YouTube data shows that most audiophiles are old dudes arguing over gear no one else wants.
As someone who has written about audio gear and explored music-related topics for years, I’d say I know the audiophile community well.
But lately, I’ve been thinking about the future of audiophilia—and it’s not looking good.
I recently came across some startling data from the YouTube channel, Audio Resurgence, which showed just how small and, well, old our community is becoming. And if the numbers don’t change, almost 40% of audiophiles could be gone in the next few years, with no one to replace them.
The Data Behind a Dying Hobby
“rooze”, the channel owner of Audio Resurgence recently shared the YouTube analytics on two of his recent videos to an audiophile forum. And, let’s just say the results weren’t surprising but still alarming.
The first video (a Krell KSA 80 amplifier review), gathered around 9,500 views.
But, here’s the kicker: every single viewer was male. Not a single woman tuned in.
That’s not even the worst part. No one under 35 viewed it as well. Of all the viewers, 44% were between 55 and 64, while 41% were over 65.
He tried again on the second video, which is a spoof song on audiophiles, hoping it might attract a broader audience.
The video did better as it pulled in over 18K views. But the demographics? They barely budged.
Despite the video’s lighter tone and trendier approach, the audience was still the same: older men who’ve been into the hobby for decades.
Almost 98% of the viewers were still men, with 40% aged 65 and older.
“We’re a dying breed. 40% of us will be dead in a few years and there are not many ‘yoots’ coming through to replace us.” he said.
He also acknowledged that YouTube itself may tend to attract an older audience, particularly in the audiophile niche. Platforms like TikTok might show a different audience breakdow. But, he still thinks YouTube reflects the main audiophile community.
Plus, much of the traffic to these videos came from external sources, like audiophile forums and Facebook groups. So, this closed-off community may just be recycling itself without bringing in new blood.
Where Are the New Audiophiles?
It’s not just YouTube analytics that paint this bleak picture. Scroll through forums like Audiogon and Reddit, and the question keeps coming up: where are the younger audiophiles?
The answer, as much as it pains me to say it, seems pretty clear – they’re just not interested.
Younger people stream music through cheap headphones or portable speakers. They’re not messing with turntables or fancy stereo systems.
That’s not surprising though, since for many, music is just something that plays in the background while they go about their day.
So, the idea of dedicating an entire room to a stereo system is becoming as foreign as a rotary phone.
One big reason for this is that today’s music is made to sound good on headphones, soundbars, or portable speakers. Listening to them on high-end gear will just ruin the experience as it’ll expose the flaws in the mastering.
And let’s face it, most younger people today are living in smaller spaces (think 500 sq. ft. condos). They simply don’t have the room, or the budget, for massive audio setups.
Combine that with the fact that younger generations are used to having music on the go, and you can see why they might not see much value in stationary, expensive gear.
But it’s not just about space or money.
Audiophiles also need to look in the mirror and acknowledge that we’re part of the problem.
Our community has long seemed elitist and snobby. We often defend questionable or overpriced gear (called “snake oil” products) too strongly. This “silliness,” as one forum user said, has pushed away younger fans who might otherwise be curious.
Add to that the image of audiophiles as out-of-touch old men, and you’ve got a hobby that seems inaccessible, unwelcoming, and (frankly) irrelevant to most people today.
Why the Hobby Is Struggling to Connect
We’ve got to face it: the audiophile hobby has an image problem.
For years, we’ve been an exclusive club for those with deep pockets. We spend tens of thousands of dollars on gear, defend weird upgrades, and sometimes look down on those who don’t “get it.”
But this snobbery has pushed away the very people we need to keep our passion alive. The younger generation isn’t interested in the snobbery. And, they don’t have the disposable income to throw away just to get berated by the very people who should understand.
Another big issue is that many think popular music quality has gone down.
Several audiophiles on forums pointed out that the music produced from the ’50s through the ’80s was immersive and emotionally engaging. So, buying high-end systems are worth it.
But today’s music doesn’t do that for many of us. It’s made for ease – streaming platforms and earbuds – not for the kind of deep listening experience that we audiophiles chase.
Making things worse, the high-end audio industry has also recognized this demographic change in who’s buying. So, now, they market almost only to older, richer men.
This focus on an aging audience has left younger generations and women out of the conversation entirely.
As one forum user put it well, the industry has basically “given up” on appealing to anyone outside the typical old, rich male audiophile.
Can the Audiophile Community Survive?
As older audiophiles age out, we have to ask: can this hobby keep going?
To me, it’s clear that if we want the community to thrive, WE. NEED. TO. ADAPT. That means making the hobby more accessible, affordable, and appealing to a broader audience.
It’s not enough to stick to the old ways – showing off expensive, super-technical gear that only a few people can afford or even understand. It’s time to find ways to really connect with those who don’t want to spend thousands on audio gear (yet).
One thing that might help is focusing more on the music again.
Basically, for younger people to become audiophiles, they first need to love music. Once that passion takes root, interest in better sound and equipment will follow naturally.
So, instead of marketing complex and expensive systems, the industry should prioritize more affordable, simplified setups that allow new listeners to experience high-quality audio without overwhelming them.
Besides, isn’t music the one that brought us to the hobby as well?
Finally, we need to get over our snobby attitudes.
Our community needs to stop being a closed club and start welcoming anyone who loves music.
Whether it’s through cheaper products, better marketing, or just a change in attitude, something has to give. Otherwise, in a few years, we might find that there’s no one left to argue about which cables sound the best.
All true. Time to start showing the younger generation that for about $500 used they can buy nice sounding book shelf speakers, a cd player or streaming device and a receiver which if set up properly introduces them to “stereo listening”.
Howdy. I’m a professor in a sound recording technology program.
This is bullshit.
