There’s been several conversations about how the high end / traditional analogue audio markets have been shrinking year on year as prices rise and the market ages. Making hifi cool again, expanding outside the traditions of: magazines, forums, shops and shows seems to be one route out of the death rut. Offering experiences be it via audio bars (kissa) or otherwise casts a wider fresh net.
This short went up yesterday and whilst the YT channel itself is pretty much trad the content of the film is focussed on a client in the US who approaches many things in a non standard fashion to the art market.
Saw this on PFM and wondered if the 301’s and 401 were your work. Amazing place and set of systems, not many of us have a Norman Rockwell in our home (12:27).
Pretty much the reason no one on the forums has heard of Stefan is because he’s not targeting us. If you can afford a Rockwell you wouldn’t blink at a system. If you strip back a lot of ‘noise’ what people want is pleasure. To achieve this there has to be stimulation to one or more of the senses - many here go with sound. Stefan is simply conjoining sight with sound in his gallery complex. The other interesting thing about seeing audio equipment in a gallery setting is the reverence the equipment receives (Perception is a thing). Music IS art and kit can be too.
What I tend to target is the overall vibe of the room, the combination of the feel created by the objects and, colours, patterns and art, combined with music. Overall hopefully a nice place to relax and to feed the senses.
The aesthetic is obviously different if you’re seeking to sell art and/ or music, but similarly he is looking to enable his customers to feed their senses (more than one).
Special mention to the guy doing the interview - total fucking buzzkill as he’s just yet another tedious gearslut who can name drop component names and model numbers at the drop of a hat, which is a real turn off for me, and simultaneously be blind to the overall feel and surroundings.
The Art / reverence thing was also touching on what Devon is doing - The intersting thing about a ‘home gallery’ (It’s actually a complex of galleries on his estate) is that people have the sense of art in a home whilst also being a gallery - Each room has a system allowing multimple spaces for stimulation - The YT guy is a trad audiophile / record bod - I’m kind of surprised Stefan let him in, he’s been doing rather well without trudging the over trodden traditional paths of audio.
I do like the focus on the combined experience of things as against ‘listening intently to kit’.
My BiL in the build up to moving house has earmarked a room to listen to music in but similar to my feelings, he doesn’t want a soul less mancave. He enjoys my room which has kind of made him want his own, but obviously different and his own etc.
We’ve only briefly talked kit and when we do it’s to sense check whether that fits the mood he’s looking for. Most of the discussion has been about clarifying what feel and vibe he’d like to achieve overall.
Obviously once all that touchy feely shit has been covered I’ll be getting him to shoe horn the biggest speakers he can find into the space he’s got and leave him with the problem of making it work
I suspect a main cause of audiophilia nervosa is a lack of listening comfort, making the listener unrelaxed. Also the practice of hanging a large black rectangle on the wall between the speakers (homage to Malevich’s Black Square?) .
In peak forum tradition, imma wade straight the fuck in with an opinion unrelated to the vidya which I ain’t watched…
PP1: This is good, and definitely not a party I want to piss on, but for shit to happen, Zoomers have to think they’ve discovered this stuff for themelves. It’s no good us old granfers (even you Matt) trying to get Down With The Kids in any way shape or form: our mere proximity sucks the life out of it fi di yoot - to them we stink of death…
Our job should be answering the tuff technical questions when all else fails, and not condescending or patronising along the way - i.e. no-one ever wants to hear the phrase “…back in my day…”.
It’s only ever gonna be niche now - music (and most else) is hypercommodified, and accessed by teeny devices which can actually sound pretty good if you’re willing to geek it up a bit - the commodification is reaching Peak Game (e.g. Twotify’s already streaming rights-less AI-generated ear vomit), and in probably not that much time the devices will be microscopic chip implants hacked straight to your aural nerves.
Getting people to value music is the key. If they do, then they’ll want to hear it in interesting, personal and faffy ways.
I agree the art of selling is to lead people to believe they are making the buying decision themselves - I also feel 50% of the people operating outside of the usual parameters are in their 50s they are quirky and generally understand that if you give someone a memorable experience a seed is sown.
Doing something cool that others agree is cool is the thing. Things filter down from there. The trouble is much is style over substance and fashions change.
A friend is currently selling into the high end whiskey market. A strange angle I know but there be whales in those waters.
The point is diversification and fresh ground. All of this makes something new. The industry needs it the very existence of this cubby hole suggests that - an audio forum that’s not that bothered by audio.
Couple of years ago I sold something on fb marketplace
The bloke was mid 40s,and he asked if he could have a listen before he left as he hadn’t heard much past a richer sound system as he had worked for them for a while.
He asked if he could come back with his daughter the following day to have a quick listen. Was just a really nice moment seeing the enjoyment they both got.
Think half the battle is just giving youngsters a chance to hear a half decent system.
It is the difference between “having music on” via various small and convenient devices, and listening to music. The latter activity requires a little friction to be properly appreciated. Going to a different place, or selecting a physical item helps us to a more receptive mood. As do big ass speakers and amplifiers that glow.
Our newbie was delighted to be able to learn how to operate a Turntable. This really helped and he got confident whilst at the same time respecting the equipment.
He was making noises about getting his own system… thats how it starts, isn’t it!
Also going to small scale musical events. Imagine the shock of someone just singing or playing an instrument in a room to someone used to earbuds etc. The equivalent of a blockbuster movie devotee at a small theatre realising they can smell the actors.
Agree - not convinced by the reductive generational argument, in audio or business. In advertising, emotional appeal, not rational argument is the key to getting people to buy your product.
