AudioCircle
Audio/Video Gear and Systems => The Starting Block / Introductions => Topic started by: dwill73 on 30 Nov 2021, 04:52 pm
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Is it me or is there getting to be less and less audiophiles ?? Seems like everyone back in the 1970s through the late 80s in my family and most friends had some type of 2 channel stereo system. Most families just buy a cheap off-the-shelf home theater and rarely listen to music anymore.
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It's not you. Even before the pandemic, traditional brick and mortar stereo stores had gotten scarcer. Back in the mid 1980s and had a new house built and had surround channel wiring put in the family room and the builder didn't understand what it was for as Dolby Surround was only barely making its way into consumer products. I had surround before then with a Pioneer TVX 9500 (e.g. https://www.ebay.com/itm/324877362843?chn=ps&_trkparms=ispr%3D1&amdata=enc%3A1sxSxTIy1TAyRY7aB0K825Q84&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-117182-37290-0&mkcid=2&itemid=324877362843&targetid=1262843334889&device=c&mktype=&googleloc=9011840&poi=&campaignid=15275224983&mkgroupid=131097072938&rlsatarget=pla-1262843334889&abcId=9300697&merchantid=6296724&gclid=Cj0KCQiAtJeNBhCVARIsANJUJ2HuAbK4gm0vUgwVfFDh9HoEp92EQIPAtl2UIp458N9Ok-vPx4BMMNYaAjsjEALw_wcB) which tuned in TV Channels in dual mono (before there was stereo TV) and I had Time Delay devices for rear channel sound.
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PS - Welcome to AC!
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PS - Welcome to AC!
Thanks
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Greetings & Welcome to AC dwill73 :thumb:
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We live in "ERA OF STREAMING" :duh:.There are no more video clubs, where I used to browse and rent or buy a DVD or Blu-Ray, a lot of CD stores closed the doors (oh, how I miss HMV Toronto on Yonge St.), where I used to go for CD hunting.That store had listening stations, the Staff would open cd and people were able to sample cd, before purchasing.Actually, that store was the "Capitol of Heavy Metal", the young man, Tim Henderson was making sure the cd shelves were up to date with new releases.He even started a magazine BW&BK, it's still up and running online.
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Welcome to AC :thumb:
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Young people (and not so young too) have all their music on their phones so they just listen to music on headphones. If you're hooked up to the internet, you can listen to any radio station, free or paid Pandora, Spotify, etc. Or if they're into big screen TV's, then they can get into HT.
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Sound quality and feeling the music just isn't important to most folks nowadays I guess and most probably don't have the budget to invest in a new quality stereo system. There's also the part were most hifi stereo shops have gone out of business the past 20 years and if there is a local hifi shop around that shop can't afford to have a lot of demo systems like they did at one time. IMO you can build a nice system on a budget with vintage equipment if you know what to look for.
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Welcome to AudioCircle dwill73
I think what you get these days are too many things fighting for the family money and attention, also the fact that some people these days have no attention span to sit and just do one thing at a time.
I was on the train coming home from work yesterday and the woman near me was watching a film on her iPad, but at the same time was doing other things on her phone. So if they have no attention span to do one thing at a time, they are not likely to spend the money on a good system because they can’t really tell the difference from a good or not so good system because their attention is divided.
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They don have previous experience on good loudspeakers or even bad speakers and they think hi-fi audio prices are too expensive compared to his new Best Buy TV.
This situation a long with the new $399 Lii Audio F15 FR driver wonder will lead home audio to market changes.
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Attended an audio meeting a couple of years ago hosted by Earl Geddes and thought I'd landed in a nursing home (have visited over 100 of them). In my 60's I was the second youngest guy there. It's a generational thing. Younger folks are into miniaturizing everything and making everything portable. Their standard of living has gone down while more disposable income goes into internet, cell phones, and electronic subscriptions. They live in an artificial/temporary world and have little interest in DIY. So they live in smaller and less freestanding homes that are poorly suited to home audio or "grown up" A/V systems.
Even going to an audio show (remember those) was disappointing by the average age of attendees. Most are of an age where they're interested in retiring or their various health issues. And the economic demographic is showing fewer super rich and more poverty as wealth concentrates. So the younger/middle aged middle income market is dying off.
