From ‘crap’ to ‘cool’ in a cliques moment
Because it ain't cool unless marketing drones say it is!
Gadgets, amongst others consumer products, are susceptible to the excessive pull of marketing. It's important for companies to make their products known to the masses. Without such coverage, most individuals would be unaware of their presence, and more importantly, the availability of their products. Marketing is a great way to provide this coverage, however it also leads to misinterpretation of facts, an alternate truth courtesy of the mouth of a well-oiled marketing drone. Once the majority of a market is accustomed to one way of thinking, it's very difficult to change it. Thus, those who make an effort to remain up-to-date with their gadgets are bombarded by the overpowering mass market who name anything popular 'cool', and anything different 'crap'.
Cliques provide an outlet for those who take extra care to nab the best product for their needs. A good example are audiophiles. Audiophiles take great pleasure in obtaining the finest audio equipment, music, and acoustics they can afford to ensure that the best possible conditions are formed for optimal listening pleasure. Take the common MP3 player as an example, most people opt for Apple's iPod. This player is not without its advantages, it's often the best value in terms of storage capacity, however the audio quality and compatibility often fall short of alternatives. Regardless, the main downfall with popular media devices in not so much the device itself, but the headphones. People pay hundreds of dollars to get the latest MP3 player, and yet they settle with the tinny low-end headphones provided.
A few months back I decided to invest in some decent audio equipment. My choices were the Cowon D2 (a favourite amongst the audiophile community) and a pair of Sennheiser CX500 canalphones. These were not cheap. The canalphones alone set me back $130. After placing a few of my favourite songs on the player (encoded in 320kbps MP3, no less), I plugged in the canalphones and started the D2. I selected a song at random and was instantly blown back with the sheer clarity. I knew my money was put to good use, all my music felt like it had an extra dimension. I didn't just pay for fancy equipment, I was also receiving an added quality to my existing and future music collection. This is the aspect that most people don't realise.
Impressed with what I was hearing, I naturally informed a group of friends. Expecting them to share in the awe, I instead received criticism! "Ha! You paid $130 for headphones. Ripped off!" was the gist of responses received. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't disheartened, they refused to accept or offer legit reason. They were pawns to status quo's unproven infinite and undeniable logic. So I enjoyed my gear whilst they settled with their expensive shiny mp3 players, channelling audio through the most horrible headphones possible. If they upgraded the headphones instead of the player, they'd find themselves with greater improvement. But alas, the latest and greatest cannot apply to something as simple as headphones. Apparently.
Eventually a friend of mine asked to have a listen. I agreed, and he did so with my CX500's on his new iPod. He was also impressed with the difference in quality. I was glad that he recognised this. Finally, the ignorance of one person was banished. If only it were this easy to convince everyone!
When it comes down to it, music is only one instance of the vast spectrum of gadgetry. This refusal to accept a better alternative spreads across all stretches of the market. Whether it be computing, with preference for the cheaper generic PSUs, or simple peripherals, such as the attraction to cheap USB drives with dismal build quality and transfer speeds. The idea of quality vs popularity escapes people's reasoning since it isn't common practise to question it. So I ask readers to think about it. Next time you are going to buy something new, do some research. You might end up with something magnitudes better for the same price as a common consumer product. It doesn't take much effort to search on the web after all. And if people judge your choice to justify their own purchase, just stand there and smile. Perhaps, eventually, people will get the point. :)
