How old are you - DIYers?

[Johnny2Bad]

I do some business with some audio sales guys from NYC area, and they say that everybody into high performance audio are old. There are zero young people in the hobby according to them. And they say that there are some budding businesses of buying peoples audio gear after they die from the remaining family members.

I take it that young people just don't care about good sounding audio.

My data point is that my customers for Quad rebuilds are my age (48) or older.

Sheldon
quadesl.com

We are the "young people" who WERE into audio when we were young, and it's true that in the 70's and 80's most customers were younger than older. Most have settled for less or still run the gear they bought then, but a few of us still hang around.

People have to raise kids, and the need for computers and cell phones eat into the electronics budget. Most kids today spend far more on cell charges per year than almost anyone spent on audio back in the day, or today for that matter. There is only one income, you know.

I think the issue isn't the age of people into audio but the effort and quality people seek out. Remember that the surveys for owners of Amazon Echo reveal that the No1 reason to use or own the device is to listen to music (80+-percent, roughly, list it as the primary use).

So, the doom and gloom I think is overstated. If you go through the old archives of HiFi press, going back to the 1960's, there is a repeating theme where editors or writers agonize over the state of the industry and the people who use it. Sure, a lot of the very older press is lamenting the number of listeners of classical music is falling, but it's essentially the same thing. Classical is still with us in the 21st century. And once you get past the 1960's a lot of those words are about young people and the industry as a whole.

You know, Plus ca change, plus la meme chose.

There is considerable pressure on the bricks-and-mortar audio retailer these days, but in my opinion there was plenty of chaff to separate in that industry anyway. The true high end or true service-oriented dealer will survive, but there won't be room for a half dozen such resellers per 100K population (the case in my home town in the 70's and 80's). I'm not counting the mass market resellers in that number.

People who buy certain items still go to bricks-and-mortar resellers. The furniture store isn't going anywhere, and the high quality stores in my area have been in business close to a century. The more commodity stores are still around, selling to the punters. The jeweler is still around. I think there is room for audio resellers in our new world. You always had to provide consumer education, so that is no different if you plan to succeed in the industry.

Now there are two, and the city is more than doubled in population, serving an area of about 300K within 40 miles. Only one can be considered truly a full service High End (or quality sound, if you will) dealer, but he isn't going anywhere, and it's probably worth noting that this is a new business about six or seven years old. They just hired a new salesman. So we will survive.

 

[freddi]

-68 - hear there's a new revolutionary speaker called a "Karlson"

 

[ferret]

Tinnitus and age.

Not to worry. I'm quite happy with what I've put together over the past 20+ years. It appears that many of us have a similar outlook as far as enjoying the hobby, and conservation of hearing and health. I have noticed a bit of hearing loss above 12k or 15k, as one might expect approaching 60.

I have a feeling that hearing loss may be hereditary in my case. Without his hearing aids, my dad probably couldn't hear me shouting. To some extent, I'm sure that his exposure to the big guns and mortars he dealt with during WWII probably contributed to his hearing loss in the long run.

I am mindful to use hearing protection around noisy machinery at home and at work. I want to be able to enjoy this audio hobby for as long as I can.

Couldn't agree more. In fact I use ear plugs (travel type) when I go to the movies - the idiots invariably (99% of the time) have the volume way too loud.
I had a hearing test done two years back. This indicated that I had a downward loss between 12-13kHz but then picked up a little thereafter and rolled off 'tween 15-16kHz. The fact that I have had tinnitus since roughly 2000, apparently has caused this "dip" problem. The audiology tests indicated the fundamental freq of the tinnitus to be at roughly 6300Hz. Evidently this explains the dip in response between 12-13kHz. A special "hearing aid" can be made to inject the same out-of-phase fundamental frequencies to try and cancel out the tinnitus. Not certain though if it will interfere with music experience!

 

[ferret]

Au natural

Walking is great, I go for a walk every day for 1-2km.

But if anyone tells me that butter is bad for you again I'll quite literally punch them in the face. Its just churned cows milk which last time I checked was a HELL of a lot safer than the synthetic (nauturally pasty-white before they add yellow colouring to make it look like butter) recycled engine oil that people call "margarine" or the "healthy alternative"..... get a life people! We're humans! not machines!

I walk near my mums tv occasionally and every now again I see a margarine ad on tv touting it as "healthy" and "smooth" but I just want to hurl when I see them.

The worst offender would have to be that disgusting mix called Lurpak. Revolting stuff, tastes terrible.

Agreed. Back when I was in final year at school (that's too too long ago) our Biology teacher asked us what the basic properties of an unsaturated fat was - turns out the specific answer she was looking for is that it runs like water. Her final comment was that "The rubbish called margarine has oodles of chemicals in it to make it not runny and look like butter - that will kill you faster than butter."

Moderation in everything you do - even exercise.

Kevin

 

[ferret]

Humans

Mmm..reckon we'd go extinct first

Problem is there are too many of us humans. The world is already overpopulated and nothing is being done to control this logarithmic expansion. If the human race went totally vegan/vegetarian we would mess up the world totally. The amount of agricultural land needed to survive as vegan/vegetarians is astronomical. And, where would all the animals live/eat that we would not be eating/milking et al.

