I can't think of a better owner for Sound United than Apple.
This whole audio/AV arena has been dwindling and fossilising for years. There has been next to no appetite for radical change which is long overdue.
The market for all this gear we love is minute in relative terms.
As I have pointed out very few homes have good audio and or AV systems. But in the not too distant past most homes had a fairly decent audio system.
Then came the Internet and the audio budget of families transferred to computers, iPhones and tablets.
I have often told you what a visionary Peter Walker was. He really was an outstanding and unique innovator. Just look at his designs, which are unique and set apart from the herd.
Back 40 years ago he foresaw this radical change in what would consume the family electronic budget.
One of his last creations was this.
That is a digital radio control for linking and controlling Quad equipment. The technology was not available to properly support his concept at the time. So the device fell short on technical grounds. However he told me he foresaw a time when audio gear would be controlled by pocket devices.
What I am continually railing against is lack of innovation.
Hard media is now dying and Internet streaming is taking over at pace. So IT is controlling the game and the future. I know you unimaginative die hards will push back at this again. In time and sooner than you think you will lose the argument.
Our technology and systems need to meet the populace were it already is.
So pretty much every household has at least and iPhone and more likely than not a tablet, and probably a computer or two. So why should they be duplicating it with a receiver?
For most there is absolutely no reason why an AVR or AVP is required for most households, which is probably why they don't have either.
So a phone and or iPad could actually easily replace the front end, connect to the router by Wi-Fi. Almost every home now has Wi-Fi and a router.
Now get ready for AcudefTechGuy to scream blue murder. The right place to put the amps IS IN the speakers. Active crossovers are superior to passive ones. It is no contest. The use of DSP makes it easy to control the crossover and provide time alignment. The later is impossible to do with passive crossovers unless you use first order crossovers which are a nightmare.
So for streaming your Phone or tablet could control your whole system. No extra expense, you already own the gear, just add speakers, or a sound bar if you want.
For those like me who have historic legacy gear an analog interface unit, that also had digital options could easily be designed and controlled from phone or tablet.
This is the obvious way forward.
If I were Apple I would hardly be able to wait to get my hands on Sound United.
Our systems are fossilized and long overdue for radical change.
