WAM Census 2021 Results - Age & Gender

Blacksabbath25

blacksabbath25
Wammer
Aug 6, 2018
1,828
670
148
ely cambridgeshire
AKA
Darren
HiFi Trade?
  1. No
I think the younger generation have moved on in a different direction what with iPad , phones , small devises that they listen to music on .

what's different now is hardly any music stores no top of the pops so people can see the singer and vote by buying the music from a record shop like we used to and enjoy spending ages in the record shop when we all got paid but thanks to iTunes and the other streaming sites there is no need to own a record or a CD anymore .

For me i was brought up with HIFI , top of the pops , music shops its been all my life a enjoyment that i have wasted a lot of money in buying hifi over the years but took me most of my life to find the right gear that i am happy with which i wished i did years ago but my goal has been a better sound and getting closer to the bands i love when i listen to them .

HIFI  as we no it is dying i am afraid its the way it is things move on but we do not .  

 
  • Like
Reactions: chris_bates1974

chris_bates1974

Wammer
Wammer
Jun 29, 2016
376
421
83
Near Lutterworth
AKA
Chris
HiFi Trade?
  1. No
I'm sorry, I haven't read all the replies but for what it is worth as the father of 2 teenagers, in a very musical household, here's my thoughts.

When I was a wee boy, music was a big deal. My mum was on her own, and any kind of entertainment therefore had to be cheap. She had a Sanyo musiccentre, and we would always listen to the Top 40 on a Sunday and record the songs we liked the best. She also had a pretty decent record collection. My love of music came from there, and as I went through high school I started reading What HiFi, and was very taken with the look of Cyrus stuff. And aspiration was born.

To cut a long story short, I have always had records and a record player from being 18 or so when I bought my first Rega and used an input of my Goodmans midi system (!!!), and my 16th was when I got my first CD player. Listening these days is mainly streamer, also records, and I do not currently own a CD player.

So, the kids... Both of them have had systems provided by me. A CD player, amp and speakers. Trawled from eBay, and one very kind gift from a member of another forum. My son never really got on with his at all, preferring to just use his phone an/or Echo Dot. My daughter does use hers from time to time, but prefers the convenience of streaming. Oddly enough, she has repeatedly over the last 6 months reiterated that when I get my new record player, she would like mine. I've agreed to this, but on the proviso that if she doesn't use it, it'll be sold to buy more records! 

For many kids, it's all about accessibility. They can access everything on their phones - Spotify, YouTube etc, and have done so since they were old enough to be able to hold a phone. I genuinely believe that the sound quality is irrelevant to the vast majority of them in comparison to this. They want everything, and think that's just the normal way of things. I  struggle to get my son in particular to even consider listening to an album. Music to him is simply individual tracks.

My wife (a multi-instrumentalist in her spare time) could not care less about HiFi - most of her listening is kitchen radio, or radio in the car, and her only input into the HiFi in the house has been to encourage replacement of the "ugly" brown KEF Q700, with the "well, they're certainly better" KEF R3 in piano black. (For which I am very grateful indeed!!!!)

Bit of a random blurt there, but I hope I've managed to get a couple of points across.

 

DomT

Food and coffee and rock n roll
Wammer Plus
Jul 23, 2019
10,315
9,583
198
Village near Nottingham.
AKA
Dom
HiFi Trade?
  1. No
And we don’t seem any closer to understanding why we have this age profile on this forum which seemed the point of the question in the survey. 

 

Blacksabbath25

blacksabbath25
Wammer
Aug 6, 2018
1,828
670
148
ely cambridgeshire
AKA
Darren
HiFi Trade?
  1. No
And we don’t seem any closer to understanding why we have this age profile on this forum which seemed the point of the question in the survey. 
Because we are all ageing 40s ,50s and upwards that really understands music and HIFI  and we are the generation of HIFI we are the only ones who care for what we like in our hobby we got brought up on it .

 
  • Upvote
Reactions: greybeard

JANDL100

Wammer
Wammer Plus
Dec 5, 2006
20,125
7,864
208
Forest of Dean, Glos
AKA
Jerry
HiFi Trade?
  1. No
Sitting here listening to the old system atm, it's plain as day why I'm into this hobby. It sounds fabulous. 

But I think we just have to accept that attitudes and priorities move on, especially when pushed by rapid technological changes. 

We don't adhere to the attitudes and priorities of our parents and grandparents, so why should subsequent generations adhere to ours? It makes no sense to me. 

We'd all be sitting round the piano in the evenings singing Victorian ballads. (No offence intended to those who do this.) 

