Turntable and Speakers and that costed me over $1500 (which was alot in 1985). Live goes on and around 2002 then I journeyed into True HiFi. Those who are born after 2000 have no idea what HiFi is about unless you have interest in music, family member with HiFi, love electronics or Richy Rich. As to Future HiFi Purchasers (and not making over 500k+) who appreciate music and Love Equipment that Manufacturer's will be challenged to engage this Generation ($$'s prohibited) to start a Journey themselves.
I get the feeling that it is snob value that has sparked the resurgence in vinyl. Any doofus can stick a CD into a player and get great and noise free sound, but it takes a lot of specialized (and expensive) equipment to do the same (or nearly the same, really) with an analog medium.
Actually, entry level Rega, Project and the like will give you a big taste of analog at little cost, and are ready to play out of he box. Simply spin and enjoy the music.
@@mpi5850 I grew up with vinyl records and tube amplifiers. I am quite happy to leave them in the past. (Except for my library of vinyl records, of course, but I seldom play them.)
.0000214% Paul and that indeed is a small amount. So before I actually start buying my system, I've decided I must come by and hear your systems so I can know what it is I'm trying to achieve. There are a couple other places I want to go to hear systems also, but I would think that if I haven't actually heard it then how can I know what I'm suppose to be aiming for? Does this sound about right?
I'm an Audio geek - but cant afford the top stuff hence will never be in the 150k. I think that was the original question - at least that's my frustration. Some people have the top stuff but dont gain any benefit - they should be buying the MP3's - Hey Ho. Top sound is for the rich I guess
i have had a great stereo system, very expensive i might add. And the sound that came out of that system. Sometimes a tear fell. But i dont have those kinda things any more.. It was a hobby yes but now i realized that it's just a waste of money. I have my small cerwin vega bookshelf speakers to my pc and my mobile phone.. It work
Just like food…(taste is a sense), some people get it, some people don’t. Could be there means or interest but it is different for everyone. When I introduced my wife to what I consider hi fidelity audio she was blown away. For someone else could mean nothing. Always considered myself lucky to have been an “audio file “ since I was able to afford good equipment.
@@Mark-lq3sb what exactly do you need to explained? you can throw out 200.000 for speakers and 50.000 for cables and still have worse results compared to 2.000 for spekaers, 500 for cables and 5.000 for room acoustics - you audiofools throw out tons of money for snakeoil because you have no education and understanding what makes the real differences - fine your money and stupidity but the problem is others are reading your repeated bullshit - when it comes to audio the largest problem are morons opening their mouth in public
People are more frustrated because they can no longer afford to buy good hifi systems because of the exorbitant prices companies are asking for now compared to a couple of decades ago. To rub salt in the wound, they get their lower price stuff, which is still expensive, in China, India or Vietnam and hike up the price of locally made products. I call this greed.No wonder there are only 150,000 so called audiophiles in the world. Music listening on good hifi has become elitist.
@@peterw2714 What really burns me is that most companies in Western countries have outsourced their manufacturing bases to China because of cheap exploited slave workers labor in China. This has made many chinese billionaires and turned China into an economic and military power. China now is claiming South China seas as their own and pushing into many countries like India, Sri Lanka and Africa, part of Europe etc and using economic blackmail as a weapon. Greed of Western countries is screwing the world.
That's just not true at all. Good sound is cheap today. Don't be fooled into thinking you need the stuff from e.g. PS Audio to enjoy high-fidelity music.
@@mrpeterfromgodknowswhere So you think companies making their stuff in cheap labor countries depriving locals of jobs and enriching CEOs and shareholders is not true? Also depends what you think is good audio for cheap. The crap with Western companies names made in China did not last long in my personal experience. Made in Taiwan, Malaysia are good.
I think your 100-150K number is a bit too low. Stereophile's circulation is more than half of those numbers, and it sells almost exclusively to English speaking audiophiles. There are lots of audiophiles in countries like China, Japan, and South Korea.
I get frustrated not hearing what you guy hear. I have ok system tekton double impact primaluna integrated amp, vmv dac and MIT 4 speaker cable, with 4 subwoofers, still seems to have a hard time hearing what you are hearing. Unfortunately that’s is as far as I can go with my budget
You have 189k subscribers. There are audiophile-oriented TH-cam channels out there that have 1 million or so subscribers. I'd guess that 1-2 million would be a decent estimate for the total number of audiophiles (assuming the people who are subscribed who aren't audiophiles are roughly the same number as the people who are audiophiles who don't subscribe).
Who has a million or so subscribers? I looked for the top ten true audiophile oriented and review channels a few days ago and came up with about 1.6 million between them all. A great many of which are surely crossover subscribers. Not saying you're wrong, I truly curious as I didn't find anyone with more than 290,000 subscribers in the home audio world. Now, in the car audio world Steve Meade has almost 880,000 subscribers but as far as I'm aware he has the largest audio related channel regardless of genre and it's still not a million strong.
