If HiFi is so good, why aren't more people into it!?

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[@haosheng12]

"If HIFI is so good, why isn't there a HIFI 2?"

[@catfishdave6125]

Honestly, I think cost and knowledge is a factor, but I think a lot of people just don't care. I've had people listen to my setup and say they couldn't tell a difference, and if they could they didn't think it mattered.

[@eskamobob8662]

Most everyone I've showed my gear to hears the difference and just doesn't care. Its like a "well if this was the same convenience and cost as airpods, I would absalutely get it, but it doesn't, so I wont."

[@bobsykes]

You brought up a good point. No real high end audio stores in almost any town anymore, where they used to be everywhere.

[@JWForce1059]

I tried helping my boss to understand what hifi equipment could do to enhance engagement with the music. Started out with KPH30is and playing some songs that really show them off - Bubbles and Letter by Yosi, the original barbershop video, etc. He acknowledged that they sounded better than dirtybuds, but he still didn't get it. Is that Hifi? Not by a longshot. Maybe it would make a difference with a kickin' planar and good setup to run it on. But I dunno, I think there are some people who are listening to the song as a song, and not hearing/ caring about spatial presentation, precise imaging, timbre. Not a bad thing to be focused on the music for its own sake, but there's no dichotomy between that and appreciating how a well-recorded track can bring you in even further.

[@corneliussmith5875]

I just got into hifi and even with a 300 dollar set up it dose the job very well for my listening needs.

[@pharmistice4565]

8:42 Facts. A year and a half ago I bought the HD6XX because it was open back so it let outside sounds in and I needed to be able to hear people knock or ring the door bell while I was gaming. Now I'm commenting on this video.

[@dittonara]

Maybe HiFi will be more mainstream if companies like Spotify market hi-fi streaming well, combined with the availability of a simple, affordable solution for hi fi system.

[@riotz370]

Hifi price tag is crazy expensive

[@SpiritualPsychotherapyServices]

Sings: “It ain’t necessarily so...” 🎤

[@shadouxg7150]

Why do u use the price of the more expensive stuff to define hifi?, there are cheap things too

[@ericdaniel323]

In just about any hobby you can spend boatloads of cash if you choose. They use the example of cars. If you are into cars, you can build a nice muscle car for no more than buying a new or slightly used Accord. Or if you have the interest and the means, you can spend as much as the price of a single family home in a nice neighborhood. With audio, you could spend a couple of hundred bucks and get reasonably close to state-of-the-art performance. Or you can take out a second mortgage and build a dream system if that is really what you are into.

[@riotz370]

@@shadouxg7150 If it cheap it's not hifi but it's chifi

[@SpiritualPsychotherapyServices]

@@riotz370 define "CHEAP". 🤔

[@12gauge599]

I like to draw an analogy with audiosciencereview and fine cuisine. The whole philosophy of ASR, is like getting all the ingredients perfectly right for the food as seen in the cooking book, but never tasting the food.

[@MAELOB]

I think it all starts with curiosity and knowing there is better stuff out there. Once you get the bug of the hobbie you will start reading about the better stuff. I knew about hifi since I was a kid and in my college years i always knew I wanted a cool system.

[@mikedergalev]

I didn't even know u guys exist until recently when i got my 1st hifi setup (1800$) and started researching. Now i consider buying a 3500$ amp/dac like a bridge for (maybe) one of your shiny toys🤗😁 I wasn't aware i would like it so much to spend a fortune on sound but here i am🤗 Thank's for everything👏

[@xyanide1986]

An optometrist once told me some people just aren't wired to see any sharper. Some (like me) can see pretty sharply even when their eyes are worse, so they demand more from the glasses accuracy. I also love sound and I can imagine those things are related. The senses might work a bit better.

[@dosuboru]

Hi! Which of your products can be driven by A&K Kann Alpha? For portable use

[@davidcoons89]

I greatly look forward to your shows. Just remember…’with great power comes great responsibility’!

[@HiFiInsider]

most people are not exposed to high-end so they don't know what they're missing.

[@TheLeftistOwl]

I think that's also a huge factor. They don't have a reference point for what sounds bad and what sounds good

[@TVxNoise]

I wasn't aware of it at the time but I didn't think too much of HIFI gear I was more like a mass consumer buyer ( I believe they're trying to close the gap tho) but my mind at the point assumed yeah there's better gear out there, of course, its definitely gonna cost money ( as with most things ) so I never looked it up found out drop existed and watched 100s of videos and KZbinrs like ZEOS, DMS, and Joshua valour before making my ( mid-end ) HIFI system ( id like to think )

[@FlamencoOz]

Yeah I just don't think people care about music audio currently that much because most people listen to music as a secondary thing rather than as the primary thing. I live in a city Sydney where plenty of people spend on Mercedes, Porsche, BMW's, 1m+ houses, expensive TV's, etc but they don't see a value proposition in good hifi (even in the budget range) which requires work and an actual care factor to understand it. A pair of crappy apple buds is good enough for most.