 

garn63

Wammer Plus
Wammer Plus
Mar 3, 2020
12,282
18,697
198
www.avfc.co.uk
HiFi Trade?
  1. No
Indeed we have been fortunate to have lived in "our time". So many wondrous pleasures. I remember when I was young meeting an old man on his smallholding while on holiday. He invited me in for tea & told me of his family & brothers & sisters who he had not seen for most of his life as the had gone into "service". He was excited to share with me his joy that he had made himself. It was a crystal set that he listened to through a small earpiece.  Old times.

We definitely have had more experiences than he, but on reflection I would not doubt his wisdom, or the fact that he probably got as much pleasure listening to voice & music through a crystal set as I do with all my bells & whistles. We are of our time and very fortunate.

 
  • Upvote
Reactions: JANDL100

greybeard

Super Wammer
Wammer
Mar 7, 2010
12,021
14,356
208
Cornwall
AKA
Colin
HiFi Trade?
  1. No
And we don’t seem any closer to understanding why we have this age profile on this forum which seemed the point of the question in the survey. 
Growing up in the late 60's and 70's Hi-Fi was in its golden era, Hi-Fi shops on most high streets, some massive establishments in London, Laskys anyone? So it was very much the must have thing,  we have grown up with it, appreciate it, and cannot live without it. Todays must have equivalent is a phone with spotify and a Sonos system at best, but for most Alexa and an echo dot. To be fair these sound quite reasonable, especially if you compare them to what we had for convenience, a Transistor 6 pocket radio!

 

ChemMan

ChemMan
Wammer
Aug 8, 2018
2,893
2,205
148
Brussels
AKA
Steve
HiFi Trade?
  1. No
$%&@#!!!  Everything I wrote about generations and technology in the SOURCES thread has been discussed here already.  Didn't see this.  Ach.

 

ziggy

Wammer
Wammer
Mar 11, 2017
659
615
98
Cardiff
HiFi Trade?
  1. No
The situation has been accurately summed up.  Times have changed and technology has advanced.  The cold fact is that convenience is far, far more important to young people today than SQ and there is very little interest in listening to an album in full.  The only glint of light I can see is the popularity of headphones, some of quality.  They are two channel and in time some of the young people who have bought decent sets might wish to replicate the experience through a pair of speakers.

 
  • Like
Reactions: John (big)

JANDL100

Wammer
Wammer Plus
Dec 5, 2006
20,125
7,864
208
Forest of Dean, Glos
AKA
Jerry
HiFi Trade?
  1. No
So yes, in 30 or 40 years time, the current generation of Echo Dotters will be lamenting why the young generation aren't into it anymore..... If only they knew how great it was..... 

 
  • Haha
Reactions: Klassik

StingRay

Legend Wammer
Wammer
Apr 27, 2016
13,040
8,521
163
Suffolk coast, UK
AKA
Ray
HiFi Trade?
  1. No
The situation has been accurately summed up.  Times have changed and technology has advanced.  The cold fact is that convenience is far, far more important to young people today than SQ and there is very little interest in listening to an album in full.  The only glint of light I can see is the popularity of headphones, some of quality.  They are two channel and in time some of the young people who have bought decent sets might wish to replicate the experience through a pair of speakers.
Yes technology has changed. Yes most want it now and for free. TV watching has been in decline for 10 years until last year. They spend more time on social media, even when in a pub. Some will probably get HiFi systems when they get older. But I know of older people getting rid of their HiFi systems, women have more influence in the home than they used to, SWMBO, I have seen numerous times on HiFi forums, in the last 10 years, when choosing speakers.   

Music has changed also, in the 70s you had a lot of "album" music, much of that was not released as singles, bands such as Pink Floyd, Steely Dan, Led Zepp., Kraftwerk, Mike Oldfield, Tangerine Dream, Yes, Tull, ELP etc. I was interested in album music, I was never interested in singles, top 40 and top of the pops, I thought most of it was rubbish. I think the early 70s was the golden age for albums. 

 
Last edited by a moderator:

John (big)

Wammer
Wammer
Nov 3, 2012
1,121
1,924
158
West London
HiFi Trade?
  1. No
The situation has been accurately summed up.  Times have changed and technology has advanced.  The cold fact is that convenience is far, far more important to young people today than SQ and there is very little interest in listening to an album in full.  The only glint of light I can see is the popularity of headphones, some of quality.  They are two channel and in time some of the young people who have bought decent sets might wish to replicate the experience through a pair of speakers.
I could not agree more, instant satisfaction whether music, food or other entertainment & services is the norm today creeping up through age groups. as my granddaughter has pointed out I was born in the first half of the last centaury.

My son 10 ish years ago whilst at college was expounding how good MP3 was, I said there are bits missing, he asked what I meant, using  cassette, LP, FM radio & CD playing the same tracks  vs  MP3 using headphones & my OTA Quad 57's.