Lost count on how many people...as I was getting into this hobby and putting together my 1st rig...told me to just buy a bluetooth speaker. The same people drink any cheap coffee thats on the supermarket shelf. They again look at me sideways..when they see what i spend on coffee.. grinding beans, weigh the water/beans, etc. We all have our priorities on where our extra money goes. Honestly, there's only one person in my life I feel bad for. I know he'd make good use of a decent set up. The rest... meh.
The world will and can absolutely change, just look at the transition from almost all analog to digital in the recording and mastering field. It do change if it improves the quality of audio, and that to 99.999% of those who actually understand. Compare that number to, well 0.001% and you should get that 99.999% are right, and so where does that leave your group? Sorry but... sometimes it makes no sense trying to re-invent the wheel, except for those who makes money from fooling others...
150,000 out of 7 billion. Interesting. I work as a realtor in Silicone Valley where disposable income is crazy high. People can buy anything they want. I have seen thousands of homes on our Tuesday tours over the years. I have seen only two homes with true audiophile equipment in all those years. In way of contrast, Ferrari's are somewhat "common" here. In addition, in my many years of owning high end equipment I have never had even a single convert who heard my stuff and said "I want that". It's certainly NOT true that if people just heard the stuff they would want it. I tell people what my stuff cost and I can just see in their faces they are thinking "what a F**king waste of money".
That's an interesting comment, I would have expected that those wealthy folks would have everything high end. But I guess some people buy fancy stuff to show off to others...which is less likely to happen with a new stereo (as opposed to a Ferrari)
Not everybody likes music..so they dont care about audio equipment..
You hit the nail on the head it's a niche market & with the cost of living crisis its just going to get smaller...
The amount of emotional satisfaction that analogue audio brings is huge. But it’s like any attraction, the women I find attractive, my friends may not understand what I see in her, they may not understand the emotional quirks that she brings me, it’s all down to personal taste. So long as you’re experiencing that joy from somewhere in your life then it’s a win.
The only people I can talk audio with are strangers that I sell or buy equipment to/from. Anytime I bring it up with family or friends, their eyes glaze over like a deer in the headlights.
I listen to most of my music as MP3 or FLAC via a smart-phone with headphones, or in the car. Because on-the-go, is probably the only time I get to listen.
I did get to listen to quite a lot of really high quality audio equipment in the early 80s. But only because I worked as a tester and QC at a company that made high-end amplifiers, Radford Audio in Bristol.
As a quick side note, my family and I vacationed in Silverthorne (CO) in 2021 and it was wonderful. We rented a nice house but we noticed that it had no air conditioning. At the time, I didn't realize that when you are at elevation (over a mile high or so), there's no need for that. Silverthorne is a hair over 9000ft above sea level so the summer temps were very moderate - mid 70s during the day, mid 50s at night. It was really nice, especially compared to the furnace-like temps we experience here in the plains of the midwest during the summer.
Anyway, I can understand the frustration of wondering why non-audiophiles can't or won't appreciate higher quality sound. I have introduced my family to such things and even they admit they can hear differences for the better in higher quality gear and music. However, while they appreciated what high quality music and gear could offer, they preferred what they received from their MP3/Bluetooth, etc, set-ups. It doesn't bother me because they are still getting enjoyment from it without all the fussy, complicated (at times), processes that many audiophiles love or hate.
If we audiophiles are really honest with ourselves, introducing the uninitiated into the world of audiophile-dom is potentially introducing a entire new world of even more frustration, elitism, and discourse. In order words, it's really becomes more about what *I* think can give you the best sound as opposed to what the audiophile community thinks. This can make the audiophile community one of the most dysfunctional groups on the internet.
If anyone out there is not an audiophile, enjoy your bliss! 👍🏻
I enjoy presenting my constantly changing sound systems with those around me. sometimes they ask if I could provide or help them acquire a system so they can appreciate it better in their own homes, Most folk I think actually prefer the experience of my music selection, spaces and systems... love em all!
I estimate there are far more audiophiles in the world, if you define audiophiles as people who remain interested in sound quality after they purchase a piece of audio equipment. My definition of audiophile includes anyone who reads about, shops for, or scrutinizes audio equipment regularly, as a pastime. I think that number, worldwide, is more like 2% of the industrialized world. That would be more like millions.
You are living in fantasy.
There are over 7 billion people living on this rock.
An audiophile has nothing to do with tinkering with over priced snake oil products or any products for that matter. An audiophile is someone who enjoys quality sound.
@@davidfromamerica1871 explain yourself then. I have met 2 people in my entire life who care whatsoever about home audio. And I know A LOT of people worth north of 30 million. I know a few more people who are into car audio, but not the detailed kind. Just bass and loudness.
