I agree that this deserves its own thread, so here it is. I don't have time to contribute at the mo, but let's just say I agree with most of this, and disagree with some of it.Prices like the above though and the voodoo that Lars peddles isnt doing the hifi industry any favours at all. I tried to encourage a few guys at work during the week to pop in and have a look but mostly they sniggered at hifi in general, their gripe being mainly the silly prices, the voodoo tweaks and pseudo science that surrounds some but certainly not all of hifi.
One of the biggest issues that I see with the hifi industry is their failure to address the issue of an ever ageing customer base. How can they attract newcomers to hifi? Certainly not with voodoo, high prices and the like! That only alienates people and makes the hobby seem either unobtainable, silly or both.
Anyway, I think the hifi brands are missing out on an opportunity to really show what hifi can do at an entry level. Cut out all the bullshit and leave newcomers in no doubt as to what can achieved with a system that's good value yet has quality. That will get them on the path. Advertise in non hifi mags, do something to promote hifi. Ask anyone not familiar with hifi what they think hifi is and they'll most likely say Bose or B&O probably because they've come across them in other mags.
Of course there is also the way mainstream music is these days, with it being manufactured, packaged and listened to on the go through ipods and the like.
So is hifi going to get even more smaller, more specialised, more elitist?
This is probably a rant for another thread! :-)
Anyone else like to wade in?