[@afrancois1968]

Being interested in high end audio has more to do with who you are then with the depth of your pockets. The wealthy have the luxury to be able to afford it. Luckily good HiFi is becoming more accessible. Not saying that Abyss is cheap of course. I personally will never own headphones that expensive.

[@thevashfan12392]

no kidding, a scraped down cost setup is still about 15k (this is a full setup of gear on their site) just the abyss 1266 in a decent package is 5k (which is possible for me but I aspire to have the best sound quality) I seek to own a completed setup which will cost about 30k but it'll last me the rest of my life and I've a growing library of classical music (which moves me to tears with my hifiman arya's) disclaimer: not flexing, just expression a passion and ambition for high fidelity audio and how I am going to get their headphones later. I might also do a comparison to a pair of susvara headphones (I do enjoy soundstaging)

[@afrancois1968]

@@thevashfan12392 Same here, more than once I’m moved to tears by classical music. I have a two pair of headphones but I do not use them often. I always aspired the speaker system I have now and I’m very happy with it , even though it costs a small fortune. For me that is :-)

[@thevashfan12392]

@@afrancois1968 what set of speakers? I've been repeatedly disappointed by the sound quality of speakers because there's always a blaring distortion point. I refuse to have my car radio on anymore because it's so noticeable and even some television sets. I keep the volume low to keep it even. Hence why my focus in headphones, also getting good in ear monitors for high portability is another boondoggle in my experience.

[@afrancois1968]

@@thevashfan12392 Hello Brandon. I have Focal Sopra 2 speakers.

[@thevashfan12392]

@@afrancois1968 o-kay. Yeah those are outside my budget. But they've got to be some epic tier stuff. I'll stick to headphones and in ear monitors

[@ChironZore]

Fascinating discussion!!!

[@medusa_lives]

I really think the most important reason is lack of exposure. They don’t know it exists, or assume it’s not that different than “good” audio quality they’ve heard (Apple AirPods etc). Once I discovered it, I started caring. Still hoping you guys can hear the Kii Three BXT system someday! I have no affiliation with them but I do own the speakers and they are mind-blowing. I would love to hear their better but I’m not sure they exist, at least for less than, like, 200k 🤔

[@zephskiee5395]

you should make a television ad to make audiophile mainstream lmao

[@shadouxg7150]

I though of that too

[@ABYSSHeadphones]

KZbin is today's television...

[@bladelefusyn3337]

@@ABYSSHeadphones There's an unbearable amount or people who still have television subscriptions (ads and all) or who listen to radio. In general audiophile stuff being advertised on telly might be a good way to have more reach. But as a person who doesn't really do the above, my limited knowledge ends here.

[@guisado1002]

I only discover this hifi thing last year. I'm searching for earbuds and accidentally i ordered iem, i was amazed by its sound never heard before

[@teslinphotog9168]

Thanks for answering my question again. I figured it would be a simple question, but I love your guy’s opinions on stuff. Thx Abyss!!

[@taidee]

I think the thing is that for people like us here on this forum, we are the kind that does look at high-end stuff, sometimes to just see why, even if we would not spend on it "even if we could afford". A lot of people hardly notice different cars they avoid bumping against on the road, so it becomes even worse when they have to go searching for it. But yes, the cost is mostly the driver, for example I know the gear I have is nowhere even close to what I want, it is currently just what I need for now.

[@tonykazz2779]

Clarity is a factor as people age. Blurred, under water sounding communication doesn't work well . People spend serious money on hearing aids from Phonak Tony in Venice Florida

[@gregbartley2475]

Most people I know primarily listen in the car and very little at home. Usually they are using it as background music so sound quality doesn’t matter. I think you have to love music and be willing to sit down and actively listen and put your phone down.

[@Konamalunu]

I already had a lot of unfortunate situations where people were talking very proudly of their new beats headphones. It is not just economics. People really think they are good, because friends and good marketing told them they would be and because they do not have a good reference point.