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It takes time and money to afford true high end these days, hence the older crowd who have reached higher levels in business hierarchy. I would also guess many of us had hobbies early in life which took dedication and time, so we were inclined to dedicate time and money to achieve certain levels of competence in audio if that bit us. I couldn't wait to graduate college and chase 2 hobbies I could now afford, one being stereo.
Maybe the next generation will pick this up or it will completely transform into AI sensory psycho gibberish nonsense. These kids need to go to a true rock and roll concert and get bitten with the bug - oh wait, lip-synched hip hop until you drop crap music. Sorry. Never mind.
There was a thread on Audiogon this week about all the new manufacturers someone had noticed. Seems like stupid high end exorbitantly priced components. Maybe they will carry the torch. :duh:
https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/where-the-heck-are-all-these-manufacturers-coming-from?utm_campaign=website&utm_source=sendgrid&utm_medium=email
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One unfortunate thing I have noticed since some years is that no one wants to give useful information on audio subjects, maybe they dont want to compromise or dont have anything to inform, what will create a void of reliable information that will be filled by paid merchandising ''information'' of web sites of the moment.
Turns out that the grandparents of this current generation were raised by omissive parents who were educated by TV themselves, so by snowball effect this millennial generation was educated by omitted parents too who did not imposed moral and ethical limits to his childrens resulting that now they will be happy to take poison and eat s*t as long the mainstream news TV guide them to do it.
(https://www.idlehearts.com/images/shortly-the-public-will-be-unable-to-reason-or-think-for-themselves.jpg)
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Is it me or is there getting to be less and less audiophiles ?? Seems like everyone back in the 1970s through the late 80s in my family and most friends had some type of 2 channel stereo system. Most families just buy a cheap off-the-shelf home theater and rarely listen to music anymore.
I have TVs, but I'm not a videophile (watching TV on an old Toshiba 22" as I type, don't pay extra for HD cable).
Most people back then had stereo systems, but were not audiophiles.
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Is it me or is there getting to be less and less audiophiles ?? Seems like everyone back in the 1970s through the late 80s in my family and most friends had some type of 2 channel stereo system. Most families just buy a cheap off-the-shelf home theater and rarely listen to music anymore.
My two big reasons:
Today's contemporary music isn't worth the investment in hifi. Great music is always the engine that powered the hifi industry. The tail does not wag the dog.
Video with audio is now finally better than audio alone because new technology allowed video content creators artistic freedom that was never available before like it was to musicians. The video makers eagerly took advantage of the emerging technical opportunities while the music industry still can't believe they killed their own LP golden goose so they express their rage through their products. :lol:
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I don't know about the video thing Rich. As a young adult with a growing family MTV hit cable TV and music exploded. I bought my first hifi system. (Allison 3 speakers, Thorens TD 316 turntable, NAD 3020B amp) Nowadays MTV is a realty show/sit com network. Are the kids watching YouTube for music? Something else? I don't see music videos anywhere, but then I'm nearly 70.
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Are the kids watching YouTube for music? Something else? I don't see music videos anywhere, but then I'm nearly 70.
Free Pandora, Spotify to listen and watch YouTube videos. I'm not sure how they download music onto their phones but there's a number of ways to download music. If they are really into music, they have unlimited data and pay for Pandora and Spotify. Why fill up space on your phone, when you can stream it anytime, anywhere?
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Maybe in the 1970s-1990s having a decent home stereo was like everyone having a cell phone today. So many went from having a decent turn-table, to a 8 track player, to a tape cassette player, and then on to a CD player. Seems like audio equipment was way more expensive per dollar back then also. Hell, the first CD player back then was a Sony for $1000 in 1982, which is over $2200 in todays money. Most old school audiophiles would probably be very reluctant to spend that kind of money on a CD player today, even if that's what they were into.
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Maybe in the 1970s-1990s having a decent home stereo was like everyone having a cell phone today. So many went from having a decent turn-table, to a 8 track player, to a tape cassette player, and then on to a CD player. Seems like audio equipment was way more expensive per dollar back then also. Hell, the first CD player back then was a Sony for $1000 in 1982, which is over $2200 in todays money. Most old school audiophiles would probably be very reluctant to spend that kind of money on a CD player today, even if that's what they were into.