You are living in the fantasy.
@@blanchbacker I've met a few more, but I'm with you. It's rare to meet people who care at all about audio fidelity and quality - and this is in an industrialized wealthy country. The number of people who care about audio equipment in poor countries, or where electricity isn't even reliable is nearly non-existent!
@@blanchbacker I know quite a few musicians and not one of them is an audiophile 🙂Audiophiles are like "photographers" who spend more time on the forums talking about gear and the next great thing they're going to buy than they do actual photography.
Great attitude. I feel the same. I love listening and tinkering and improving and listening. It is a great hobbie and I feel blessed to be part of that little club that has turned on to great sound reproduction.
Even within the community, those of us who have experienced and enjoy the level where micro detail shines are a subset within this tiny community. It becomes apparent when you get the heated discussion on cables, low phase noise clocks, or cable lifters. Triodes and vinyl. Clearly there are tons of people who have systems and or ears that cannot expose the tiny sounds that create the space around and natural timbre of instruments. I don't get angry when they ridicule me. I simply feel a bit lucky.
It’s ok Paul to go off into the weeds. 🤣
Fascinating conversation is established from the history & experience’s & knowledge one has in life and yes of course even the (opinions) all tucked away in your cabeza. Share them. I find them fascinating and human!
People can find a hobby like this loaded with snobbery & conspiracy and you are part of a small group of people who gets it, but never uses it to talk down too anyone! My favorite audiophiles are the ones who share and enjoy every aspect about it from start to finish.
You bridge gaps in the hobby and most of all the love of music by doing these videos and helping to understand it.
I think it’s way cool!!! 😊😊
The secret is to be happy with what you have. My wish list is endless but the limitations of money and space will always be a constraint. Chill out and enjoy what you have
So true. Never forgetting to find happiness in and enjoy what we already have is essential for a healthy, satisfying life.
Yeah, I’d say the amount of non-audiophiles “converted” after they’ve heard a really good system is tiny to nonexistent, and that’s not unusual: how many people have been shown fancy cookware, luxury cars, expensive watches, boats etc. and have said “Oh, that’s nice” and have thought no more about it? Take it as your own special hobby and don’t be frustrated when others don’t show the same amount of passion.
There’s people who spend their whole life not experiencing certain things. Like those who never experienced the true sonic impulses of infrasound.
And then those who swear it cannot be heard but I’ve noticed that not everyone’s hearing is the same. Just because you say it cannot be heard does not mean you can say that I can’t hear it.
Wait how low can you hear? It better not be below 15hz otherwise everything I know is a lie 😁
@@bailey2517
Lowest I can hear or sense pulsation is about 12hz. And that’s usually in a corner of a room or inside a vehicle. But in an open space, I can start to sense around 17Hz above.
@@Bassotronics dang 12hz?? I wonder what that sounds like. I mean, I've "heard" ultra low bass, even on the 4" sub I made, when I put me ear to the port, I could easily hear below 20hz. But I wonder how much different it sounds compared to a proper 18" subwoofer tuned to, say, 12hz. I'm sure that would be an entirely different experience. Idk if what I was hearing was even a real frequency but it seemed like infrasonic sound so idk. The 4" sub was tuned to 22hz though. I had to put my ear directly next to the port to hear it near 12hz.
@@Bassotronics is there a certain point where you'd say it goes from sounding like a "tone" to more of a "pulsing" in your ear?
@@bailey2517
Yea almost any sized woofer or subwoofer can play Infrasound.
The bigger obviously the more SPL and the more it will shake your body.
And referring to tone, at least in my case, I can hear it as a tone with its harmonics down to about 20Hz, less than that it becomes more pulsating and throbing to the ears.
Now that you mention 18” subs, I actually am using an 18” Subwoofer in a T-line system tuned to around 17Hz in my vehicle So you can imagine how much my windows shake.
Different strokes for different folks.
Witness for the prosecution is a great watch, they suspend belief withiuot any mass murder or special effects. Great story coupled with great acting and well worth the watching.
I'm envious of people who don't care too much about audiophile quality - they're not obsessive, they enjoy music just fine, and they appear to be at least as happy as I am 😀
Exactly its all about the music. Writer is getting frustrated having a really nice set-up, while others love the music anytime anywhere, maybe more than him.
🙃
I greatly enjoy your videos. They are informative and to the point, most of the time, lol. I am happy this one had some of your witty side bar. I just watched, Witness for the Prosecution as per your recommendation. What a fantastic classic, who done it. Please let me know if you have any more classics you can share. Thanks much!
I’ve loved good sound all my life
No air conditioning in a 95-degree summer climate? That sounds miserable.
Paul....you are so right about that movie......been years since I've watched it, may have to take it in again.