[@bladelefusyn3337]

That's gonna be a guaranteed obstacle in most situations regarding a product (or experience). I heard/saw/read nothing but good stuff for the Beats (a decade ago) and hated them when I finally bought them, for sound more than anything else. As recently as last year it was the same for the Sony XM3's. Hated everything about them including looks and feel and sound (returned them immediately). Recommendation is also based in experience, just as I would recommend what I heard and liked, and then you may disagree entirely. Highly subjective. Best advice I can give is to Trust Your Ears. & Enjoy the Music. That may require auditioning them for yourself, somehow, but it's a better bet than purely word of mouth. That being said, I have never tested headphones before buying them. Only researched a ton more on the ones I was looking into. Once I stopped taking "advice" from others and stuck to looking into them on my own, results were massively on the other extreme. But that is MY experience, which will likely differ from someone else's. Doesn't make it wrong, just not for everyone. =)

[@ericfallabel9201]

I think a lot of it is about convenience, both in terms of initial setup and then day to day use. Wireless and portable are major considerations for the mass market, and studies routinely show that most people always choose convenience over quality. Most will also never do the research to buy amps, DACs, and better headphones, even for improved sound

[@bladelefusyn3337]

The knowledge and work required more than anything seems to deter many who may be willing to look past the price. That was my main issue and the biggest reasons I almost stayed away from it all. Asking other audiophiles for advice was a bad idea, based on my experiences I'd say that is a factor as well for many folk. I simply mentioned to a friend once the difference between FLAC and mp3 and they couldn't give a shit, what they had was more than enough, not even willing to hear for themselves (extra work, bigger size to start).

[@rsolsjo]

If a sports car is so much better than a normal one, why don't everyone drive sports cars? Simple, not everyone cares for them and not everyone can afford it even if they did. You can be perfectly contented with what you have, a few of us want to explore it more and push it further.

[@bladelefusyn3337]

That's true for any area of human interest. Considering it is this species who created the system and value of "money". Setting that aside, whatever we are interested or curious in we tend to pursue and question and push the limits of. Go deep enough and we are discovering and creating our own schiit, then sharing with others (free or for profit). X Games started with a bunch of misfits and "hooligans" who did crazy stunts on bike/board/etc. Fought against the mainstream, it gained popularity, enough to eventually have a big paid event, and now many of this and more is part of the Olympics. There are an infinite amount of reasons why someone chooses to pursue something, or spend towards it, or even dabble in it themselves DIY-style. And "better" is a also perspective-dependent and a frame of mind, hence the ability to have so many options to choose from instead of just the same few. IMO sports cars are definitely not better as they require more gas, special maintenance, and have terrain restrictions. Yet you (and/or many others) obviously disagree and have your own reasons to back it up. Trust Your Ears and Enjoy The Music.

[@taliosnz]

Beyond cost and lack of knowledge I'd also put that more people are renting, or in apartment buildings that can't easily be sound proofed - or the expense of treating a room that may be, essentially a temporary residence is just not viable. Hi end headphones tho - God I wish I could afford something like 1260s - never tried them, not sure it's safe for me tk do so either :)

[@medusa_lives]

Btw, I wish high fidelity existed for the gym and on the go. I’d definitely buy some Abyss-quality Bluetooth headphones (if that’s even technically possible).

[@teaspoontonn5173]

Drop Pandas are good

[@medusa_lives]

@@teaspoontonn5173 I’ll check them out, thnx!

[@soulfulfool]

haha guys it's simple answer... way to expensive, I love luxurious feel of quality items and precise sound BUT can't afford Diana 😅

[@mikedergalev]

U can save money like an option but u don't WANT to😉

[@shadouxg7150]

@@mikedergalev 3k is a lot

[@soulfulfool]

@@mikedergalev for me it would be 1 year of hardcore saving money and yet you need a decent amp for them thats at least another 1k

[@mikedergalev]

@@soulfulfool ONE year, man) i think i would need 5 years to buy 1266. Guess you are in much better spot😉👏

[@mikedergalev]

@@shadouxg7150 sure is. But it's Endgame stuff🤗

[@evtyler]

In the 80s and 90s people were trending towards quality with the better speakers and equipment. Then in the 2000s the iPod shifted the focus to portability and everyone accepted that the only way to achieve that was to sacrifice quality. Now that bandwidth and storage are no longer a limiting factor we're seeing the market shift back to focusing on audio quality and the big push now is lossless and Hi-Res audio. As a result I expect huge growth in the audio enthusiast hobby.

[@JohnnyFriendly]

One problem though - Loudness Wars. It doesn’t matter how great the equipment or software is, if audio engineers are deliberately mastering recordings to be overly-loud and peak limited, it will always sound bad (and good equipment will show poor engineering practices much more so than cheap stuff)

[@malarkey102]

For me it's convenient & also cost. When I go on a train or just go walking I have my bluetooth earbuds. Because I always have my phone with me so that way it's just connect and go. I've heard that you can get portable dac that you can plug into your phone. But I've also heard that hifi is harder to hear when your mobile. So I just use Bluetooth with ANC and that's good for me.

[@ericdaniel323]

Your bluetooth earbuds probably sound just fine, and the differences are relatively subtle as you move up the HiFi ladder. It's not a big deal unless you are actively listening with minimal distractions. If you are listening on the bus or while exercising or cleaning house, etc., there is not much point to the trouble and expense.

