What is your concept of an audiophile?
In my opinion... this video hits the nail right on its head.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oVME_l4IwII (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oVME_l4IwII)
Someone who obsesses over the directionality of non-directional component parts?
No wonder I've migrated back to classical music :o
Why are you obsessing over that issue? That video covers what has been happening to the quality of music recordings and trends that have been destroying sound quality, no matter what direction your fuses are orientated.
Yup.... for me I have migrated to live jazz and live music in general. Many European jazz musicians intrigue me, because many of them have had a classical background and blend the two. Being a musician makes me note the timbre of the instruments.
Why? Because the phone has completely consumed their time.
For one thing, there are less high end audio stores than there used to be. There are various reasons for it - some discussed here - https://hometheaterhifi.com/editorial/decline-high-end-audio-sales-new-outlook/
Thanks for the link. I thought I was getting old and out of touch (with modern pop music). :roll: :lol: :oops:
We have become a society of convenience, instant gratification, constant entertainment, and virtual realities.
Vinyl and tubes don't fit any of those attributes and can seem so 19th century to today's youth.
NuPrime fits in today's world: compact, energy efficient, digital friendly, simple aesthetics, and affordable.
Vinyl and tubes don't fit any of those attributes and can seem so 19th century to today's youth.
NuPrime fits in today's world: compact, energy efficient, digital friendly, simple aesthetics, and affordable.
In this new year, ask yourself what you could do to expose something new to someone. I did this last year by making some compilation disks for my 30 something nephews. I gave them stuff that they never heard before... Mahavishnu Orchestra, Return to Forever, early Genesis, King Chrimson Tommy Bolin and others. I told them they must give them "the 5 play promise", before they stopped listening.
Based on the linked YouTube video, is the OP inferring that the decline in Pop music quality has resulted in there being less audiophiles?
Compression-related issues & limitations had their place back in the 60’s too. Music was toned way down due to the limits of transistor radios & cheap stereos. Then there was 8 tracks & cassettes after that.
...big food producers are doing in destroying the nutritional qualities of foods, just so that the shelf life can be extended for more money in their pockets. The shelf life is extended because even bacteria can not live off of it effectively.
The video mentioned the simplification of modern lyrics, he must not have heard the original 1959 version of Woo-Hoo by the Rock-A-Teens, it was a big hit when I was growing up.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2cLsFtGE8zU (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2cLsFtGE8zU)
(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/6/6b/Rock-A-Teens_Woo-Hoo.jpg)
Plus complexity.
When newbies come over they ask what all the black boxes are for, I start describing the music server and can see there eyes starting to glaze over, moving to the DAC (which they never heard of) I start loosing them, at the pre-amp and amp I've completely lost them. At that point I don't even mention prices. But they always love the way it sounds, to them it is like watching a movie. I like movies too but will never buy the equipment to make one, my friends will never buy the equipment to make music.
I think the answer to the OP's question might have to do with the eminently uninteresting AND errant tone and themes of the discussion here: "Old stuff was great, new stuff is shite".
Hey you kids! Off of my lawn with your hippity hoppin and rappity rappin! Lawrence Welk is REAL music! :lol:
Dudes, there's galaxies more, and more interesting, and better recorded, and more varied, music now than ever. Just 'cause no one's spoon feeding the best of it over airwaves to the masses is nothing to get all huffy or despondent about.
So true. But the buy in for all-in-one isn't cheap. The LIO is a fabulous all-in-one, and not expensive at all for what it is, but is still a price tag where many people are going to be thinking for more than a moment about it. I see nothing wrong with the pricing, but rather that paying someone to do something well is such a burden on the income level.
Today's popular pop/rock music just does not interest me. There are some excellent music/artists out there ..... but it's not easy for them to get mainstream exposure.
I just listened to Woo-Hoo. I'll break it down to show you why that song is far more complex than a modern hit.
Intro - single voice followed by -
2) guitar with a riff that then changes in the middle
3) add drums
4) add vocals
5 add saxophone
6) stop everything - drum solo
7) cowbell to drum solo
8 - stop cowbell add guitar with change of guitar riff (8 with a para keeps turning it into a 8) !)