I try to introduce people to good sound especially younger people. I have an Infinity Interlude HT system and a Marantz av7005 preamp and a Carver AV 705x amplifier and though many may not consider it Audiophile it sounds pretty amazing. I always explain that you can start with a receiver and a pair of $300 speakers and have a marked improvement over BT speakers or sound from your tv.
“But the world doesn’t want to change.” Oh, that is so great, Paul. I mean it. Think how much we could lower the public noise level (to use an audiophile term) if folks accepted that yelling at each other rarely changes minds. Put your idea out there and let folks chew on it if they want. Good ideas have a way of surviving the process.
Grilled veggies and great hifi are a perfect match for longevity and happiness! Keep eating well and listening with passion Paul!
"Witness for the Prosecution" is a great movie...and I believe I will go back and watch it again also!
What’s cool? When your musically gifted in laws come over for Thanksgiving dinner and in the background you are playing music and they stop screaming at each other, walk over to your system and sit there in silence. They had never heard music they way it was intended. And yes, the PS Audio CD transport is really that good.
Which transport do you have? PWT, DST or the newest one?
Haha. Biggest load of bull I've heard in a while.
🧢🧢🧢 my relatives said “cool” and then proceeded to not care. And I have a family of musicians. Most boomers are deaf, anyways. (Not using boomer as an insult here)
@@blanchbacker "Not using boomer as an insult here" Grow a pair.
@@Puroplatino DST feeds the Brinkmann DAC and then to a VTL 6.5 preamp. Lastly, to the Decware tube amp.
I could honestly care less how others wish to listen to their music, it's none of my business. Getting frustrated at others seems to me to be a control issue. I listen to music the way I choose to. Granted, it's going to be dictated by what I can afford, and if others don't like it, that's their problem. I don't want to come across as "that person" but it seems like an odd question to ask. It's a common issue with those who can spend unlimited amounts of money on audio gear that they tend to look down on those who can't. We would all love to get the best gear money could buy but limited budgets and more important priorities dictate....whew, thank you, I feel better.
I can tell you that I grew up around people that thought nothing about going into debt $55k for s bass boat but would think $200 for a piece of shit plastic compact stereo would be too much.
That's the right attitude to have! I have tried to convert a few people (and still try lol) but by and large folks just don't care. Most think our tiny nitch hobby is sorta crazy. It used to perplex me why more females have no interest in our male dominated hobby. Over the years I have just come to accept it and enjoy the systems I have put together!
"The latest" Agatha Christie - we all mutter 'Death on the Nile' under our breaths, to be met with Charles Laughton in the 1957 (!!) Witness for the Prosecution! Awesome, made me chuckle.
As an amateur musician who plays and records... I don't care THAT much. It's like a photograph... does every one need to have the perfect sharpness, contrast, colours, composition and lighting? No, because it's the content and the message that matters more. Most people are not sitting at home in a quiet room critically listening to music; the majority of people don't need better than "good enough". I listened to AM radio and crappy cassette tapes as a kid; everything we have now is magical 😀
Everyone has their own hobbies they see value in. I learned long ago people will pay for if they can afford what they see happiness in. I see items for 10,000 I would not pay a nickel for but that is because I have zero interest in that hobby so it has little to no value to me for enjoyment. I do not put time anymore into people for my industry of commercial real estate unless I see the passion there to learn.
Said rightly
Very true, then you calculate In the amount of people who have the means to obtain the highest echelon of any hobby and the numbers become even smaller.
A lot more people would be interested in quality audio products, if they got to listen to a professionally set-up, high-end system (or even something mid-way between what they have and high-end).
Part of the reason, for the minimal demand, is the public's general obliviousness to the beauty, joy, and excitement of how amazing music can sound vs what have come to accept as the way it sounds.
Well to do people have no problem plunking down loads of $$ on a fancy car, because they see the fancy cars, and they know about the fancy cars. But if they never saw Ferrari's and Lamborghini's, they, too, would not desire those cars, because they never saw one. With music, if they never hear an amazing stereo, then they have no interest in what they never heard.
Also, countless people think that they have heard great sounding stereos, when they never did. Many have, but I believe that many more have not, even though they think that they have.
So they heard a Bose system at their friend's house, or a bass pounding car stereo, and now they believe that they heard the best.
For example, few people have heard music that projects voices and instruments, several feet beyond the outer edges of their speakers. Yet, many of those people will tell you that they have heard great sound reproduction -- and they are telling the truth, as they know it. They simply have no clue about that which they never heard, and what they do not know exists.
So when you ask them if they would spend $10k, $25k, etc, on a stereo, they associate that amount with what they heard, and will say "I would never spend that kind of $$ on a stereo". But if they actually heard such a stereo, professionally set-up, with all the makings of throwing a proper soundstage, I suspect that many more people would consider such a stereo, if they could afford it.