[@nurmbms90]

Honestly speaking, for me it makes a difference. I do use bluetooth for connect and go. But the clarity of the vocals and sound doesn't come off well. However, like you said, portability is the key factor and being able to have the ease of use for being wireless. However, when I switch to an IEM, even though it does not have an ANC, it's seal creates a great noise isolation. Furthermore, IEMs has louder volume output to suit your volume level. So you can start to hear all the overall sound quality, detail retrievals, imaging, soundstage and so on which are not that present in wireless ANC earbuds. So it's preferences. If you value convenience and feature, wireless earbuds are the way to go. If you value sound, fit and a comfortable listening experience, definitely IEMs as they are meant to be mobile.

[@pelilin2519]

actually i am not audiophile i use dongle and IEM then i play spotify and apple music. They are totally different the apple music sound better like larger studio kind of thing. So i search what happen and i now understand about bitrate. If you often listen to music using headphone or earphone you will definitely can tell difference between larger file vs lower file.

[@danielsandoval8345]

Yeah, I didn't learn about the audiophile community until researching the best wireless headphones and landing on Josh Valor's Channel

[@artactreact2387]

Well .., simple, this whole question wasn't even an issue before. For instance, when sound wasn't compressed and people just listen to CD's, well you got cd quality digital music by default that was the standard on your high fi or discman. The Market decided to make a business to get back to what everyone had, and previous to that you can pretty much say we were all audiofiles and listened to our music wired and analog.. SO, the minute you want to back to what we already had .. that's a massive business op too. There were true audiofiles before for sure, but .. people just go with what they're offered and convenience pretty much. Expensive to get back to what used to be standard and that applies to everything else. CHeers!

[@samlee2562]

Whenever I see an expensive high definition TV I'm always amazed at the picture quality, will I ever own one...? Will I watch hours of videos about picture quality on KZbin..? . 😆🤖 I think part of it could be experiencing a great moment when you're younger and spending time exploring it. I can still clearly remember first hooking up a pair of KRK RP6 monitors in my bedroom and re listening to all my favourite music I'd downloaded on Limewire 🤠 I dunno, why does anyone really like anything.. nature/nurture? Genetics?! You were born for these speakers sir...!!! 🥳 🤙

[@tonykazz2779]

High performance Audio gear releases dopamine in the brain. People that chase higher performance audio gear are chasing a higher high. Most people have never been addicted to Musical Dopamine releases with Musicians getting an even greater high from the dynamics of live music. I'm interested in Abyss because of it's transducers are available and useful gear evaluators. Still, I could survive long term with Sennheiser HD580 which are better transducers than most Full range loudspeakers. Tony in Venice Florida

[@bladelefusyn3337]

Excellent way to explain, thank you. Folks will find it easier to grasp over everything I've come across and thought of thus far.

[@norbzlopez7819]

This was a good discussion felons. I personally think everybody is living on their own frequency. Once they get introduced to this curiosity either you connect or dont. Furthermore the price of products,i.e diminishing returns ,will turn alot of people off. Life is full of distractions and attractions, and like many have mentioned hobbies have their respective followers and haters. What is amazing to me can be boring to you. Another factor the slimy human condition. I'm referring to those snake oil salesmen or negative attitudes of any hobbies that give their respective communities a bad name. Just my 2 pennies.

[@saurabbbhardwaj1930]

There's been a revolutionary shift in audio and gadgets world. Courtesy cellphones, bundled buds, tvs and work devices. Am guessing this pushed bigger percentage of population to have more hands-on experience than what was in earlier times. The next step us is always a better gadget for the regular consumer. Hence the explosion of brands, categories and products that weren't even existing a decade back. In the audio hierarchy there will always be the topend which have a smaller market. But the pie is so so much bigger now, compared to even a decade back. It's possible that the % of highend remains the same compared to mass and consumer market. But that overall market....that pie... is humungous

[@Dovndyr13]

When i talk with non Hifi guys and girls about headphones they prefer Bluetooth Headphones and they go after noice cancelling. So sound quality isn't the most important, mobility is. The entrance gear like HiFiMan Sundara/Sennheisers including a small amp/DAC doesn't cost much more compared to Sony 1000xm4, Sennheiser momentum 3 or iPod max

[@SomeGadgetGuy]

Audio is a deeply personal and experiential hobby. Your TV comments are kinda perfect to highlight those challenges where it's increasingly difficult to experience better audio. Unlike better displays, better audio takes time to recognize the advantages, and find those educational opportunities. Without fine tuning someone's tastes, that person jumping from phone earbuds to the premium end of the market will lack context. So it probably does sound "better", but then seeing the prices, it feels like snake oil. One of the major challenges facing audio fans, we could always use more ambassadors to help educate and convey those experiences, but even when someone is good at telling that story, the consumer end result can differ wildly based on THEIR specific biology. It's at least encouraging that after years of techies writing off audio as a worthwhile portable or mobile experience, CONSUMERS seem more interested in better quality. Consumers are driving enough interest in higher quality streaming to encourage all streaming services to at least offer CD quality. Great stream gents. Just subscribed.