9) re-add cowbell
10) resume vocal and sax
11) guitar solo
12) add interplay with drum
13)resume vocal
14) ending that doesn't sound like any of the rest of the song
It's actually an incredibly complex song with lots of arrangement. All in less than 2 minutes!
I think the answer to the OP's question might have to do with the eminently uninteresting AND errant tone and themes of the discussion here: "Old stuff was great, new stuff is shite".
Hey you kids! Off of my lawn with your hippity hoppin and rappity rappin! Lawrence Welk is REAL music! :lol:
Dudes, there's galaxies more, and more interesting, and better recorded, and more varied, music now than ever. Just 'cause no one's spoon feeding the best of it over airwaves to the masses is nothing to get all huffy or despondent about.
if you are into head phones and stream your music can you be considered an audiophile
if you are into head phones and stream your music can you be considered an audiophile
I think the interest has a relativity to ability to spend. When people look at something they wager whether it'll detract from more important things to them. The flow has direction aligned with interest on a hierarchical structure.
Simple fact, no one can afford to make amazing things for people at the cheap level of what China can do. But China does not do, it is simulacra, merely the idea rather than the full on function.
I'm working on speakers right now. And I think I'm working on unlocking something special. But there is no good way to make it cost nothing. It simply is an impossibility. Even the cheapest goodish speakers you can buy today straight outta china cost $300 (Elac).
Because audiophiles have remained stagnant while the world has changed.
That also reads like, "Over the decades audiiphiles have refused to take the blue pill and believe that physics no longer apply to audio reproduction, they're lost in the past unable to make themselves believe a bluetooth tube charged by USB creates ultra fidelity"e
The answer is, audiophiles have started pissing off the wrong people.
Because audiophiles have remained stagnant while the world has changed.
Um. Who dat?Was not meant to be taken seriously..
The narrator in the video that this discussion is supposed to be about never said that "new music is shit." The issue is the quality of the majority of stuff at the top of the charts these days. As the narrator stated and I think most of us would agree, there is still a lot of great music being made by many excellent artists. However, the music industry isn't taking any chances on losing money by promoting unfamiliar artists. So, one has to get past the Billboard charts to find good stuff. That wasn't the case in the past, mass market tastes were more diversified and there wasn't the present reluctance we see on the part of major labels to invest in new artist R&D.
...but for those who listen predominantly to modern pop and rock, revealing speakers and amps won't make many of those mixes/mastering sound better..
I think you should take a peek over in the Head-Fi forum. Serious Headophiles. Nuprime is well known over there by the younger generation. Also, many tube head amps are being listened with. They discuss power cords and fuses, too.
Headphones are the main thrust over there.... it seems to be where the younger audiophiles are heading while they are not able to yet afford a full system. Heck at their age we were buying Kenwood receivers and Advent speakers. At least that is what I saw at that time. It was the older folks buying the Nakamichis and the Luxman.
Fwer audiophiles because audiophile companies are putting themselves out of business.
Plus complexity.
Most of us are old(er). When we started a great stereo had a turntable, and speakers, and either a receiver/separate amp preamp. and a few free cables, or at most a few dollars worth of wire.
And you had a stereo.
Then Cd got added, then streaming
And add in wires,
Then all of our OWN bickering.
Anyone interested at all would read this stuff, look at the prices, and find some other hobby!
Also with the rise of gaming.. most young folks if they had a few hundred bucks, would spend it on a Playstation or XBox. And not on a stereo.
Though I agree headphones do seem to be the way to a future revival of audiophilia.. When all those young'ins get a house, and a real job.
Not in my book.
Was not meant to be taken seriously..
I don't know that the number of people interested in hearing their music sound better has dwindled that much, but for those who listen predominantly to modern pop and rock, revealing speakers and amps won't make many of those mixes/mastering sound better.. The interest in achieving better sound is always going to be there, in my opinion, but record companies and current musicians are not making it possible because of their mixing and mastering choices.