But even on a low budget, they choose mass produced, name brand components that are not very good, and they plop their speakers down where they look the best. For $2,500, with the right speakers and receiver (or integrated amp) you could have a very good sounding system that does nearly everything right. But most people neither know know what "right" is, nor do they know about the brands that focus on affordable quality, because they never heard it (including some folks that participate in this channel's comment section, such as the cable deniers).
There was a time when the commoner actually needed stereo ,just like they need a car ,and those that loved music would justify the cost of a hi end system.Now a 180 has happened bc there's no longer a real need. The stereo industry is selling for the most part to select group of enthusiasts who have financial means -Which is why there is this really stupid priced stuff out there
@Nicholas "But the real truth is most people can not hear the difference and the reason is their ears are trained to hear one dimensional plus focus is only in one direction."
Wring that that is "the real truth" does not make it "the real truth"
Anyone, that can hear a sound coming from their right, can hear a soundstage the paints a sonic image of a coming from the right (or left, as the case may be).
Asserting that people cannot identify the direction from which a sound originates is silly. This tells me that you never heard such a stereo.
"Some company a while back did a test decent sounding basic turntable vs MP3."
That is like me saying:
Some company did a test with a decent running family sedan vs a decent running suburban utility vehicle...
The validity of such a test would need to specify every component in the stereo, down to the cabling and the source of each song (the specific stamper codes (vinyl) and specific album from which the mp3 was released). The test also needs to specify who set up the stereo, and what qualified them to do so, expertly.
"I have actually even heard people say to a fantastic sounding high end system that it sounds too good and I don't like this."
That probably was due to using the wrong song selections, or that system was not fantastic sounding.
To those that prefer a drum machine to a talented drummer, they will likely always prefer sizzle-boom, not care a whit about sound quality, and simply want to blast their favorite songs.
To those that prefer compressed sound, it is probably due to them living their lives, having never heard anything other than compress sound. When properly recorded music is introduced to them, it is foreign to them, and triggers them to believe "something is wrong". The music sounds wrong, because they never heard it sound that way. When all you have ever heard was wrong, then decades later, when it is right, it is hard for some people to process that the "right" sound really is "right". It is hard for some people to come to terms with having enjoyed so much garbage sounding music for all of their life.
Also, not all high-end stereos are for every person. I have listened to a number of highly regarded speakers and associated gear.
I have heard ProAc speakers, which have an attractive sound quality -- but not my taste.
I have heard Vandersteen's Quatro speakers 3 or 4 times, and I would never have considered purchasing them. I did not understand why they got such great reviews.
Then, when I heard them at Audio Connection in Verona, NJ, I was blown away.
The other locations were either not feeding their Quatros from equipment that makes a good marriage, or the speakers were not properly placed (and that is critical), or the source material was not well recorded, etc.
But when those speakers were properly set up, with Aesthetix gear feeding them, they sounding amazing.
So when these companies and individual do these blind tests, they are mostly pointless. I doubt any of them know what they are doing. I doubt any of them have the sound quality I heard at Audio Connection.
I had a similar experience when I heard Ravel's Studio2 speakers at Lyric HiFi in Manhattan (back in 2007).
The first time, they blew me away. The best sound I ever heard.
A couple of weeks later, I heard them, again, in the same store, but in a different room with different electronics feeding them, and the sound kind of sucked.
The salesperson said that he had just moved them there, and did not have time to set them up properly.
The above goes to my point, that even in the country's most prestigious high-end store, they had amazing speakers that once sounded fantastic, followed by sounding nothing special.
For a blind test, the stereo is the lab, and that lab needs to be professionally set-up. When done right, people will pass the blind testing, and people will exclaim how great it sounds and that they never heard anything like it. Few will declare their congested mp3's on their sizzle-boom stereo to be the winner.
The other reality is that better sound is now easier and cheaper than ever before.
For example, the HomePod sounds pretty good, even to us audiophiles, imagine what it represents to the average person.
I will look up that film. Thank you for the recommendation Paul. I 💗 your videos.
I just introduced a couple of friends to Magnepans (1.7i's) and could see their faces light up at the prospect of better audio. So there is hope.
Thanks Paul. I think there are also lots of people who never listened to good sound, and definitely not to great sound. I.e. if you never heard a sub-woofer then you won't miss it. But if you heard some music and soundtracks with sub-woofer then suddenly it sounds a lot better. And only then come the realization: I want a sub-woofer. And that is similar with good speaker, etc. Many people have no idea how great things can sound. And I include myself. I listened relative seldom to good speakers, which cost maybe 3000 USD per pair. But I never listened to top speakers like yours.
Witness for the Prosecution!! Great Film. Discovered it about a month ago on Amazon Prime
I don't think it's that they don't care, it's that they don't know they should care.
They haven't had the experience.
I convinced my neighbour (13 at the time) that higher end audio does sound better.
She uses her iphone and some really cheap earbuds cranked up.