[@yannick930]

People just don't know and it's not advertised in the mass market. And everybody thinks headphones should be cheap. Beats by Dre helped a lot the headphones business. Most of us started by that. After the taste of better quality sets in. It was easier to explore that market. Before it was like "what ! 300 euro for a headphone ?? Never ! It must be a designer thing. No headphone cost that much"

[@XVisionsProd]

Never grew up around high end home systems or headphones but my family ran car shows for years, so I’m used to a $50,000 sound system. When I got older and realized I’m fine driving a Prius and don’t care about a “cool” car I delve into the realm of in home hi fi. I definitely will be spending upwards of $100,000 on my speakers and headphones by the time I’m retired. Realized I don’t need a cool car but I die a little everyday inside of I don’t have good audio lol

[@XVisionsProd]

Can’t wait until my system becomes 1/5 the price of my home and more than my car lol

[@Wittgepedia]

For me, I had to figure out that something more than Bose Or Sony existed. Most people don't know that DACs & headphone Amplifiers are, even Gamers. The internet helped this. Now I have a 7N OCC 4 X 18 AWG Copper cable paired on an LCD-2F and an IFi iDSD Signature. But I realized I only care about sound quality if I'm listening to a band called 'Autechre', and particularly their live sets, which are Peak Sound design. If I'm just listening to Cypress Hill, for emotional reasons, or any music with words, I don't really care that much. I think this is the average person. They listen to music primarilly for emotional preferences, not for visualizing sounds as shapes with texture, moving through a soundstage. To hear 'beats', or 'splats' move through the entire soundstage is quite incredible.

[@Quadruple_curious]

For me it’s priorities, time, and money, and these three things actually affect each other’s role. I’m a busy and relatively poor graduate student. So I have very little money. Therefore I want to make sure I get the most bang for my buck, so I spend a decent amount of time learning about audio and audio products, but this takes up a lot of my freetime given how little of it I have. But I’m okay with this because I prioritize my listening experience. So while I also enjoy things like a good meal, it is much lower on the priority list, so i settle with mediocre meals since I don’t take the time to learn better cooking skills. However, if I had a ton of money laying around, then if possible i would just hire experts to do things like treat my room for speakers vs trying to figure all that stuff myself, I would hire cooks instead of cooking, etc. So, I guess in the end money (or lack of) plays a pretty big role :(

[@bladelefusyn3337]

For what it's worth, many folks into high-end audio prefer learning more so they can DIY their stuff, which (based on popularity) is how they can also end up making a business out of it. Knowing the stuff yourself has a long-term payoff that one won't get if they were cash-rich. For one, may never learn about gear that will do what you want without dropping a heavy amount, and also be less dependent on having to pay others every time some issue occurs, higher up you go the pricier it gets. The Meze Empyrean's ($3k) earpads cost $149. Abyss' 1266 ($5k) earpads cost $395. Don't forget higher premium. Although for most folks if they have the money to afford such stuff without giving it much thought, they are likely to spend for the rest as well without hesitating. There are a lot more folks out their who make the bigger dough than I used to think. So obviously that makes you very right on the money part playing a bigger role than we realize. (you can find great used stuff on headfi and other third-party seller apps/sites, but less money spent means more time spent on research and stuff) I know the feeling though, I been poor most of my adult life, creating and sticking to a strict budget is tougher being poor, esp when trying to having savings set aside (for emergency or audiophile priorities). =)

[@scouthatesrainbows]

I think as someone who has upgraded my setup somewhat, part of what is preventing me from going full hifi is realizing that good or enjoyable music doesn't equal good audio quality. There's plenty of music that I love that is only on KZbin or soundcloud, or is recorded on bargain bin recording equipment like Daniel Johnston on his recording cassette. While I can maybe splash for Grados or something more marginally expensive, I personally don't think I would find something particularly revelatory in a lot of the low production music that I'm listening to, even if it were on Dianas

[@shayan-gg]

Agreed it wont sound as good as FLAC but still it will be a huge upgrade to buy Grados sr60 over some dirty buds. Sound's resolution isn't everything, bad headphones/earphones distorts too much sound and even a bad mp3 would sound better on a non fucked up frequency curve. Even i have difficulty comparing a good mp3 to FLACs. Try blon03 its a really cheap iem and trust me you won't be dissapointed.

