For the Love of Audio & Hi-Fi. Is it Dead?

[AcuDefTechGuy]

The Hi-Fi Romance is definitely alive based on the sales I've seen.

But the Touchy-Feely part is behind closed doors, especially with COVID.

 

[SMU1976]

That's what is so good with audio, and lucky I am in my time here on earth. I got to enjoy the golden days of audio, wherein the 1970's guys that ran the local stores would let me sit in the various rooms with my buddies, and either we would bring in an album are they would let us choose from their selection, and oh, did they have a good selection. See that today at the Magnolia room?
Now at 60, I have had several Marantz receivers in different rooms with some classic speakers. Sure I may buy the top-of-line Marantz home theater, but it's outdated in two or three years. Even the B&K receiver, out of business. Two-channel listening room up to Accuphase and McIntosh. Yep, the old boys hooked me for life in the 1970's I enjoy every minute of it. The thing is, I will offer for free a $2500 Marantz home theater with some outstanding NHT speakers to the kids; they don't even want it. Nice $3000 new B&K receiver, "not interested." They got their HomePods and are perfectly happy. I don't understand it, and quite frankly, I don't think they listen to music; it is just a background activity. That's why they enjoy over-compressed music with the highs and lows butchered off because they're usually doing something else. Maybe that generation would be a lot more calm sitting back and enjoying a couple of CDs every so often. Just my opinion, I may be wrong, but I doubt it. One last thing, I stay out of most audiophile groups, what a group of snobs arguing over their new cables. These guys are the same age as me, but they are still looking at the equipment and not listening to the music. Gordon Gau and Roger Russel suggested all copper lamp cord to me back in the 1980s ended that McCoy and Hatfield fued. Can't someone prove this to the masses?

 

[winnoch]

I finally got a type c DAC coverter for my Sony Over Hear Headphones to connect to my Samsung Note 10 I love it so I won't return the cable lol I just found it ironic how this article popped up after a bunch of Google search for HiFi auxiliary cords to go with another type C DAC converter that I'm ordering now for my Sony HT-ST5000

For me, the only reason I buy 'better' cables than the freebies supplied with equipment, is for tactile/visual purposes. I don't want lovely, well engineered equipment, connected by cheap looking, stiff plastic sheathed, unsatisfyingly connecting wires! Same reason the brake callipers on hi-end sports cars tend to be shiny, red and very solid looking. Doesn't affect their braking performance one iota; said car would just look a bit naffer with the same callipers as a Fiat Panda.

 

[Eppie]

Some interesting points in the article. When I got into hi-fi in the 80's, you could only find decent gear at specialty shops and the sales people were usually hi-fi enthusiasts as well. Still remember well the first time I heard a pair of JBL L300 Summits connected to a Harmon Kardon Citation amp and pre-amp. That was when the bug bit me. That shop still survives today but deals mostly in custom home theatre and high end audio. Can't blame them since it's hard to compete with big box stores in the low to mid range.
Music used to be a shared experience. We would share LPs and show off our latest gear. Some evenings we would just drink and play loud music for entertainment. Portable music players changed that. My daughter has probably listened to more music at her age simply because she can carry it with her wherever she goes, but it's a solitary experience. That may be why hi-fi now often involves home theatre, as that is once again a shared experience. When my daughter got an apartment and a big screen, she also asked me for advice and bought some vintage audio gear, bless her heart. There is hope after all.
As to the 'romance', that's hard to find in a big box store. If you're ok with Klipsh or Energy or Polk, you can find something ok there, but there is no dedicated home theatre room and rarely the opportunity to play your own music. I was one of the few that actually spent a good hour moving from speaker to speaker listening for different characteristics. Most people play the Avengers movie and check out the effects. I ended up going to a local specialty shop and found what I wanted there. That's doesn't imply that the romance is dead. While us old timers had to rely on in store demos and Sound & Vision magazine, presently there are a lot of Youtubers that cover audio gear with great enthusiasm. There are companies spending a great deal of time and money developing improved DACs and streamers. Small book shelf speakers have improved incredibly over the years. Spotify may sound like crap, but there are enough enthusiasts to give rise to companies like Tidal. I think the romance is still there. It has just taken a different form.