I listened and they sound like crap, but they were fine to her.
I had a modest Fiio music player along with some Dunu headphones. Not great by high end standards, but compared to what she was listening to (heavy V shape, with distortion), it was night and day.
We listen to some of the same music so played a track for her and she immediately regretted it as now she understands what quality sounds like.
Low and behold she's upgraded her ear phones to some decent in ears (she's 15 now), and has a better source for music when she's in her room.
She cares now (though not as much as I do).
She never will care as much as you.
I am Frustrated with hifi after investing 10s of thousands over many years and not getting the results …
No air conditioning? I thought the whole USA was air-conditioned.
Maybe if PS Audio didn't sell their equipment at such low prices he would be able to afford aircon.
If one is able to avoid the need for air conditioning in their living space, that's amazing.
Houses especially can do that. As Paul size, a 2-level house can have the ground floor cool even in the summer.
One of the tricks is having some windows open on the top floors and letting the air rise from the ground level and exit via the top-floor windows.
Cool house even in summer, no need for air conditioning.
Wish apartments would offer such physical choices too. :(
Depends on where you live in the U.S. The States have a wide verity of climates. Close to the Candian border, parts of Calif. or high-up in the mountains; not so much is needed. The desert Southwest and in general the Southern States. Don't forget the Mid-West You're going to want that air-conditioning.
Most modern people haven't heard how good sound can get but u only hear it in the best equipment
There will always be the “clock radio”listener, but modest or extreme audiophiles will persevere!
My wife tolerates my home theatre and interest in hifi.....just. She would happily listen to music on her iPhone.....
For Home Theater, the hobby reached its peak in the early to mid 2000's. Then peaked again around 2013 to 2016 or so with Dolby Atmos. Now it's at a low again because everything has been talked about and done through forums and TH-cam. Once you're caught up, you're caught up.
LOLZ, Aussie prices are whacked.
Thanks for the info Sir
There are so many price points and diminishing returns are at several price points…
I think there is more than 150000 audio files in the world but at reduced price points…
I sure hope there are more than 170k audiophiles in the whole world. I guess it depends on what the criteria is. Many younger audiophiles many of whom can’t afford to own their own home or live in a limited space listen on good headphones to their DAPs or desktop DACs. I’m led to believe sales of such gear to be quite robust.
It is hard to understand that other people simply do not care for music - it is difference between us like those who watch paitings in gallery and others who like any choosen wall paper for their home. Or are happy with ilustrations in book or periodics. And both admire art. only at different level.
In August 2022 for Sprout Amazon Australia charge A$2,057 but Hi Fi retailers sell it for A$1,495. Not cheap but good gear never is, quality is always worth the extra.
in fact the sprout100 didnt score well in some testing done by ASR. Was range in the low ends of the equipments tested. Some cheaper Topping at $200 did better.I would stick with their real lines of products. Thoses sounds great I did listened them many times at audio shows.
Paul, get a new chair for that person's desk. The arm rest is cracked on both sides.
Hey Paul. Welcome to the family!! The audiophile family. We get it!!!
Oh ok. How cool is this!!! Do you need a address correct?
To most people a new type of speaker is like a new type of shovel or frying pan.
I feel like the values of life are changing also, for the average lets call it normal i don’t know but people just work all the time and they still don’t have enough money to buy or care like you say. So ya i dream about this expensive stuff but i still won’t ever have it.
There are more of us Paul, far more. :)
Greetings from fareast. Have a safe weekend.
We enjoy grilled vegetables ,along with mushrooms ( especially Portobellos ) along with good movies ….and some wine or beer 😋🤗😁
It is true … some don’t care about music and some do …and that’s OK
ha. this comes right after a segment on ' Hi Res' Dac's etc. I have a decent system, maybe 'above average' ( KEF LS Metas, Outlaw receiver , Thorens T'table , Sony Blue ray / SACD .... audiophile ? probably not. most folks probably have some sort of specialized interest, be it fishing or sewing , reading - whatever. each to their own.
150,000 in the US would also be a relatively small number of people. 😏
My friends thinks that I'm an idiot investing in my 2 channel stereo. Yes I get frustrated no matter how I much I try to describe what I'm hearing they look at me like 🙄🙄🙄.
Hi end audio is an experience and once you experience it there is no going back.
Yes and thank you
Frustration comes with experience 😀
Audiophiles are even more elite - we now have 8 billion people on the planet, not 7. 😉
Paul is the LAST person on earth I would ever consider frustrated ... not now anyway .... during the long road to success I guess there were moments of frustration....
