It’s the time of year for saving money!
I sometimes fear I am becoming a dinosaur. My long standing audio practices are being displaced, slowly but most assuredly by new designs, new technologies and a new outlook on how a high end audio system is set up and used.
Perhaps I have a somewhat romanticized viewpoint of a time more closely allied with the 1950’s and 1960’s when truly remarkable audio systems were seen as luxury items enjoyed by those with a penchant for music. Systems of that bygone era were made to play music and little else. Maybe even nothing else.
Systems of those long ago days were all of a similar technology – tubed equipment, turntables and the occasional reel to reel. LP’s ruled the day. Some systems had tuners but they, then as now, most commonly failed to live up to high end standards. While these systems were typically found on credenzas and other common furniture, there were those systems housed in rooms more commonly resembling a recording studio.
People actually gathered together to listen to these systems – sometimes dressed in jeans and polo shirts and sometimes in suits with pocket squares. Friends gathered together for cocktails and music.
It would seem times have changed.
Today, there are more manufacturers than ever scrambling, racing even to develop systems that serve each and every master. Want a system to play movies and music? No problem. Want a system that is compact, fits nicely and out of the way on a bookshelf? No problem. Want a system that is affordable and can be purchased while maintaining family responsibilities? Of course!
All separate componentry is slowly ceding way to integrated components having multiple functions. It is suddenly possible today to have an audio system containing an amp, preamp, DAC, streaming device and maybe even a phonostage. One box. One not so large box. Quite a profound departure from all separate components.
Speakers are now changing face from large floor standing types to smaller versions, some of which contain amps and can stream music wirelessly. And even though the technology has yet to really become viable, do not for a second think there is not a concerted effort to develop wireless speakers with sonic capabilities equal to the wired types so pervasive today.
Lifestyle products. Is it even remotely possible this is the Achilles Heel of our hobby? Might this be the downfall of what has been traditionally known as “audiophilia?” How much impact will this have going forward? Will a “lifestyle product” be a fallback position for the average audiophile because other factors prevent the purchase and use of the system that is really desired?
Some will say such changes are necessary if the hobby is to survive. It will help attract new listeners. And that’s good for the hobby. It’s just not good for me.
My audio system is in a fairly large sized room, housed in a large, very heavy equipment rack with all separate components. Room treatments adorn the walls and ceiling. There are no framed pictures, no glass, no televisions. No furniture save for a few listening chairs. Reflective surfaces are kept to a minimum. I listen to music mostly alone. It is then I am able to enjoy the music I want, played how I want, and not worrying about appeasing anyone else. However, I also enjoy a Friday evening with my girlfriend and a nice glass of wine. I also, despite my normal preference, occasionally enjoy having friends over to hear a system outside of their norm.
Systems like mine seem to be a dying breed, remnants of the hobby’s past.
I am not even remotely interested in having a nice all in one system purporting to reproduce a high performance sound. I am not interested in smaller Class D integrated amps maintaining equivalency to many of the magnificent Class AB amps – to say nothing of some of the more remarkable tubed equipment. I could care less if a one box solution can be hidden out of the way behind all the bric-a-brac on the bookshelves. I prefer speakers that are floor standing and I am not especially concerned how tall they might be or how much they weigh. My one and only condition is how they perform.
My audio system will continue to be comprised with all separate components. Separates make as much sense today as they did thirty years ago. Vibration control certainly matters. I will continue to house my system in a room whose sole and singular purpose is for me to sit in a chair and practice the art of listening to music on a world class audio system. My interest extends little beyond playing music and watching a movie is not something my main audio system will ever be able to do. Never. But that’s me. And while this may work for me, it is not the standard others may employ.
High performance audio is a very personal thing. My choices are neither completely right nor completely wrong. What they are is mine. Likewise, the choices of those who prefer something different, regardless of system cost, system design, where it is housed, how it is used, or any other condition will be made to suit the needs of the owner. Those choices will also be neither right nor wrong. They will be the mandate of the user. We all do things to suit our own needs.
I am becoming a dinosaur. I realize that. My hobby may one day change forever and I will be unable to prevent it from happening. I may not like it, but I will have to accept it. I will not, however, be a willing practitioner. I won’t be drinking the Kool Aid. I’m happy being a dinosaur.
I too am a dinosaur and proud of it. those who do not understand our hobby are missing out on some of the grandest and most amazing art ever created. music is an art form and we get to hear Mozart, or Miles, or The Beatles almost like we were there. i would rather drive an old clunker car and have a great audio system, versus having a Porsche and a Bose radio
Many of those “dinosaur” systems are fantastic, and worth preserving. But increasingly, “dinosaur” systems comprise gear that’s far outside the engineering mainstream, with manufacturers trying to create an elite appeal by embracing technologies abandoned decades ago for good reason: huge drivers with whizzer cones (and horrific response and dispersion anomalies), amps that struggle to put out 10 watts and/or intentionally add distortion, 1980s-style DACs, etc. I think that stuff has much to do with consumerism and nothing whatsoever to do with a desire for natural music reproduction. I think people who are genuinely interested in music, rather than fetishing gear, are better served by the KEFs and Dynaudios of the world, who start with impeccable acoustical engineering, then fine-tune it to near-perfection with DSP — and make the system easy to use, even if it forces the audiophile to stop fussing with accessories and start listening to the music.