I'm not a expert but doing a memory search, during the late 70's in high school, I don't remember most high school kids having more than decent stereos. In the early 80's, the vast majority of dorm rooms or apartments didn't have great stereos, just a few apartments with Technics/Pioneer/Sansui complete systems and usually for partying reasons, not great sound. There was a friend of a friend who had his equalizer sliders set in a giant smile pattern! :roll: :duh:
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I'm not a expert but doing a memory search, during the late 70's in high school, I don't remember most high school kids having more than decent stereos. In the early 80's, the vast majority of dorm rooms or apartments didn't have great stereos, just a few apartments with Technics/Pioneer/Sansui complete systems and usually for partying reasons, not great sound. There was a friend of a friend who had his equalizer sliders set in a giant smile pattern! :roll: :duh:
The St. Louis area I grew up in did have a very strong economy back then. A ton of good paying jobs. Boat & water ski dealers, Speed & machine shops, Hifi & Electronics stores, Custom car and boat audio install shops, guns & ammo shops, oval & drag car chassis shops, and even quite a few scuba diving shops. These businesses were making money hand-over-fist back then talking to most owners and it seemed like everyone had multiple hobbies. So maybe it was just my area ?? who knows.
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The St. Louis area I grew up in did have a very strong economy back then. A ton of good paying jobs. Boat & water ski dealers, Speed & machine shops, Hifi & Electronics stores, Custom car and boat audio install shops, guns & ammo shops, oval & drag car chassis shops, and even quite a few scuba diving shops. These businesses were making money hand-over-fist back then talking to most owners and it seemed like everyone had multiple hobbies. So maybe it was just my area ?? who knows.
I grew up in a fairly well-to-do DC area suburb. I knew a few people with nice stereos but I was just thinking about neighbors who I casually visited, friends of friends, etc. I was very aware of those who had good systems and those who didn't, whether they were friends or not. I just don't remember very many people or families who really cared about their systems.
YMMV! 8)
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I meant after I was married and making money. When I was a kid we had the same wonkie Panasonic system that everybody had, even in upper middle class homes.
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Greetings everyone from San Francisco. Any audiophiles from the Bay Area?
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This ...
I was on the train coming home from work yesterday and the woman near me was watching a film on her iPad, but at the same time was doing other things on her phone.
Same in homes, variations on simultaneous combinations of TV, phone, music or the ipad.
I can't see how any of this can be more than superficial but I guess that's my age showing.
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It is unfortunate that high fidelity is lost among the newer generation in place of ergonomics and convenience via bluetooth buds and brand name cans
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Up until the 70’s your choices for home entertainment were a TV with a few channels, a table top radio, a party-line phone and a phonograph/stereo.
Now there’s cable TV, internet, computers, gaming consoles, wireless devices with social media/streaming/texting, etc. I couldn’t be without a decent stereo now but if I was just starting out, I would be stunned at the prices and confused by the equipment.
It would be easier, simpler and cheaper to subscribe to a music streaming service, get an unlimited data cellphone plan and decent head/ear phones. You won’t get high-end sound but good enough for most people.
Getting into a high-end system now is more of a cost and time commitment than it’s ever been.
That said, I enjoy my system every day and prefer it over today’s other home entertainment choices by a mile.
I am so glad to have it!
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Hi, it's an honour to be among similar minded people. I'm just getting into the audio file Arena. Hope to learn slot. :wink:
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Technology tends to not be user friendly when it's new. Streaming is in that boat currently. In a few years it will be better. Active monitors for home use is another example. Buchardt A500 are good performers, but still complex. Put the two together and you can foresee the future for melding high fidelity with convenience and ease of use. Hopefully in time to rescue us older audiophiles.
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Hello all. I am new to the audiophile world and am very excited to learn more about audio. I have never used a forum before so if it seems like I have no idea how to post etc., its because I don't. 28 and line of work is industrial maintenance. Specializing in laser cutting of steel plate at our facility and pretty much anything welded/fabricated.
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It's strange today... ask a young person or man about albums and he or she might actually have purchased a turntable (although most play streamed music) but then ask them again, this time about vacuum tubes and you might get a blank look. Audio for the sake of enjoying quality music is not really that important today.... was it yesterday?
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Some years ago talking to a neighbor who is economist and works for the county about various topics, we came up to amps, when I told him that tube amps are better, he promptly disagreed saying that it was an outdated and old technology :scratch:
So I said, man the less powerful the amp, better the sound, one of the best is the 2A3 tube with 1.5W, so he said but the magazines say that the more powerful the better. Then I understood that the brainwashing of the audio magazines controlled his mind.