No one cares about Billboard charts or any other gate-keeper bullshit anymore. That's the whole point: The internet age is about the constructive (and yes, destructive) chaos of a world without gate keepers: Radio DJs, MTV, critics, charts, "mainstream" validation, stupid awards given by self congratulatory guilds of self proclaimed professionals, you name it, the internet age cares not about it.
What does it care about? Well, that's the good news. It cares about whatever niche thing you do. Don't care about rap, or think it sucks? Guess what, nor (so) do I! Fantastic. Let's hang out online and bond over what we DO like.
The notion that we're not living in the most golden of ages, in which the sheer panoply of music and art and all kinds of great stuff - from today AND from the past - isn't happening is completely silly. Know what I'm saying?
+1
The point of the video is that we've dumbed down modern pop music to the point that there's no point in having higher fidelity playback.
As with all things it seems, there are good things and less so good about this current state of affairs. First thing that strikes me as bad (from an artist's perspective) is is that a previous pathway towards earning a living, royalties from sales, has mostly disappeared from the equation because everyone now expects music to be free or nearly so. Live shows are the only way to earn a livelihood now and that gets old.
Recording technology has gotten a lot less expensive to get to a certain level of quality, but there's still no substitute for having the resources of a recording label, producer, and engineer behind an artist. As the video mentions, major labels just won't put resources into developing artists with unproven sales potential anymore.
As to "no one cares about gatekeepers anymore," that strikes me as only partially true. Those few that make it past the gatekeepers enjoy great wealth and the rest cater to their niche audience and struggle to survive. That has always been true but the qualities of those allowed through the gate now have been become more rigidly defined. Again, all this talk about the wonderful infinite choices of the digital age is spoken from the consumer's side of the equation. The constant fractionalization of markets for artistic product means it get's harder and harder to be a serious full time artist IMO. Whether we're talking about news, opinion, & information, music, or visual art - we can now find near infinite sources to cater to our personal perspectives and biases. Great for the individual but at the same time that variety diminishes the communal experience of societal togetherness. If we place the desires and wants of the individual first in our value hierarchy, that's great. If we suspect there may be worthwhile values other than individualism, there may be downsides to all this.
Although it does so in different ways than when compared to the effect of revealing gear on other more "audiophile" music genres, I would respectfully disagree with this statement.
Snobbery is one of the factors that turn folks off from hifi listening. I made that mistake a year ago at a friend's place. He brought me to his bedroom to show off his new AV system which consisted of a huge curved screen TV and a tiny 5.1 system with teeny wires and I told him exactly what I thought of it. 20 years ago I'd convinced him to buy very nice $400/pair speakers for his living room system and I was very disappointed.
The notion that we're not living in the most golden of ages, in which the sheer panoply of music and art and all kinds of great stuff - from today AND from the past - isn't happening is completely silly. Know what I'm saying?
OK I'm listening to Sgt Peppers on Tidal....
......
What did I miss? Is this seriously the benchmark the guy in the video is talking about?
Are you saying audiophiles are not music lovers? What is your concept of an audiophile? NuPrime makes audiophile equipment.
:scratch: Did you watch the video????????
Because audiophiles have remained stagnant while the world has changed.To be an audiophile is necessary an amount of audio equip knowledge not to mention electronics and music, current generation have none of this, most of today adult think MP3 is hi-fi since it is digital music in a fantastic phone in a fantastic ear-bud.
Stagnant? How old are you? You must be quite young to say that.
We have great advances in audio today, even in average equipment, because of what audiophiles were demanding years ago...
From amplification, to speakers, to improved interconnects and cables.
That's what I love of NuPrime and value oriented companies, for me they are the present and future of Hi-Fi/high end audio.Unfortunately I like tube amps, which is destined to become the golden egg hen of manufacturers and dealers in view of various current audio tubes manufacturers made a agreement to standardize audio tubes time life in 1000 hours only.
Maybe we are dying off?
Why?
- We're snobbish in so many ways (budget, musical genre, brands, source formats)
- We're not open minded
- We're old and live in the past
- We hold on to old, fussy technologies that few under age 50 relate to (vinyl, tubes, separates)
Correct, so usually audiophiles are urban people that are up to here w/the overloading silly news and news manipulations every day if you can sense the thread of the skein.