Hey Brent,
I agree with your opinions set forth above. However, my reference to “dinosaur” as it relates to an audio system is not about yesteryear or vintage equipment well behind current engineering standards. It is really about the idea of having such a system in the first place as opposed to something probably more mainstream by todays standards. Like, for instance, all in one systems that can, indeed, hide out of the way. My system is anything but past its prime in engineering excellence. Right now, for example, I am working on setting up a new set of speakers that by any measure are on the cutting edge of design. The remainder of my system is exceptionally good as well. However, as it applies to vintage systems being considered a “dinosaur,” I could not agree more.
NuPrime Audio has been leading the way with innovations in separate components. In two months time, we will release another series of separate components (total of 4 lines of separates) called AMG series. Interested readers please refer to these two articles: https://nuprimeaudio.com/guides/amp-design/ and https://nuprimeaudio.com/guides/amp-comparison/
Doesn’t Paul actually produce the Kool-Aid?
For you, maybe… 🙂
Providing it’s locally-sourced, organic, and cruelty-free Kool-Aid, maybe.
As always, I think Brent makes excellent points regarding the embarrassing levels of “outside the engineering mainstream” designs, and I agree that you can get excellent performance today without resorting to crazy expense or fraudulent performance claims.
As the guy at TAS who reviews specifically high-value components, I agree…there are many products that, due to their over-the-top design and execution don’t interest me…what can you do for $500? That’s interesting…
I’ll give you a dollar if you can get a “Systems for $500” article published in TAS. That amount will not buy one cable-elevator for the cognoscenti.
I suppose two different $400 USB DAC/PRE/Headphone amps don’t count? Or the $49 streamer?
any damn fool can design something with an unlimited budget that is pretty good (except for the F35). People like Hafler and Kloss are few and far between.
Come on Dave, seriously?
Sure. Here is a PS Audio product that I did a brief technical evaluation on, as there was a (cough) slight lack of objective evidence provided by the designers. While not, strictly speaking, Kool-Aid, other liquids come to mind. I’ll be happy to come up with more examples, if any are needed.
http://www.collinsaudio.com/Prosound_Workshop/Noise_Harvester.pdf
Hope This Helps!
Not nearly as elaborate, but I have a dinosaur’s room too. We’ve had discussions about expanding the room’s uses to include exercise equipment and home theater, but my only concession has been the addition of a digital piano, which gets infrequent use for composing new music. Maintaining dedication of this space to music is desperately important to me, even if few folks understand.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/285d84f27618e6e33797a597acb0dd81db669af586a14f746906c99dc5001ea3.jpg
Some virtual listening here.
I too remember the good old days (1960’s-70’s) of high-end stereo. (remember when we used to call it stereo?). But now I have a new system made up of a Yamaha Aventage AVR, OPPO UDP 203 disc player, Magnepan LRS speakers, and a 50 in. Panasonic HD plasma TV and IMO this is the best system I ever had in terms of bang for the buck. It does everything and it does it very well. Including sound quality.Things we wouldn’t have even dreamed of back in the “good old days”. Awesome blu ray picture quality.Awesome movie sound quality. Awesome SACD sound quality. Don’t be too quick to bemoan modern tech. I think if you were able, 50 years ago, to put yourself and your friends into a time machine and take them to my house today,they would be incredulous at what they would see and hear. I had a very expensive “high end” system 50 years ago. Audio Research amp and preamp. Thousand dollar TT. Moving coil phono cartridge.Acoustat monitor ESL speakers. And I would take my current system over it any day. I don’t have to obsess over cleaning my LP’s or installing a cartridge perfectly anymore. Nostalgia always looks better in the rear-view mirror than it ever actually was.
You down play FM tuners but perhaps you’re talking of U.S. stations. In the U.K. FM live recordings, mainly by the BBC, were the highest quality music source available to most listeners. I taped John Peel sessions for years and often preferred them to the LP tracks. Luckily, many of those sessions eventually surfaced on CD. Great memories.
thanks, trevor; as a long time fan of fm music, i can say w/o reservation that a quality tuna w/a good antenna and a good quality broadcast will easily rival the sq of any other source. even in the usa. unfortunately, there aren’t too many quality broadcasts w/quality programming around any more.
doug s.
Hey Trevor,
You are correct, my comment regarding tuners was directed towards US radio stations.
i’ve been reading about the demise of hi-end audio for at least 30 years, now. it ain’t gonna happen. the fact is that it is the same as it ever was. a small “lunatic fringe” percentage of music listeners and music lovers get into it the way “we” do. everything else you talk about – small electronic devices, h/t, etc – just different mass market stuff that has evolved due to new tech. those who really invest significant effort to get a realistic representation of music in the home environment? it was, is and always will be a small percentage of the music listening public. get over it! ;~)
doug s.
Or…the entry points and market segmentation is growing to a point where the total market for Hi-Fi especially hi Rez Music has increased exponentially. And your ideas about Hi-Fi can sit alongside these recent innovations quite comfortably. Just like vinyl and digital do today. Don’t despair but celebrate growth. And consider how you might diversify your company which as far as I know you are trying to do.
To someone whose standard is a pair of apple earbuds, ANYTHING is an improvement