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In Reply to: Re: Anyone waiting for the "new" hi-rez audio formats coming with HDMI? I'm not. posted by Jazz Inmate on April 10, 2007 at 00:34:21:
Unfortunately that is true, at least in Australia.It's a situation created by the home entertainment chains and "category killers".
Their main objective is to lure people into spending A$4-6K on a plasma or LCD panel.
Our current government introduced an election winning tactic of offering a "baby bonus" of A$4K for families to encourage women to stay at home and produce lots of kids, and to offset the costs of childcare.
Because it is not means tested, most middle class families use the money to buy a home theatre system.
Most stores will offer a package around this figure, and the main attraction is the "big screen." To make it seem like a great deal, they will either throw in a cheap receiver and satellite speakers for "free" (or for a nominal extra cost, kind of like buying a "value deal" at McDonalds).
So guess what - a LOT of people have a fancy big screen, very cheap receiver and satellite speakers, plus a subwoofer. Just like when you go to McDonalds, the main attraction is the burger - the fries and Coke are part of the "value deal".
If anyone is interested in audio, they will "super size" the package by offering a mid range receiver and bookshelf speakers.
Virtually no one buys anything more fancy than that.
When our family and relatives visit and see our system, they think we are absolutely bonkers. We probably are. :-)
Follow Ups:
As an American audiofool, I know where to go to learn about decent audio equipment, mostly on the internet. But the average Joes here wouldn't even know where to start, and the number of stores catering to high(er) end audio is miniscule compared to the number of stores selling plasmas and LCDs. Best Buy and CC (after firing all the knowledgable staff, if you could call them that) do not carry anything but budget priced audio, and I haven't seen anybody looking at the audio gear in these stores, whereas the TV section is always full of browsers.Let's face it, the audio hobby is dead, except for us in the asylum. HT kept it alive a little longer, but the iPod has killed it completely.
I agree mostly with what you say. You CAN find Martin Logan at BB...
I have seen electrostats at BB and some good Polks at Frys, but neither store carries 2 channel amp/integrated/receivers beyond Denon and onkyo. (I have never seen the new denon and onkyo integrateds there though)However... just a couple years ago the best these stores had was Bose's latest disaster.
I think the situation is improving quite a bit on the mass consumer front. Hell... The 2 channel integrated amp has gone mainstream with onkyo, denon, and yamaha all having several, and there are more 2 channel receivers available now than a few years ago, and I have seen several turntables for sale at all the stores where a few years ago most consumers just assumed vinyl was dead.
I think the average consumer today has a much better variety of audio options that don't totally suck balls.
I also get strange comments when people find out how much I have put into 2 channel... "You mean it doesn't even have surroundsound?!?!"
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