As a species we are not built to process vegetarian only foods. We require protein/vitamins/minerals from animal products as much as we need vegetables/berries/nuts and unprocessed and unrefined starches. The obesity/diabetes rate is directly linked to all the processed foods etc., and lack of exercise. Our basic human biology is based on an omnivorous diet.

Mother nature is based around a balance (a fine one at that.) That is something that politicians, religious leaders/zealots et al, and the the average human has to come to terms with. Everything on this planet is based around "balance."

Excuse the rant - but sometimes it is quite cathartic.

Kevin

 

[scottjoplin]

A special "hearing aid" can be made to inject the same out-of-phase fundamental frequencies to try and cancel out the tinnitus. Not certain though if it will interfere with music experience!

That would be something (I suffer with tinnitus) I'm doubtful though since the sound doesn't really exist so how can it be cancelled?

 

[ferret]

Here are two websites that discuss the treatment.

https://asa.scitation.org/doi/abs/10.1121/1.2029586

Phase-shift tinnitus treatment: An open... (PDF Download Available)

And one that provides a "test": AudioNotch - Tinnitus Treatment Sound Therapy - Tuner and Tone Generator

Kevin

PS. Will try and find additional info, but a recent medical study has identified that bananas are probably excellent for the control of tinnitus due to potassium and zinc content therein. I'll see if I can find that and post the link to this study.

 

[scottjoplin]

Thanks. Do you mean this Bananas for tinitus! ?

 

[Cal Weldon]

called a "Karlson"

I thought it was called a Coupler Horn

 

[Jim the Oldbie]

Speaking of getting older: Don't forget to wait until those bananas are good & ripe (with brown spots) to reap the benefits. The greener ones will bind you up some.

 

[ferret]

Thats why I slice up a banana and add it to granola and yoghurt for my breakfast cereal.

 

[ferret]

Tinnitus

Thanks. Do you mean this Bananas for tinitus! ?

Indeed, that was the article.

 

[Diabolical Artificer]

53 myself. I recently saw a video where the chap had a look at his Youtube stats, he makes video's about hifi, tube amps etc. He was a bit disturbed to see the average age of his viewers was 50+. He was worried I think in part that all the valves he's been buying and stashing as an investment for his kids would have no buyers in the future.

Alsoif your average DIYer is over 50 (poll show 394 over 30 as opposed to 23 under 30 at time of writting) it doesn't bode well for our hobby, for all the vintage test gear and amplifiers we've been building and restoring.

Think on. Andy.

 

[hifix]

Old enough to need more hair...
And old enough to know that if its too loud, i'm probably too old.

 

[Pano]

As a species we are not built to process vegetarian only foods. We require protein/vitamins/minerals from animal products as much as we need vegetables/berries/nuts and unprocessed and unrefined starches.

If that were true, I would have died 30 years ago clutching a 300B in one hand and a bottle of wine in the other. Although I could be typing this from beyond the grave, the WiFi here is strong enough to make me believe I'm still in the land of the living.

 

[Jeffs]

Thanks for not starting the poll at "under 20", I'll cross the median poll age within a couple of months if I am more kind to the liver.

 

[gadut]

35

just started in DIYwood, got my circular/jig saw, sander, trimmer, clamps, compressor and the wood for sure.

preparing to build my workbench and cyclone dust collector to 'shut' my wife complain on dusty area. when the dust become no issue, hopefully my neighbour wont have any issue on the noise since I'll be working on the carport.

 

[ferret]

If that were true, I would have died 30 years ago clutching a 300B in one hand and a bottle of wine in the other. Although I could be typing this from beyond the grave, the WiFi here is strong enough to make me believe I'm still in the land of the living.

Believe me, I am currently enjoying a Chilli Con Carné in a Tortilla wrap with a nice big glass of wine. I might top off the evening with a tot or two of Jameson whiskey.

 

[DPH]

Also if your average DIYer is over 50 (poll show 394 over 30 as opposed to 23 under 30 at time of writting) it doesn't bode well for our hobby, for all the vintage test gear and amplifiers we've been building and restoring.

On one side, sure, vintage gear may be lost to antiquity. On the other side, if the average DIYer is entering the hobby in his/her mid-late 40's, this demographic would have looked no different 40 years ago. Your math implies this is a life-long hobby, and there's good reason to believe it's not.

Let's try to avoid the water-cooler level evolutionary biology talk though, as it's pretty unproductive.

 

[Pano]

On one side, sure, vintage gear may be lost to antiquity. On the other side, if the average DIYer is entering the hobby in his/her mid-late 40's, this demographic would have looked no different 40 years ago.

I think you've hit the nail on the head. I've been hearing about the death of DIY for at least 30 years "Because young people aren't getting into it." Taking a poll 30 or 60 years ago would probably have yielded similar results. Are there any such polls or surveys from decades ago?