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In the Forum: Playback Listening
In the Thread: The “Inverted High End Audio” ™
Post Subject: Not that wrongPosted by Antonio J. on: 10/9/2006
Maybe you didn't mean that it would be necessary or even desirable the existence of some "tailor audio", though I understood it implicitly. It's my fault. Custom audio (and not DIY as it's commonly practiced) is something that might work for me at my actual audio evolvement point, but not for most people. Nevertheless we both seem to agree that current High End is a mess where the industry has produced some "audio topics" helped by reviewers, creating "audio necessities" which are far away from giving any meaningful result. This has spoilt any serious possibility for the 99% of us to enjoy commercial solutions to evolved demands.

I think that high end was born as a marketing strategy in the US to fight the market invasion from Japan in the 60's. High end focused more in status and exclusivity, sturdy construction, and luxury looks than in real audio performance. To increase the difference, at first they started the "measurements battle", but since this didn't work for the already good measurements of midfi gear, they needed to create a new vocabulary to convince potential buyers that it wasn't just a matter of price or looks, they also were offering "better sound". This started all the vicious circle of better minute sonic features that only very educated and expert listeners could discern. In my humild opinion, it was then when high end started to sound like professional engineering gear, and less like music. Possibly it's better sound to hear 3rd row chorus singer farts, but not better audio.

After all audio suffers from the same disease than the whole eastern society and economical system: satisfy greed. The greed of consumers who want more of everything to fill the profound vacuum that this "modern life" produces in them, and of course the greed of the people who are continously designing procedures to take your money and become rich and mighty. Most of the goods produced and sold aren't necessary, not even useful, but thanks to this mechanism people have a job, earn money, have a house and eat every day. If people just bought what are sure to need, and purchased it only after a serious process of evaluation, economy wouldn't keep rising. Current high end is just one part of this nonsense. Just tell me any other market niche where offer from industry is really driven by consumer demands, and that these demands come from a deep knowledge from what's needed by the own consumer.

Rgrds
A.

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