 

[Browncoat]

My interest in audio started when I was in high school in the 70's. In the mid to late 70s I was in the Navy. When I hit some ports overseas like Subic Bay, PI Yokosuka Naval Base and Hong Kong I got to see great and buy HiFi equipment that was not sold in the US. I wish I still had that stuff. Marantz receiver and JBL speakers. Now I have a Home Theater that the wife and I love, but for music I still run it 2 ch stereo. I am luck to still have a high end Audio store plus a Best Buy that has a Magnolia section that sells McIntosh.

 

[MichaelH]

I read the article with great nostalgia.
Yes, the romantic phase with audio is dead for the new generation. As another poster said it so well - our kids our not interested in it.
I remember building my own stereo amplifier in the 70's. It was a kit, and after hearing the sounds it generated, I fell in love. The next thing was to build my own speakers.
It was so gratifying, because I was picking raw components, designing a speaker box, building a crossover.
It was not necessarily for the purity of the sound - it was for the capability to tinker with it and discover new listening experiences.
I remember experimenting with the pre-amp stage of the amplifier with long nose pliers: I would short resistors, and if the sound improved, I would reduce the resistance. If it got worse, I would increase it. Did same experiments with capacitors. It was trial and error, and yes sometimes I needed to replace burnt transistors, but that was part of the fun. I remember infinite sessions with friends comparing which system could achieve better bass expansion or better clarity in the highs. I remember scouring the book stores for the latest British Hi-Fi magazines, because we all could agree that it was all about German cars and British speakers. It is still my hobby today, but it feels distant.
I wanted to advance, so when the first CD players came out, I shelled quite a lot of $$ to get my Sony CD. The tinkering was replaced with arguments about digital vs analog sound comparisons. The purists would not let go of vinyl. I was OK, but there was a shift in what we were looking for. Home theater and surround sound really created the second opportunity to assemble a new component system. I researched every piece and got to listen to it. I had this set of CDs i would take to audio stores to compare the sound. I got excited about laser discs. Who cared if you had to stop and go through 5 discs just to see one movie. At least you could claim that it was not MPEG compressed. It was "pure video". And then that changed also.
Today, equipment has gottern better and instead of looking for sonic differences we are comparing features and ease of use or setup. The fun days are definitely gone.

 

[Capitol C]

I loved reading this article, which is, in my opinion, right on the nose. One memory that I have, as someone born in 1952, was the shock and joy of hearing a good system compared to the record players, consoles, and radios that every house had. My first system was an AR-XA turntable with either a Shure or a Stanton cartridge, a Shure headphone amp, and a set of Koss headphones, and the result was magic. Guitars and voices sounded like guitars and voices on rock, a flute sound was different from a piccolo's on classical music, you could hear fingering, bowing, breathing--it was just so real. I think this contrast provided the background for loving the new equipment.

 

[SMU1976]

Finally a good site on the web that weeds out the snake oil versus good equipment Audio Science Review (ASR). Not for profit, no ads knows how to test audio equipment, and has the proper equipment to test audio equipment, which runs about $30K. Do yourself a favor, learn how to compare speakers (mono on mono), and much more if this is your hobby. Roger Russel from McIntosh told us that snake oil speaker wire was a fact in the 1980's, saved me fortunes over 50 years, know Asir is backing Roger up test after test. Nobody going to argue with Asir at ASR, snake oil wire and cords and poorly manufactured products called out without a problem. In addition, great buys that blow the big boys are shown.

 

[lovinthehd]

Finally a good site on the web that weeds out the snake oil versus good equipment Audio Science Review (ASR). Not for profit, no ads knows how to test audio equipment, and has the proper equipment to test audio equipment, which runs about $30K. Do yourself a favor, learn how to compare speakers (mono on mono), and much more if this is your hobby. Roger Russel from McIntosh told us that snake oil speaker wire was a fact in the 1980's, saved me fortunes over 50 years, know Asir is backing Roger up test after test. Nobody going to argue with Asir at ASR, snake oil wire and cords and poorly manufactured products called out without a problem. In addition, great buys that blow the big boys are shown.

You mean other than Audioholics?

 

[MrBoat]

I could do without yet another black anodized extrusion, adorned with either a single, or multiple white or blue LEDs. Part of why I DIY most of my stuff now. To avoid that piercing blue death ray that they put on everything now.

 

[Eppie]

I could do without yet another black anodized extrusion, adorned with either a single, or multiple white or blue LEDs. Part of why I DIY most of my stuff now. To avoid that piercing blue death ray that they put on everything now.