It all goes hand in hand with the "quality of life." When a culture becomes dulled down, there goes the quality of the finer things in life. Communication overload dulls us down. Just like trying to eat a full box of candies makes our taste buds go blank after having too much.
less audiophiles hopefully means more music lovers .......... not a bad thing IMO
Maybe we are dying off?
I believe that the vast majority of audiophiles are music lovers.
Even for those minority of audiophiles that are into the equipment more than the music, I am not sure what the big deal is. If it brings them joy, isn't that enough?
I am a music first audiophile. But on certain days, I can enjoy the hell out of just listening to the equipment. The 2 are not mutually exclusive.
Wow, I will add my 2cents.
This is a topic we manufacturers most concern with.
Audiophiles/music lovers who are in their 50s are enjoying their audio hobby as high-end components are getting cheaper and better. Internet allows them to find a lot of good non pop musics. Those who are older are downsizing with all-in-one integrated amp.
These customers are keeping the few high-end manufacturers on "life support". I kid you not.
Just look at the industry. Most audio brands have been bought and consolidated. And if they are still around, just a shadow of their former self. How many high-end audio companies are truly investing in R&D instead of just packaging or customising off-the-shelf stuff?
I think the problems that drive high-end audio to the ground (lets be honest, high-end audio has been on life support for several years already) are well understood. There are enough blames to go around - greedy manufacturers and dealers, the trend, lots of expensive gadgets (my family spent thousands of $ on phones and tablets) to take your time away, easier to travel, the music industry, lifestyle change (do families still gather in the living room after dinner?), and so on.
At some point a vicious cycle started to spiral out of control. And here we are.
NuPrime is probably one of the last few (may be the only one left) high-end manufacturers still working on fundamental amplifier R&D (by the way, we just achieve a breakthrough but that's not the point here), and we have some tough decision to make. Do we just give up and focus on making premium < $1000 all-in-one and just go with the flow, until we get put out of our misery by some premium Amazon or Apple speaker, or we find a way out ?
We reached the following observations:
In some part of the world (Asia, Europe), high-end audio is down but not out. Younger consumers don't want to pay for insane prices but are starting to look for good sounding stereo components. As the Millennials get older and into their 40s, their lifestyle will change, and some will start to pay attention to audio (again). We are seeing a little light at the end of the tunnel, and this is what gives us hope.
But a lot of work lies ahead.
We have to spend a lot more effort on educating consumers about audio.
We have to continue to innovate and make our products even more affordable.
We are a tiny company. All we need is a small slice of a small premium audio market and we will be doing just fine.
Another BIG reason why retail high end audio retail stores are out of the loop is the internet. Just visit the web site, order, and it's shipped to your front door. The buyer just needs to do a little of home work.
Exposure to product is what is needed.
Mcintosh was sold. Devialet is funded by a billionaire and I doubt they will ever get a return on investment. My comment is on the economics of this business not about their sound quality.
Personally, I'm just happy that products like Devialet exist in the market today, as they provide a benchmark for others to provide comparison.
I was referring to the engineering achievement of creating a complete package in their enclosures. I was not referring to which particular unit has better sound. Keep in mind that replacing a Devialet requires a a preamp/power amp/DAC combination, not just a amp.The STA-6 seems suited to a fullrange driver or two-way OB, the site feature says:
Nuprime does indeed have a excellent reputation for providing gear with great sound quality. I have no doubt your latest mono amp sounds outstanding, and I'm always game to listen to excellent equipment.
Normally I don't challenge such a statement but you are in Nuprime circle, so I beg to differ. Devialet is an engineering marvel (I bet everyone loves to see the woofer moves), but as far as a great amp is concerned, it is not. It is still playing catch up. I have customers who wrote to me that they sold their $4000 Devialet after discovering NuPrime amp.
Why?