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hi
sorry for bad English, i want to ask , is a streamer better then physical media like CD player. thanks
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Streamer audio quality vs CD player? Depends mostly on the source. Low fidelity streaming sources (less than Redbook resolution) via wireless is bound to sound worse. But high resolution sources (streaming and pay to download) via a wired connection should certainly sound better.
The key is selection. Getting harder to find CD's but good quality subscription streaming sources offer millions of albums.
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Hi guys...
Leon.
From Brazil... just looking to learn as much as i can in these crazy colossal world of hifi and DIY.
Greetings.
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Greetings,
I stumbled upon this forum, as I am building a tube amp, and am otherwise an audio-nut on a budget.
Looking forward to finding more ideas and sharing some knowledge :)
Owen
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Greetings from Israel,
I am a vinyl collector, an analog sound lover, I build DIY tube amplifiers,
but otherwise, I just like to listen to good jazz and classical music.
I am always looking for new ideas and stumbled upon this forum.
Mike
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Greetings & Welcome to AC Leon, & Mike :thumb:
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I can chime in as a mid 30s guy.
I think the younger crowd are more active in the headphone world simply because the systems entry of cost is bit cheaper and to build a nice system in that world is much cheaper than 2 channel. Top TOP tier headphone systems probably cost in the 40k range or so where 2 channel is infinity and beyond...
2 channel also has more (in my opinion) looking down upon each other's gear if it is not a certain price tag. Unfortunate how that works because this hobby is meant to be enjoyed.
A lot of the NYC dealers have this snobby attitude especially when they see a younger guy come in and go by the general thought of "more expensive automatically makes something better" and are generally out to sell you the most expensive item rather than to help with system synergy.
I find Verdant Audio in NJ to be one of the few dealers who actually takes time to help nudge you in the right direction, I was about to order a full loom of more expensive power cables, and was directed to get cheaper ones to match my power conditioners as the cables I chose would have not played well. Things like this are remembered forever.
For what it's worth, I also feel that younger guys enjoy the headphone hobby more simply because most of them do not want to deal with the room, not to mention most can not afford a dedicated room.
My main reason to be in headphones were 1: to be able to use them throughout most of the day 2: not needing to deal with room
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I have to admit I love the convenience of having my entire music library on my phone. I don't own a single piece of vinyl or a turn table. I either use bluetooth or play directly from my computer. I love quality sound equipment but I'm certainly not as strict as an audiophile about my listening parameters.
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I come from China. I use the ear 912 front stage and 509 rear stage of Tim, the king of vacuum tubes in Britain. The horn is ktema from Italy. I like them very much.
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Welcome!
Impressive gear.
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Welcome!
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Good points made, all of these.
As a society, we have come to value convenience over everything else.
So everything we consume, needs to be available in a convenient manner;
music, and how it is delivered is not immune to this unfortunately.
The trade-off, and there always is one, is that the level of engagement has eroded,
and with that, the level of enjoyment. Have you noticed how few people actually sit
down and pay attention to what they are listening to - sad but true.
Music has become something that is used to pass the time or set the mood,
not something to consciously engage with/in. The mainstream mass market audio industry
now caters to this based upon a model of convenience coupled with temporal possession.
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Audiophile here! Just introducing myself. Hello!
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The trouble is Audiophile of 20 years ago is not longer Audiophile. Through a mutual friend I was introduce to a local guy (who considers himself an audiophile) and had top notch system which he bought 20 years ago. Hearing that I built tonearms, he invited me around to his house to hear his system.
Well to say the least it sounded, like a 20 year old system, My 2nd system in my workshop build from China kit pre & power. W/dale speaker i had given to me, sounded vastly superior to his system.
So being an audiophile is a moving target, you don't need a massive budget, you do need to keep up with the improvements of the industry, which he never bothered to do.
Cheers
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Good point audio is a moving target, but tastes have changed in 20 years too. Compared to 20 years ago for instance bass has gotten deeper and thinner. Much of this is driven by consumer demands as we live in smaller/shared spaces that are closer to neighbors. And marketing influences can't be under estimated (this topic could extend into a giant thread).
In your neighbor's case caps have degraded, surrounds are wearing out, connections have corroded, etc. And you surely have owner bias. Of course the conveniences afforded by modern design can't be beat and I wouldn't trade them for vintage.