Funny you should mention that. When I developed cataracts those blue LEDs were the biggest PITA. What ever writing was next to a blue LED was illegable. Any car with blue lighting in the dash would be definite pass. On some gear a small piece of black electrical tape over half of the LED does nicely. So glad my Denon AVR has none of that bright blue crap.

 

[Pogre]

The young of today aren't really that different from the young of long ago. For every guy who loved his HiFi years ago, his kid may have loved his transistor radio and ear plug and didn't think his dad's HiFi was anything special because it couldn't travel. That kid grew up and finally got into nice audio equipment for his home but his kid preferred his Walkman. Then, that kid grew up and got into home theater and music using a multi channel setup but his kid likes watching movies and listening to music on his iphone using airpods. Something is definitely lost when purchasing items online and nothing beat looking at LPs in a record shop. It doesn't help that receivers today are mostly boring black boxes and brushed metal surfaces and wood trim are all but gone. Young people are attracted to phones of varying shapes, sizes and colors and have many options.

View attachment 43659

Omg I used to play with one of those when I was a kid! I'd forgotten all about it! Seeing that image brought back some memories for me. Even back then as a kid I thought it was a pos... lol.

 

[WonderProfessor]

If you were really hardcore you would be buried IN the Dynacos!

That is a great idea! Thank you so much! I will be buried in my Dynaco's! (After the requisite cremation, of course. I wonder what my wife will think...)

 

[MrBoat]

Funny you should mention that. When I developed cataracts those blue LEDs where the biggest PITA. What ever writing was next to a blue LED was illegable. Any car with blue lighting in the dash would be definite pass. On some gear a small piece of black electrical tape over half of the LED does nicely. So glad my Denon AVR has none of that bright blue crap.

Been welding for 30 years. Guess what color welding light kinda is? When they started going to blueish car headlights, by the time I would get home at night, my eyes would be a watery mess, because my eyes are habitually attracted to (think about how one has to focus when the welding arc is struck, times maybe 1000/day) that color light. Had one cataract surgery so far and am up for another in the other eye pretty much anytime now.

I like having a power on lights, and orange has always been ok for that.

 

[Eppie]

Been welding for 30 years. Guess what color welding light kinda is? When they started going to blueish car headlights, by the time I would get home at night, my eyes would be a watery mess, because my eyes are habitually attracted to (think about how one has to focus when the welding arc is struck, times maybe 1000/day) that color light. Had one cataract surgery so far and am up for another in the other eye pretty much anytime now.

I like having a power on lights, and orange has always been ok for that.

I had one eye done last year in July. Elective surgeries were cancelled with Covid but they managed to sneak me in. Lord knows when the other will get done. Cataract surgery is one the procedures listed as having a big backlog now. I also have macular degeneration that requires tissue replacement so that may put me higher on the list. Lucky to have some excellent eye surgeons in our city, the one eye has been great.

I like the glow around the Denon power buttons: red when in stand-by and green when on. Not too distracting when watching movies and you can adjust the brightness on the display.

 

[JengaHit]

One thing I miss so much is my Tascam 58 Reel to Reel. It's the soft hiss of the tape (I rarely used Dolby NR), the motion of the reels rotating slowly and the meters twitching to the tracks. I so wish they would bring these back as they have done with the record players. Just a Revox clone would do.
View attachment 43727

I remember in the 70s every middle-class dad on the block seemed to have a reel-to-reel. My friend's dad had a Revox I salivated over.

 

[JengaHit]

Was before my time. Only ever went to the now closed Amoeba Music on Sunset when in LA. Still go by Salzar’s Records when in Ventura.View attachment 43782View attachment 43783

Amoeba was one of my haunts when I lived in LA. You could get lost in that place. Too bad it closed. The Tower Records also.

 

[JengaHit]

I agree with Shady that romantic hifi isn't dead, just niche. And judging by all the websites (like Audioholics), forums, and youtube channels on audio, the niche is alive and well, but much of the enthusiasm is now generated by HT and computer audio.

I'd differ slightly with the article's characterization of results vs process. It's more like convenience vs enthusiasm.

As many have observed, music listening today isn't really a shared but solitary experience, so convenience via smartphones and tablets rules. But the 50s and 60s also had their own version of audio convenience. Remember stereo consoles? Just about every middle-class household had them, and the owners weren't necessarily romantic audiophiles. They wanted all-in-one audio solutions (convenience). Many consumers weren't building complex boutique systems back then either.