- We're snobbish in so many ways (budget, musical genre, brands, source formats)
- We're not open minded
- We're old and live in the past
- We hold on to old, fussy technologies that few under age 50 relate to (vinyl, tubes, separates)
One of the challenges I see for audio manufacturers is to provide a truly user friendly computer source for typical audiophiles, who are approaching or at retirement age. Something high-end that doesn't require working in IT. Far to few IT folks have sensitivity to this. This has the potential to reach a huge market but so far no audio solution is available to compete with price/ease of use with say Netflix.
When I was young, Every kid listened to AM radio. In the car, and at home.Well said Elizabeth.
Audiophiles only existed as rare animals.
Now the kids have earbuds and a small player or use the computer or their smartphone.
Same difference.
Still audiophiles only exist as rare animals.
Never did audiophiles rule the World. We have always been marginal.
Would anyone happen to have a link to the research referenced in the video? (I could only get 4 minutes into it before deciding it's basically schlock reporting.)
Technically.. Classical music lovers live in the past, well beyond their own past.
The times have changed since I was a kid in the 70s. The record stores would have a stereo section and maybe even a head shop. The owners were into it and you could hear all sorts of things you couldn't afford for yourself.
Recently this one woman listened to my stereo and her jaw dropped.
She said where could someone go to find stuff like this and my answer was you can't as there's no place that carries all of the stuff that I have. The closest place would be maybe around Baltimore which is 50 miles away but in order to source all of the different components to put it together you'd be running all over the country.
That's what make sites like this so great - you find someone whose ears you trust and take it from there.
Recently this one woman listened to my stereo and her jaw dropped.
Well said Elizabeth.
For the vast majority, a high end system was a Pioneer receiver and a Dual turntable. When I moved up to a Teac RTR and Advent speakers, that was as good as it was going to get for a young married guy. I didn't even know anyone with separates.
Audiophiles have always been <.01% of the listening public. I doubt if our numbers have significantly changed.
The problem here in my part of So Cal is that it's really difficult to become an audiophile now. When I was an up and coming teenager, there was Pacific Stereo and Federated (remember the 'Fred Rated' commercials?) along with Radio Shack. It was easy to put together a great system for whatever your budget happened to be. Hell, I still have a pair or RS Mach IIs up in the attic.
Now, there are no 'stereo-centric' stores like that. Most of the prices we audiophiles play with are simply beyond a young person's means. Then when they do want to jump in, they want Bose. :duh:
Recently this one woman listened to my stereo and her jaw dropped.In the TV area this solution is ready and very cheap, any 32'' Led TV is cheap and offer good image at an remote control click.
She said where could someone go to find stuff like this and my answer was you can't as there's no place that carries all of the stuff that I have.
Ideally, that is what should happen anytime an outsider is exposed to our hobby. :thumb:
If you are willing to drive an hourish there's Upscale Audio.
The problem here in my part of So Cal is that it's really difficult to become an audiophile now. When I was an up and coming teenager, there was Pacific Stereo and Federated (remember the 'Fred Rated' commercials?) along with Radio Shack. It was easy to put together a great system for whatever your budget happened to be. Hell, I still have a pair or RS Mach IIs up in the attic.
Now, there are no 'stereo-centric' stores like that. Most of the prices we audiophiles play with are simply beyond a young person's means. Then when they do want to jump in, they want Bose. :duh:
The problem here in my part of So Cal is that it's really difficult to become an audiophile now. When I was an up and coming teenager, there was Pacific Stereo and Federated (remember the 'Fred Rated' commercials?) along with Radio Shack. It was easy to put together a great system for whatever your budget happened to be. Hell, I still have a pair or RS Mach IIs up in the attic.
:D Answer is simply: why do we see more homeless people. Why is it that a 500 dollar blip in a home budget would send 50% scrambling ,,,, Jim Morrison ,, This Is The End ,,,,, ha. Listen and learn. :D
But they don't carry NuPrime (this is NuPrime circle so I have to point out).
Summit Audio (John Casler contact is listed on our website).
We selling high-end products at mid-fi price, so a lot of dealers don't want to carry them.
But this topic was more about audiophiles in general. Not specifically about NuPrime.
The poster I was responding to, also seemed to be commenting on the lack of brick and mortar stores, in the So Cal area, in general, not specifically where to listen to NuPrime.