I think I made my point, The next, progression  he built a  nuvista pre-amp  from diagrams off of  TNT as a demo of ability for an  apprenticeship . then got a 150wpc power amp and modified  floor standing TDL speakers. Then my Philips CD104  which he did the NOS mod and re-clocked.

He then asked me to help fitting speakers and wiring  amplifiers from my written off car (hit from behind)  in his car, not my beloved V8 now sold . he also has a self modded, dyno tuned in the north west by a man in Texas via computer, unbelievable magic to me, VXR8 fun car. could it be "I'm quoting " People rarely become what we want them to be, but often become what we encourage them to be"  the lack of younger adherents to our hobby is probably our fault, not helped by some of the viperous rhetoric seen on forums such as cable threads/wars pointed out by StingRay, I have stopped logging on to 2 forums because of some unnecessarily unpleasant  comments to others.  I am far from a shrinking violet however despite lock down I do not feel the need to barrette others.                                       

 
Last edited by a moderator:

Blacksabbath25

blacksabbath25
Wammer
Aug 6, 2018
1,828
670
148
ely cambridgeshire
AKA
Darren
HiFi Trade?
  1. No
The great thing about music is most people like it what ever age you are or what country you come from its a gift so as much as i want my daughter to carry on from me i can not see it .

She's a 11 years old she likes some of my music like Ozzy but she also likes Pop music which i do not but the main thing is I've past on my love of music on to her what ever she listens to it on the future it doesn't matter the bug there I've done my job but hope she will use my Hifi when i am not around if she understands how it all goes together and can left the amplifier by herself 😃

 

John (big)

Wammer
Wammer
Nov 3, 2012
1,121
1,924
158
West London
HiFi Trade?
  1. No
The great thing about music is most people like it what ever age you are or what country you come from its a gift so as much as i want my daughter to carry on from me i can not see it .

She's a 11 years old she likes some of my music like Ozzy but she also likes Pop music which i do not but the main thing is I've past on my love of music on to her what ever she listens to it on the future it doesn't matter the bug there I've done my job but hope she will use my Hifi when i am not around if she understands how it all goes together and can left the amplifier by herself 😃
It can be cross fertilization, my daughters now in their 30's & 40's as teens  gave me Guns & Roses & others my much younger son 27  gave me deadmau5 and others, my son in law then  in his late 20's Prodigy he is a vinyl freak,  my 2 older grandchildren love music because of their mum & dad as babies their car music was Prodigy & Beethoven et al.                    As babies my daughters  lay between My Quad 57's  playing music.  Not indoctrination but encouragement.                        

 

StingRay

Legend Wammer
Wammer
Apr 27, 2016
13,040
8,521
163
Suffolk coast, UK
AKA
Ray
HiFi Trade?
  1. No
The great thing about music is most people like it what ever age you are or what country you come from its a gift so as much as i want my daughter to carry on from me i can not see it .

She's a 11 years old she likes some of my music like Ozzy but she also likes Pop music which i do not but the main thing is I've past on my love of music on to her what ever she listens to it on the future it doesn't matter the bug there I've done my job but hope she will use my Hifi when i am not around if she understands how it all goes together and can left the amplifier by herself 😃
I have been thinking about music in different countries, I have visited Asia a fair amount before Covid and music is not as popular, in many countries as here. I went to a record shop in Bangkok, it was like the cupboard under my stairs. The biggest music markets, I think, are the USA, Japan, UK and then Germany. 

Women have different tastes from men and they don't seem to get sound quality.  

 

Who's yoru Daddy

Newbie
Wammer
Aug 3, 2016
40
32
38
Hampshire
AKA
James
HiFi Trade?
  1. No
Whilst I have the main stereo, I also have a SONOS system throughout the house. My wife and daughter tend to only use the SONOS and never touch the stereo. They like to have music on constantly in the background rather than actually sit and listen to it. However, on the odd occasion that they do want to sit and listen, I get asked to turn the amp on and set it up, as they both love the difference in sound, they just don't want to sit and listen enough to justify the time, effort and spend. I suggested a while ago that I could move the main units out of the way a bit and my wife said she liked it on display.

I think SONOS and the like do a good enough job that a high end stereo is now a luxury that very few of us see as sufficient benefit over and above the simple speaker systems available. I suspect that if I was a teenager today, I would have liked my parents SONOS and gone elsewhere for my hobbies. When I was young, either listen to terrible quality or like stereos. The disparity is far smaller today.

 
  • Like
Reactions: Nopiano and lostwin

Forum statistics

Threads
113,444
Messages
2,451,263
Members
70,783
Latest member
reg66

Latest Articles

Wammers Online