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I grew up when two channel stereo systems were the norm. There were record stores like Tower all over and there were audio shops stocked with all sorts of audio gear where you could listen to all the systems. Now we have multi-channel AV systems, headphone and portable listening possibilities, streaming and more, but there is a definite scarcity of audio shops. It’s hard to buy gear, though it is definitely available on line. In spite of the varied possibilities and the difficulty of putting together good systems, there are still folks out there who are audiophiles. I know, because I belong to a local club with hundreds of members.
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Just joining after buying my latest speakers from Jim, the Veracity (without a name yet) ones that were available for immediate delivery. Have been into audiophile music since my teens, currently retired and love these speakers! Current system is:
Conrad Johnson CA 150
Marantz 30n
MoFi Ultradeck
Salk Sound Veracity Custom (see available for immediate delivery)
Love the speakers and looking forward to joining all of you on the forum.
Iain
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Hello,
I wanted to introduce myself. I have purchased a pair of SS8's from Jim about 8 years ago. They look and sound awesome.
Bill
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I'm 82 and have been a lifelong audiophile, starting with my first self-constructed tube amplifiers and tone arm in the early "60s. I have two questions:
1. Are vinyl records really better than digital? Personally I was thrilled with the advent of CDs, with their freedom from clicks and scratches. I still am and cannot discern any superiority from vinyl. I think it's just nostalgia for the sound of the crap record players of our youth. I admit to getting a thrill from putting a new vinyl record on the turntable. I just bought a recently issued record titled "Ella and Louis", which has magical renderings of: A Foggy Day in London Town; April in Paris; Stars Fell on Alabama and lots more, . It was gloriously free of extraneous noises for 3 playings. Now the clicks are accumulating. I think if I bought the CD I would not perceive any worse sound but it would stay clean.
2. My present system is great, $9000 today, but one of the inputs is an optical cable from the TV. I use this to listen to Met Opera On Demand. It sounds good to me but I have no direct comparison. What sound quality would you expect from an optical input from a TV?
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1. Are vinyl records really better than digital?
Personally I was thrilled with the advent of CDs, with their freedom from clicks and scratches.
I still am and cannot discern any superiority from vinyl.
I think it's just nostalgia for the sound of the crap record players of our youth.
Both very good, but different to each other. Whenever someone says to me one is better than the other, I say to them they have not heard a good example of the other.
The better the record player, the lower the background noise also keeping your records clean helps.
It’s not nostalgia for me.
By the way, I have no preference for either but since I am mostly invested in analogue, I am happy to keep it going. For me to get a digital setup as good as my analogue setup, it would cost me a lot so I would rather spend that money on more music.
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1. Are vinyl records really better than digital? Personally I was thrilled with the advent of CDs, with their freedom from clicks and scratches. I still am and cannot discern any superiority from vinyl. I think it's just nostalgia for the sound of the crap record players of our youth. I admit to getting a thrill from putting a new vinyl record on the turntable. I just bought a recently issued record titled "Ella and Louis", which has magical renderings of: A Foggy Day in London Town; April in Paris; Stars Fell on Alabama and lots more, . It was gloriously free of extraneous noises for 3 playings. Now the clicks are accumulating. I think if I bought the CD I would not perceive any worse sound but it would stay clean.
Hi Peter,
+1 on this, unfortunately I dont like the vinyl surface noises, but I keep buying vinyl, not to listen what would ruin them. I buy only albums with nice covers, those big covers are wonderful, I see vinyl as a piece of art everyone can afford to hang on the wall.
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I'm not a expert but doing a memory search, during the late 70's in high school, I don't remember most high school kids having more than decent stereos. In the early 80's, the vast majority of dorm rooms or apartments didn't have great stereos, just a few apartments with Technics/Pioneer/Sansui complete systems and usually for partying reasons, not great sound. There was a friend of a friend who had his equalizer sliders set in a giant smile pattern! :roll: :duh:
Didn’t every EQ get setup with the smiley face pattern? Mine sure did back in College…. Live and learn.
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Today, I found a new audiophile website !!
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Just introducing myself to the site.
And, yes there are less audiophiles out there. You will have to guess why as I don't want my first post to be from the "old man on the front porch"
Thanks,
Mark
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Welcome to AC, I love country :thumb:
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They don have previous experience on good loudspeakers or even bad speakers and they think hi-fi audio prices are too expensive compared to his new Best Buy TV.