I'm in the recording industry for both television movies and music recording of all kinds ... I know first hand what live music sounds like and how close I can get it when reproduced using the worlds best audio equipment... am I frustrated...... ?..... you bet ... when I can't get to listen to what I hear at work when I'm at home ! I get pretty damn close ... but never quite get there.... I wonder if I ever will .... or should I just remain pragmatic and enjoy life 🤗
Pauls right but..for the lucky few who have time to sit and listen to music of an evening not mentioning where to put the equipment (victorian uk homes tiny) this people will get some much more from s record that they think they know well. The rest of us have music as backround
sound
I feel this as well when describing the hifi experience to others.
Paul, that lovely home of yours doesn't have AC? You need to rectify that!
There is a difference between "care" and "can afford". Get your head out of the sand of privilege.
Thanks for the film recommendation Paul. Do you have a hi-fi set up at home too?
man that tofu in the grill made me hungry
Hi Paul check out the anthem m1 class D amp I think is the future powerful and light weight what do you think 🤔
my wife and i do the same thing paul.we love our cinema.well when i say our ,i mean my home cinema...lol
Good audio equipment is expensive, going second hand helps a lot though
My father owns Witness of the prosecution on laserdisc. The world is full of movie geeks
What's really frustrating is that in this world of video, audio takes a DISTANT back-seat! :( Try listening to a live podcast sometime!
150k of audiophiles is a bit low considering the amount of gear that is sold evry year..
No he’s not having to watch the adds at the start of his videos as he rolls in all his TH-cam royalties. Lol
I have a fiio k9 pro for pc and a fiio m11 for on the go with a sundara and denon 7200.
I Lovee to hear music like this, but my goddd allot of people i know think that Spotify is the best and will Never want to hear my Dsd files. And find it stupid that i bought all that stuff.
Meanwile i think to myself 😅😅😅😆😆
It's odd how we want to change the world when we're young and then enjoy elitism when we get old. Besides appreciating high end audio, I've enjoyed Apple Mac computers for decades during which time people have been arguing the toss about Mac vs Windows. The same is happening with electric vehicles. While people are arguing the toss, trying to take the high ground and looking for a fight or simply ignoring technology altogether, I just enjoy it and sometimes feel quite smug. I'm not proud of that but it sometimes feels kinda good!
Get to know Mr. Paul McGowan, I highly recommend that you should read his book "99 % True".
Paul...Let's go down this journey to those who grew up in the 1950's - 1970's that have an idea what HiFi (the start) is about. 99% of the Kids are listing to Beats and Apple AirPods for their listing pleasure and that's it. Either you have friends, a musician or have an interest in HiFi or Love gadgets that are willing to Pay some $$'s on gear. My 1st time at 10yrs Old (1971) Old at my uncle's home was a Fisher HiFi Console) that I heard sound, and this started my journey. It took me until 1985 (to save $$'s) to purchase my 1st Amp, Pre-Amp. Tuner, Turntable and Speakers and that costed me over $1500 (which was alot in 1985). Live goes on and around 2002 then I journeyed into True HiFi. Those who are born after 2000 have no idea what HiFi is about unless you have interest in music, family member with HiFi, love electronics or Richy Rich. As to Future HiFi Purchasers (and not making over 500k+) who appreciate music and Love Equipment that Manufacturer's will be challenged to engage this Generation ($$'s prohibited) to start a Journey themselves.
I get the feeling that it is snob value that has sparked the resurgence in vinyl.
Any doofus can stick a CD into a player and get great and noise free sound, but it takes a lot of specialized (and expensive) equipment to do the same (or nearly the same, really) with an analog medium.
And free scratches, pops and hiss.
Actually, entry level Rega, Project and the like will give you a big taste of analog at little cost, and are ready to play out of he box. Simply spin and enjoy the music.
@@mpi5850 I grew up with vinyl records and tube amplifiers. I am quite happy to leave them in the past. (Except for my library of vinyl records, of course, but I seldom play them.)
Mp3 players haven't been used in 10+ years.
BBQ Dandelions?
.0000214% Paul and that indeed is a small amount. So before I actually start buying my system, I've decided I must come by and hear your systems so I can know what it is I'm trying to achieve. There are a couple other places I want to go to hear systems also, but I would think that if I haven't actually heard it then how can I know what I'm suppose to be aiming for? Does this sound about right?
I have the best sound my limited space and budget will allow. A cross between vintatage and modern Having said that I get it!
I'm an Audio geek - but cant afford the top stuff hence will never be in the 150k. I think that was the original question - at least that's my frustration. Some people have the top stuff but dont gain any benefit - they should be buying the MP3's - Hey Ho. Top sound is for the rich I guess
i have had a great stereo system, very expensive i might add. And the sound that came out of that system. Sometimes a tear fell. But i dont have those kinda things any more.. It was a hobby yes but now i realized that it's just a waste of money. I have my small cerwin vega bookshelf speakers to my pc and my mobile phone.. It work
That’s just sad
@@martindl4290 YES
Just like food…(taste is a sense), some people get it, some people don’t. Could be there means or interest but it is different for everyone. When I introduced my wife to what I consider hi fidelity audio she was blown away. For someone else could mean nothing. Always considered myself lucky to have been an “audio file “ since I was able to afford good equipment.