And let's not forget the 80s and 90s also had their version of mass-market audio convenience in Walkmans and boom boxes. The majority of my friends and acquaintances in college and my young-adult life had these and weren't building component systems.

That said, most of the "romantic" enthusiasts I know today are indeed late boomers or genXers. Many of them like vinyl and the simplicity of 2-ch systems. (And they're not all men. I know quite a few female vinyl enthusiasts.) Many picked up the hobby from their dads (which is probably less likely today). I did. My dad gave me the audio bug and a love of classical and jazz music. And a love of the LOOK of audio equipment, like the Kenwood integrated amp and tuner he had (like this one pictured here):

 

[Teetertotter?]

I installed a REVERB in my car, back in 1961. Boy, was that the thing. Then had an Akai reel to reel in 1963, and taped music from friends turn table. Herb Albert, Ray Conniff singers, Elvis and you name it. 1972 on of the kids bumped the Akai and one of the spindles bent. Remember those times listening to your front and rear speakers in your car, with 8 track playing??? That was Hi Fi.

 

[Ben Klesc]

Today’s younger audio buyer is what could be characterized as results-oriented. How does the unit/system perform? Do I get what I want quickly, conveniently, repeatedly? Yes or no? It’s the result that they are looking for, every time, no questions asked. The audiophile from the 1960’s-1980’s (and the small slice of traditional audiophiles who are still out there) are as much process-oriented as they are results-oriented.

What a well written article. I couldn't agree more with the above statement. The vast majority of today's music listening and audio world is about instant results. The market demands a consistency and convenience. It's not so much about spending another grand for a set of knobs you can fine tune to squeeze more out of your setup (this cassette brand sounds different from this cassette brand, this cartridge has a different sound from that cartridge, ect.), let's make comparisons. We live in a consumer world now where majority of shoppers don't want to have to spend time customizing, calibrating, and piecing together a setup. They want one device that can do it all and fit in their pocket with zero maintenance. If it breaks you buy a new one.

Perhaps the digital format away from analog moved us towards that market even more and it was only natural that this happened. Today it either works or it doesn't. The analog universe has way more nuances. What I truly love about the old HiFi world of audio was the complete customization. Not one setup sounded the same. The complete unpredictability of it. You were a mad scientist in the lab mixing dangerous chemicals together to get the magic potion. It was a completely unique and romantic experience, and it was often the centerpiece of the household where families and friends gathered to enjoy a new album. Remember when we listened to full albums? More than perceived sound quality, it encouraged social and human interaction in a listening experience that was shared, rather than tuning out the world with ear buds. This is why I continue to buy and repair gear from the 60's and 70's. You can't compare it to anything that is being sold today in the mass produced market we live in.

Sad part is that the knowledge around this equipment, such as how it works, how to calibrate and service them, and how to make repairs when they break are dwindling in numbers. You can't walk into Walmart or Best Buy for example with your reel to reel or cassette deck and ask for advice on how to calibrate the azimuth on your ferrite heads (you probably could but it would be followed by security escorting you out of the building). The physical repair shops and stereo stores that once existed around this HiFi community are dwindling in numbers in recent years at least in America, and the gadgets being sold today are not being built to be repaired. Now because of that, the costs to find used equipment still working on the market are selling for as much as they cost when they were new. Ebay is no longer a place to look for bargains.

Just goes to show you that progress is never linear. You always sacrifice something for something else. In the case of the modern market we are chasing convenience, low cost, low maintenance, and portability. Majority would rather spend a grand on the latest smart phone or tablet than on the latest pre amplifier.

Funny part is that in the past consumers had no other choice. Repairable gear made prior to the '80s was only solid and repairable because manufactures had not yet figured out how to make and market disposable junk. People bought 40-lb amplifiers because that was the only option, ditto solid "budget" stereo gear and TV sets. If plastic $99 boom boxes and megawatt car audio was available in 1972, the whole hifi cult would have died immediately. If tablets and Netflix was around in 1993, DVD/SACD and BluRay would not exist. Average consumer can't tell the difference between a bootleg MP3 file and a live concert: this would have been equally true in 1974 or 1984 had the option been available. It wasn't: even the cheapest audio and video gear was made solidly, cost real money, and didn't cater to our every infantile convenience whim. Those who came of age in this era take such things for granted, and tend to be more skeptical of modern trends. But that chapter is now closed.

I couldn't have said it any better myself. The romance and the physical experience of building your own component system that heightened your five senses are gone. Can you still impress a girl by showing off your racks?