This situation a long with the new $399 Lii Audio F15 FR driver wonder will lead home audio to market changes.
I think the Lii Audio F15 FR driver is very good to build an Open Baffle starting with the plans for the famous "the Betsy"
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Greetings & Welcome to AC :thumb:
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Introducing myself as someone who loves music
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Hi, I'm from France and just discover the "dark side" of this web site ;)
I bought old Scott S17 and I was looking to see if it was better to restore it or use the cab with new stuff and so new crossover.
And by doing my searchs, I discover the wonderfull videos of Danny showing how to upgrade Klipsch RP 600M, which I have ! thanks to google to highlight the crossover search results
I'm using 2 amps: Scott 440A and Cambridge AX A36
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Hi , I am one old audiophile from Europe/Serbia , temporarily working and living in Texas , DFW area.
Currently I am maintaining two systems:
Europe: Lampizator Atlantic TRP + -> EAR 868L -> Pass Labs XA30.8 -> Marten Parker Trio
USA: Gustard A22(AKM) -> Schiit Freya + -> Parasound A21 -> Ascend Sierra 2EX
I have wonderful idea to switch from Ascend to KEF R3 loudspeakers and I hope that I will found some help here .
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There are a lot more things to spend money on now, as compared to the 1970s. That is part of why there was such a huge audio equipment boom in the late 1970s i think, people didn't have computers/ internet/ cellphones/ tablets to spend money on, so they could afford better audio equipment. Plus they had a lot more time, as they weren't streaming/ computing/ writing on forums 8)
My thoughts on the matter in any case.
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Hi i am an Audiophile looking for Herbies Iso-Cups to purchase were can i get them?
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The Herbie Circlê was archived.
https://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?board=160.0
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Many less than in Hi Fi's hey day!
The DVD was thought to restart interest in audio - but in the end, it is a visual world. Still, MP3 is out there and CD sales are strong - even though no one makes them anymore!
So, whats the next big thing?
:D
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Many less than in Hi Fi's hey day!
The DVD was thought to restart interest in audio - but in the end, it is a visual world. Still, MP3 is out there and CD sales are strong - even though no one makes them anymore!
So, whats the next big thing?
Iam done with SACD sound quality. Best sound than all the turntables I have heard without wear, clicks and pops, unfortunately the cover are small like CDs.
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Many less than in Hi Fi's hey day!
The DVD was thought to restart interest in audio - but in the end, it is a visual world. Still, MP3 is out there and CD sales are strong - even though no one makes them anymore!
So, whats the next big thing?
:D
Hi-Res downloads are available from various sites in the US and elsewhere. Some may not want to leave physical media behind.
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Hi all I’m having a bit of trouble navigating the site. But hopefully this will get me going in the right direction. lol I’m new just started tonight 12-7-23 I randomly found this forum while looking for information on some Salk soundstage 8’s (ss8) as I have an opportunity to buy a set of ss8 cabinets but only that the cabinets! So I joined to see what possibly I can find out about acquiring all that’s needed (internals,speakers,grills) to complete a Salk set that never was finished. The Salk audio co. Closed it’s doors earlier this year which is sad to hear about as just one less audio company around but even more sad is that they’re a Michigan based company that I had no idea about until recently and I had lived only a few miles away from their location! So I’ve been doing my best to try and get some lead on components to make them complete. I’ve yet to find any source for a starting point until coming across a thread on ss8’s. So I signed up and joined the forum and I’m excited to see where it takes me! I’m trying to not get too excited on or stuck on the possibilities of what could be as I have my eyes on a few sets but those are all together plug and play speakers vs these needing quite a bit of work. Any and all suggestions I’m open to hear as I hope to get past the newbie level here to start getting down to what possible audio people to chat with and get great advice on what would be best suited for me coming from others who have insight in audio!! Thank you hopefully this makes the cut to be seen! 🍻
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As with an influx of information, it's easy to get into being an audiophile with all the guides people make on where to start and which items are safe for new people. I think it's the step after getting into it that's harder, you now have to find your own taste while wading through a ton of products. In some ways it's easier now because of returns being easier then again some people don't like that type of stuff either.
