Physical media is slowly but surely vanishing.
As streaming becomes more ingrained into the culture, the number of people who cling to physical media is dwindling.
We, as audiophiles, probably don't see the change. Our systems are, for the most part, holdouts where physical media rules. It's not our numbers that are dwindling. What's slowly eroding is everything and everyone else.
The pattern is pretty clear. Look at the movie/video industry as an example. How many video rental stores do you see these days? How big is the DVD/BluRay shelf of movies in your local store? Does it even have one?
Eras change and we move on. Dedicated 2-channel dealers are getting rarer by the month. Want a high-performance 2-channel preamplifier with bass and treble controls? Good luck.
I believe that inevitable change isn't altogether bad because when we lose one thing we gain another. Like friends that come and go over the years, change has a way of moving us forward. As audiophiles, it's up to us to make certain the newer eras don't lose what is truly valuable and at the heart of all we do and love.
Music. Streamed, spun, or scraped by a needle, it is our mission in life to keep the music alive and sounding great.