Good equipment and HiFi don't need that overpriced snake oil crap
@@Harald_Reindl
"Good equipment and HIFI don't need that overpriced snake oil crap"
Baffling! You should explain...
@@Mark-lq3sb what exactly do you need to explained? you can throw out 200.000 for speakers and 50.000 for cables and still have worse results compared to 2.000 for spekaers, 500 for cables and 5.000 for room acoustics - you audiofools throw out tons of money for snakeoil because you have no education and understanding what makes the real differences - fine your money and stupidity but the problem is others are reading your repeated bullshit - when it comes to audio the largest problem are morons opening their mouth in public
Yes, witness for the prosecution is an excellent movie.
What a snooty thing for Gary to say.
Best time ever to be into HiFi is now... $1,500usd can buy a FULLY complete new audio system with outstanding SQ
People are more frustrated because they can no longer afford to buy good hifi systems because of the exorbitant prices companies are asking for now compared to a couple of decades ago. To rub salt in the wound, they get their lower price stuff, which is still expensive, in China, India or Vietnam and hike up the price of locally made products. I call this greed.No wonder there are only 150,000 so called audiophiles in the world. Music listening on good hifi has become elitist.
You should check out a guy on TH-cam called the “cheapaudioman”
@@peterw2714 What really burns me is that most companies in Western countries have outsourced their manufacturing bases to China because of cheap exploited slave workers labor in China. This has made many chinese billionaires and turned China into an economic and military power. China now is claiming South China seas as their own and pushing into many countries like India, Sri Lanka and Africa, part of Europe etc and using economic blackmail as a weapon. Greed of Western countries is screwing the world.
@@artyfhartie2269 I can’t argue with that
That's just not true at all. Good sound is cheap today. Don't be fooled into thinking you need the stuff from e.g. PS Audio to enjoy high-fidelity music.
@@mrpeterfromgodknowswhere So you think companies making their stuff in cheap labor countries depriving locals of jobs and enriching CEOs and shareholders is not true? Also depends what you think is good audio for cheap. The crap with Western companies names made in China did not last long in my personal experience. Made in Taiwan, Malaysia are good.
Paul. Please get air conditioning. You don't know what your missing. Strangley this frustrates me. Lol Love your channel
That is 0.0014% if anyone is interested....
I think your 100-150K number is a bit too low. Stereophile's circulation is more than half of those numbers, and it sells almost exclusively to English speaking audiophiles. There are lots of audiophiles in countries like China, Japan, and South Korea.
Like you its kinda Cool. 👍
Sweet to hear you’re vegetarian Paul! 🌱
I get frustrated not hearing what you guy hear. I have ok system tekton double impact primaluna integrated amp, vmv dac and MIT 4 speaker cable, with 4 subwoofers, still seems to have a hard time hearing what you are hearing. Unfortunately that’s is as far as I can go with my budget
How do you know you're not hearing what they hear? You have an excellent collection of products so it's not the gear that would be holding you back.
You have 189k subscribers. There are audiophile-oriented TH-cam channels out there that have 1 million or so subscribers. I'd guess that 1-2 million would be a decent estimate for the total number of audiophiles (assuming the people who are subscribed who aren't audiophiles are roughly the same number as the people who are audiophiles who don't subscribe).
That’s me stealth subscribing. Lol
Who has a million or so subscribers? I looked for the top ten true audiophile oriented and review channels a few days ago and came up with about 1.6 million between them all. A great many of which are surely crossover subscribers. Not saying you're wrong, I truly curious as I didn't find anyone with more than 290,000 subscribers in the home audio world. Now, in the car audio world Steve Meade has almost 880,000 subscribers but as far as I'm aware he has the largest audio related channel regardless of genre and it's still not a million strong.
Lost count on how many people...as I was getting into this hobby and putting together my 1st rig...told me to just buy a bluetooth speaker. The same people drink any cheap coffee thats on the supermarket shelf. They again look at me sideways..when they see what i spend on coffee.. grinding beans, weigh the water/beans, etc. We all have our priorities on where our extra money goes.
Honestly, there's only one person in my life I feel bad for. I know he'd make good use of a decent set up. The rest... meh.
We get that you’re anal about things.
Ill try reading this tomorrow so i can provide a helpful comment
Is Paul FIRST-RATED? 😆
The world will and can absolutely change, just look at the transition from almost all analog to digital in the recording and mastering field. It do change if it improves the quality of audio, and that to 99.999% of those who actually understand. Compare that number to, well 0.001% and you should get that 99.999% are right, and so where does that leave your group? Sorry but... sometimes it makes no sense trying to re-invent the wheel, except for those who makes money from fooling others...