[@scouthatesrainbows]

@@shayan-gg No, that's definitely true. In fact, the whole reason I even got to this point is losing a pair of earbuds that my dad gave me (which from what I remember were not even particularly good, just the packed in buds from his samsung galaxy) which to me, sounded so much better than any of the shitty apple earbuds I was using before. Then I lost them, tried to buy some JVCs at Walmart that I hoped would be the same, and they weren't, and I've been chasing that white whale of not shit sound ever since. Funny you should mention the blon03, I had recently heard of those, but before then I picked up the Tin T2s on a whim due to some good reviews. They're pretty good, with some actually great soundstage for an IEM, but the cable is way too easy to disconnect from the driver. Not a great first experience with replaceable cables

[@Foxrock321]

Cost and convenience….and as my daughter tells me, I don’t have room for it..phone and wireless speakers is all she needs

[@paulosilva8200]

Because quality was not exposed to people. I started when someone lend me an iem for 1 week. Was so much better than what I heard that I need to save money to buy one after I returned to the owner. But if I did not listen better than what I have. Then I would not worry

[@arbiefru9624]

Cost and knowledge aside, if you are listening to "popular music" it is considered by most as disposable media. But also, for many people there are other considerations besides fidelity, like the words/message. To extend that thought, there are genres of music where the recording is intentionally not that great. They don't call it lo-fi for nothing. Not many take the care of a group like Pink Floyd.

[@alexojeda9048]

Price is the main reason but there are 2 other reasons: Complexity and awareness (marketing). Most people want simple solutions for their complex lives, especially on the go. It's the reason most people, including myself, use their phones as music players (whether streaming or playing their own offline content). Add the pricetag to that complexity and most people are turned off by the prospect, even if they're interested. Another reason ,as brought up in the video, is awareness. Most people aren't aware that such products exist 'cause most manufactures don't market their products to the masses, most likely 'cause most people can't afford them and marketing costs money so why spend money if you're not going to get the results that you want, or need. So what happens is that companies like Bose and Beats market their (crappy) products and everyone's content with the result not aware that there are better products at a similar price point. Thus mass market audio is low quality, especially on phones 'cause nobody knows any better.

[@yarbgreat1]

I like the L glass reference

[@detectiveapollo]

Part of me doesnt want people know about it so i can feel little bit special.

[@LakerTriangle]

But imagine want we could get if the market was more open.... Cheaper & better items!

[@bladelefusyn3337]

Hard not to feel so in a niche hobby such as this. If you don't feel special in the thousands, can always become extra special by dropping a few hundred thousand on a custom system, many rich folks go that route, but will need the wallet to support such a feeling. The Sennheiser HE-1 is very customizable and will make you feel endless amounts of special. Will cost like it, too. But as the other fella said, costs will become much better, niche is called so and pricey for a reason, it's a niche.

[@unknownmemoirs]

Chifi is the best. Low cost for better sound quality.

[@yooanto9465]

no iem ?

[@dudexyt]

Some people don’t know, some people even if they know, will balk at the price, even if they enjoy say music or cars. I never understood why people liked BMWs until I rented one. It had a responsiveness that I haven’t felt in other cars and it seems more fun. But I would never buy a BMW unless I was super rich since it’s expensive, unreliable, and expensive to maintain. Plus many BMW drivers are just aggressively bad drivers, so I wouldn’t want to be associated with them. One thing I’ve thought about is getting a 200-300 dollars chef’s knife. I can afford it but I don’t get it because I know I won’t use it as much. Sometimes it’s like that with high end audio. You know it’s there, you would like to own it but given the way your life is, it’s not a good investment.

[@ConvinceMeAudio]

Inconvenience is one, Everybody is looking for the easy solution the cheap solution and the least amount of effort Why bother getting glorious sound, when the radio on the TV does the same thing but worse, it’s a mindset of the consumer market I have shown people anything from 10 K setups to portable setups to speaker setups They’re always very excited until the moment you tell them the price, or the set up process, or what they need to learn about it, and then they run a mile

[@creato938]

You have a point. people just want wireless solutions now a days, plus when you talk about a room, the less speakers as possible because speakers are considered ugly.

[@ConvinceMeAudio]

@@creato938 consumers see money before anything else, it doesn’t matter what it is, if they’re not in the right frame of mind, it doesn’t matter if it comes with a lapdance, they’re not interested Placing a Diana or susvara on friends and families heads here goes great LOL until the price point is mentioned and then they say no thanks, I am fine with my apple buds

[@bladelefusyn3337]

Like a magic trick, everyone wants to know how you did it until you say it ain't free, then even the most interested one back off. More to the point, a lot of consumers are all about that wireless future, and that "wires are dead". Human attention and focus span is painfully short these days, anything that requires a bit more focus or has a learning curve and they turn tail and run. Not to mention how lazy many of us are, not wanting to put in any work, convenience is all anyone seems to care about, at the cheapest price possible. Or one is a blind loyal fan, Apple stuff comes to mind a lot.