“Several audiophiles on forums pointed out that the music produced from the ’50s through the ’80s was immersive and emotionally engaging. So, buying high-end systems are worth it.”
Music today is great. Young people love music. You don’t find today’s music emotionally engaging because pretty much everyone thinks that whatever they listened to in high school was “good music” and everything after is lesser.
The thing you are right about? Young people have far less disposable income and far less space. High end headphones are a much easier sell than speakers you’ll have to keep in your tiny bedroom in a shared apartment. The whole economy is grinding pretty much everyone under 30 into paste and dropping half a years salary on speakers when you are looking at being a renter forever just isn’t going to happen.
100, I feel your comment and it’s accurate! Music today is great, better than when I was in high school which was in the 90’s. There is so much out there and a lot of it isn’t mainstream. This is coming from a 39-year-old male that has been enjoying this hobby within my spending limits for about 5 years now. I was lucky enough not to be a renter forever too, I feel bad for the younger generation and the housing market, it’s a disaster!
Good answer. I’m in the demographic described in the article, apart from not having deep enough pockets for higher end gear. I have always strived for the best sound I can afford though but when I retired we downsized to a small space and I came under pressure from she who must be obeyed to downsize my equipment. I went for decent half sized teac separates and small satellite speakers with a sub. And decent headphones. They sound great and don’t dominate the space. My wife loves music but is quiet happy listening to it through her phone speaker! I’ve never met a woman who bought a HiFi system! I believe future music lovers will still want great sound, they’ll just do it differently.
I understand why the industry is putting people off.
I went to a high end hi fi show last year and was amazed at the level of snobbery and plain rudeness of many who attended. I asked at one demo of high end speakers as to whether they could play a CD on the system on demo. I was immediately howled down as to how inappropriate it was to have a system judged by playing a CD! The last show I will bother to attend.
Audio is often a solo experience as well. I got into in part because a friend of mine was into and invited me over to listen and experience what he did. I have shared my vinyl with my 14 year old son and we also listen to digital on good headphones. He isn’t an audiofile by any means but he has experienced and appreciates good sound so the groundwork is laid.
“But, here’s the kicker: every single viewer was male. Not a single woman tuned in.”
I typically don’t attach my gender to social media accounts. There’s also times that I watch videos without being logged in. That could possibly explain it, though it’s definitely a overwhelmingly male dominated hobby.
Younger audiophiles are on Discord because Head-Fi, Facebook, and other forums are dominated by dickhead old people with terrible senses of humor, taste in music, and politics.
They’re also deaf and spend money on the dumbest shit possible.
What would some of those discords be?
Gen Z whinger, just because you’re poor, can’t afford a house and listen to crap music.
Younger audiophiles with less money are into Chi-Fi IEM’s. Regarding well mastered music, it depends on the genre. Well mastered classical and jazz will always exist, and there will always be a fresh batch of new fans of classical music to replace the old.
Love this. You show a great example of someone who is in pure denial. Thanks Alex!
In view of the inevitable loss of hearing that comes with ageing, one must also ask oneself how credible the reports of details in the music that have never been heard before are. Floyd Toole noted in an essay that this type of listener may be looking for an auditory prosthesis in their equipment rather than aiming for the most natural reproduction possible. Much of the chatter in the so-called reviews comes across as the high praise of a cult of psychotics.
Maybe saying that young people have a terrible taste in music would be a start.
To quote from 28 years ago, “What do we need new bands for, Everyone knows rock achieved perfection in 1974. It’s a scientific fact”
Good points and luckily I think the low end is opening up really nicely. I say “low end” and mean only pricing of course.
If you look at what you can get now with a Sennheiser HD560S, Hifiman Edition XS, Truthear Hexa (just a few off the top), it’s amazing.
good
Most audiophiles are NOT fans of Youtube as a virtualn place for the hobby. They’ve never been. I do not use this platform for information or source of music. None of us does.
LOL
I agree with most of this article. And the post that notes dropping half a years salary on a pair of headphones, in a small apartment they’ll be renting forever. That unfortunately is closer to the truth than it sounds. And don’t forget the world exists outside of USA and UK. And where that world exists, the salaries are not only at least 50% less, but the equipment actually costs more, a lot more, for various excuses – for me in NZ, it’s always said it’s shipping – even when it’s digital downloads (looking at you Adobe).
Where some of this loses me is I know for a fact vinyl sales are up and my teenage children have purchased quite a few. I’ve helped them get into a proper stereo system (second hand gear – Arcam amps etc) and they love it. They actually use it, but would never have done so without my help.
Echoing what others said also, going into what used to be my favourite hifi shop in Auckland, I got the cold shoulder because I wasn’t looking for anything expensive. I don’t go there any more. We absolutely CAN convince younger people that a decent stereo system will sound better AND show them. But, please leave the audio boffin imaginary audio differences at the door. An ethernet cable that is produced with extra shielding is not going to sound any better to anyone in this bracket and for those that think it does, there is an equal number of those that think it doesn’t. Error correction and all that. This type of conversation is unhelpful and absolutely does make people think it’s snake oil and not worth investigating.
Great article to spur some conversation in a good area. Thankyou.
Every time I bring someone into my music room that’s in their teens and play a selection of their choice, the response is always amazement and they break into a smile as if they were a newborn who looks at their parents for the very first time.
Every time.
It’s not the music. See above
I think it’s simply the fact that there are infinite choices for spending their time using technology to be entertained – video games, personalized TV on topics they love, movies, politics, and of course Music. Music is just one of several now. Best to use the tech that covers most of these, i.e. phones
This pretty much holds true for many activities beyond audio equipment, cars, motorcycles, snowmobiles, playing an instrument (too hard & too much effort), watching racing… on and on. The younger folks would rather stare at their phones like zombies & play video games, possibly in their parents basement.