I knew some people who got to listen to CDs when they were a new technology and reckoned that the music quality was so poor that they would never catch on. Similarly I know some people who won't listen to MP3 becuse they consider that the music quality is not up to scratch. Thankfully my own ears are not sensitive enough to be able to tell the difference.

There is definitely a lot of snobbery around. I wnet into a musical equipment shop in Dublin and asked the owner, with whom I have been dealing for many years, could he supply me with a particular lead, explaining that I needed it for an MP3 player. The owner gave me an indulgent smile and politely informed me that his shop only sold audio equipment!