[@mirzaangon]

I would say it's more about knowledge than anything else first. because there are many cheap good quality iems now that can get someone into hifi, but people buy worse stuff anyway in the same price because they're well marketed

[@silvesterponist6175]

Hello ABYSS, I think that most of people just enjoy the food more than music. Thus they are spending a lot of money also for expensive food.

[@kroidi]

this

[@GiLLyMGL]

Give us cheaper headphones. End of conversation

[@yaricoo]

there is people who even don’t care much about at music at all. you have to be a music enthusiast to have slightest possibility to become audiophile, and that alone rid at least 50% of all people.

[@gaborozorai3714]

Hi-fi is a technical hobby, that's why there are so few ladies in it. It's not just about music. Like any other hobby it's a niche interest.

[@neoalex]

wat

[@bladelefusyn3337]

Lady Audiophile would give you a piece of her mind if she read this.

[@Vaanfo]

This is easy. Firstly, what is great about hifi? Better sound? Okay, now what sucks about hifi: Expensive Needs research to get result Needs more dedicated equipment Wired & inconvenient Not a social hobby Heavily subjective Gatekeeping Audio Science Review I mean yeah people aren't educated but how do you even begin to maneuver around that marketing nightmare? Too many inconveniences for some arbitrary % improvement over your wireless noise cancelling headphones or TWS. I almost to talked myself out of the hobby just typing this, sheesh.

[@bladelefusyn3337]

Haha, I can relate, I nearly didn't get into the area mostly cause of research and unlimited options and gear pairing issues, but especially because of heavily opinionated and subjective opinions of other audiophiles who claimed everything as fact, and it was always never what I was asking but what they cared about and believed. The money was a close second. Funnily enough, always loved wires/cables and don't like humans, keeping to myself is about the only thing I've done since my accident. And hearing sensitivity and other issues guarantees isolation priority. Thanks to you I learned what gatekeeping means, much appreciated to know that behaviour has a proper term for it.

[@teachonlywhatiseasy]

people spend more on wireless bassy noise cancelling headphones, more often because they don't care much about sound quality vs other factors. Besides I've seen enough audiophiles who have a subdued taste in mainstream music so i guess it goes both ways.

[@death-by-ego]

If toby mcguire was taller and lanky...

[@VykinMacDowell]

Yo gimme literally any abyss headphone and I’ll never buy another pair

[@polarbear3427]

Ask yourself: are you really a hifi enthusiast if your audio in your car stinks?

[@conrad9race1]

drop the price?

[@ghostwolfj]

For most people i know do care about the best sound. it just way to expensive. And then not realy portable.

[@shadouxg7150]

U don’t have to expend a lot to be an audiophile

[@bladelefusyn3337]

@@shadouxg7150 But you have to expand nonetheless, and convenience tends to be a huge priority right along with cost and functionality. A wireless headphone with smart features and other crap is preferred over one that needs to be wired, especially as one cannot control volume or playback on most headfi, right along with the fact that most mainstream phone manufacturer's are pushing towards wireless more by (I hate this) eliminating the auxiliary port. Convincing those folk to spend extra on an adapter is already bloody difficult, imagine them agreeing to go wired without putting up a fight...

[@blakewarford1168]

Everyone finds value in different things, different hobby's. I've shown my brother Hi-Fi in many forms, with my over-ear headphones, my speakers. He genuinely goes "It sounds the same" Though, I know he digs the speakers hard. But he just doesn't find value in that area. I'll spend hundreds of dollars on audio gear, while he has a $60 of headphones and spends hundreds on hockey sticks Being expensive is irrelevant in my opinion. Because if you find value in it, then you'll find a way to fork out the money because it makes you happy. I wouldn't be caught DEAD spending $500 on a hockey stick lol Same goes for cars. My buddy just upgrade his exhaust for $200, just to make it louder. I personally don't understand it because I have no interest in cars. All depends on what you as a person value, and what brings you joy

[@bladelefusyn3337]

Couldn't have put it better (or even close to it) myself. I never understood the willingness of others to drop the amounts they do on their cars and maintenance and upkeep and all, because I am all about that 2 wheels 1 love, and they never understood my love for something so "dangerous" when a car is clearly the better "investment".

[@ahmedsafa91]

thats Y 👉 $$$

[@mcbowler]

Most hifi isn’t that great. A lot of things need to align before it gets really good, so most people just don’t know. I recently heard some goldenear speaker, it’s expensive but not crazy, I was pleasantly surprised. Buying the triton one.r’s.

[@SpiritualPsychotherapyServices]

💰+ 🧠 = HiFi

[@shayan-gg]

Cost is definately not a factor as you can get cheap hifi gear like kph30i, blon03, Tin T2 instead of rayBASScon or beats. I bought HD4.50BTNC before i knew about audio and now i cant listen to them anymore, they sound like shit while my cheap KZ with apple dongle sound so much better at a fraction of price.

[@dannybos7024]

Haven't watched it yet but I will guess: 1. Lack of money. 2. Lack of interest, what they have is good enough. 3. Assholes in the hobby. We all know who they are. 4. Not willing to do research or being too intimidated. Why fuck around with speaker wires and amplifiers, when you can just get a Bluetooth speaker that does what you want in an easy way?

[@LakerTriangle]

Answer: they are marketed V-Shaped sound so most consumer headphones are good enough and most people don't know better.

[@bladelefusyn3337]

To this day I have no bloody clue what these different letter-shaped sounds sound like or mean, but while I cannot verbalize or visualize my music and what I'm listening to them through, I can feel and hear a difference. That's all that matters to me, not the endless jargon many audiophiles use and the minute difference and nuances between gear and other schiit. So "an" answer, but not "the" answer.

[@LakerTriangle]

@@bladelefusyn3337 using terms that are common to the hobby is not endless jargon - it just shows how serious or not serious you are about something. I also didn't use a ton of terms only one very common one. What you're complaining about makes no sense. If I'm talking to a scientist I'm going to use the word "centrifuge" and not the words "spinny thing" because it's understood he understands what I'm referring to.

[@Krmpfpks]

No mention of the toxicity of the hi fi community towards ‚noobs‘? I am a high end enthusiast and I feel uncomfortable in high-end shops because I hear people talk such pseudo-scientific bs that it’s super awkward and pointing out basic facts gets you into weird discussions. I once had a shop owner presenting a 100k system claim that all transmission is lossy, even digital, and me pointing out that we can transfer money digitally around the globe without cents missing made him start a rant full of BS I’ll never forget.

[@exterrrr]

Well, you know, sound is an analog signal after all, he could've been talking about the loss you have when digitizing the signal. Either way, I think it just comes down to people learning about audio from unreliable sources or word of mouth. After all, with today's equipment you don't need to be an audio engineer to master your own tracks or even have your own studio.

[@Krmpfpks]

@@exterrrr no he was very specific about the lossy nature of cheap digital cables and his explanation was that everything is lossy, also digital transmission and he even talked about gold master cd being better than copies. Which - of course - is BS, otherwise the internet wouldn’t work. For analog this is true, there is no way of transmitting an analog signal lossless, let alone convert it from or to digital. Yes, I know about jitter and timing issues, imprecise switching and so on in digital systems. But these are all solved problems, with many error correction algorithms to choose from.

[@bladelefusyn3337]

@@Krmpfpks Ahh yes, I am familiar with those kinds of folks, the very reason I very nearly stayed away from this whole audiophile area altogether. Sounds very similar to my riding days, kept away from bikers and they stuff they attended in general, the attitude of brand preference and arrogance that came with it was excruciatingly unbearable.

[@Krmpfpks]

@@bladelefusyn3337 thank you! Insider vocabulary, rejecting knowledge from other areas of expertise paired with aggression against anyone not buying into the belief system are the signs of a cult and not a hobby. I hope you find joy in music (or whatever you are listening to).

[@samhor33]

Cause it's expensive, not too much people willing spend that much money on audio equipments.

[@bladelefusyn3337]

Hifiman's Deva headphones are under $300 and don't require anything extra (unless you choose to for yourself) and as per most headphones these days, very much affordable for most folk. Additionally, it is both wired and wireless. There are plenty other reasons why humans don't get into hifi, not exclusive to price. A lot of Chi-Fi can do better than most mainstream consumer headphones/earphones, yet they will still have a bunch of reasons not to switch from what they are used to and go for other options. Price won't stop someone from pursuing what they care about, once they care about it. Cars are a great example, be it fancy or electric or just brand and hype based, most folks will go for that and find a way to pay for it over a motorcycle, despite the latter in many ways being more cost-effective amongst other pro's. It's like you said, it's about the will. The willingness comes from interest and priorities or social status (and wherever else), so they pay for what they are willing to. I wouldn't be caught dead spending any amount on any car, I hate cars, even more so after being hit 5 different times by them. But most folk will say cars are better and safer, despite car drivers being more inattentive due to how seemingly safe and protected one is, plus the plethora of smart features to enable one to be even more so. Each perspective will argue the other to the ground.

[@danterikxx]

because everything is overpriced 2k is a lot for headphones

[@MasterMark5]

You can get really good headphones for 200, you don't need 2000 for decent headphones

[@danterikxx]

@@MasterMark5 i know. what i have is all from that range. what do you have, btw?

[@MasterMark5]

@@danterikxx HD6xx I love em super comfy and sound great