I found it difficult to commit because I don't have a lot of cashflow to risk on stuff i wouldn't like and I know it seems silly but I've never been someone to return an item I didn't enjoy unless it was broken or unusable. So I basically buy something and cross my fingers i don't hate it well after whatever research I've found about it. I should probably stop that, since I did the same thing for fragrances and regretted it too :lol:
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As with an influx of information, it's easy to get into being an audiophile with all the guides people make on where to start and which items are safe for new people. I think it's the step after getting into it that's harder, you now have to find your own taste while wading through a ton of products. In some ways it's easier now because of returns being easier then again some people don't like that type of stuff either.
I found it difficult to commit because I don't have a lot of cashflow to risk on stuff i wouldn't like and I know it seems silly but I've never been someone to return an item I didn't enjoy unless it was broken or unusable. So I basically buy something and cross my fingers i don't hate it well after whatever research I've found about it. I should probably stop that, since I did the same thing for fragrances and regretted it too :lol:
I've personally found that simply following someone in the industry helps that sounds good. I've been following Audio by Van Alstine for decades as for great "budget" stereo systems. It also helps to list your system here and tell people what you like or don't like about it. "Unfortunately," you may get too many suggestions!
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I've personally found that simply following someone in the industry helps that sounds good. I've been following Audio by Van Alstine for decades as for great "budget" stereo systems. It also helps to list your system here and tell people what you like or don't like about it. "Unfortunately," you may get too many suggestions!
That's a great plus lol and I'll definitely post what I got when it's all reached me and I've had time to experience it fully. For now I only got the headphones, a UMC22 audio interface but I switched to an apple dongle, I wasn't actually expecting to get into the hobby fully anytime soon. It just so happened my Deva Pro broke twice and Hifiman offered to trade up to an Edition XS.
People said you don't need much more to enjoy the XS but I decided I might as will start building my stuff so when I decide to buy new headphones I know I'll have most of what I need to enjoy those whatever they may be. I also just impulse bought an HD 58X. Haven't been this excited since I first built my PC :oops:
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Hmmm. Are we just assuming there are fewer audiophiles or is there empirical evidence to suggest audiophiles are going the way of the dinosaur? From what I've seen in my area and on the internet the audiophile market and interest seems pretty active...and not all are dinosaurs yet. The bulk of audio hardware sources moved online and out of sight. Folks have to use more creative means to find one another.
On the other hand, the middle class is literally going the way of the dinosaur and that's where many people start getting into serious/costly hobbies. The media have changed as well as how younger people choose to listen. It's also a seemingly daunting hobby when first getting involved. Maybe we can petition to get the audiophile question on the next census.
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I found it difficult to commit because I don't have a lot of cashflow to risk on stuff i wouldn't like and I know it seems silly but I've never been someone to return an item I didn't enjoy unless it was broken or unusable. So I basically buy something and cross my fingers
If you can, try and do what I do. Don’t buy anything if you can’t listen to it first, I take most kit home to listen to in my own system to really know if it’s gels with the rest of my system / room.
No finger crossing for me, I know before I buy.
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Newb here. Getting into more the DIY side of the hobby. Gone through 5 different speakers in a year after an electric fireplace instal made me change out my old on wall Kefs. I’m looking forward to seeing what everyone has to say here.
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Kegman21:
Gave up on DIY 40 years ago. Nowadays I go for minimalistic systems, like active monitors with streamers/preamps. Quality active monitors that can fill a medium sized room or be used on a desktop can be had for $300-400/pair and a streamer (plus monthly service fee) can replace millions of albums and/or CD's. Technology is advancing too quickly for DIYer's to keep up with.
My system consists of Buchardt A500SE active monitors with a Primare SC15 Mk2 streamer/preamp/room EQ/WISA connection to the Buchardts (which have low voltage crossover capable of using "Master Tunings", DAC's, (4) 150 watt mono-blocks, and very high end mid/woofers).
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Is it me or is there getting to be less and less audiophiles ?? Seems like everyone back in the 1970s through the late 80s in my family and most friends had some type of 2 channel stereo system. Most families just buy a cheap off-the-shelf home theater and rarely listen to music anymore.
The decline started with lossy (mp3) audio and the ability to carry it around on a portable device (ipod and later iphone). People posting copyrighted material on YouTube (YT) has also contributed - people will often play music off of YT.
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Hi all I’m having a bit of trouble navigating the site. But hopefully this will get me going in the right direction. lol I’m new just started tonight 12-7-23 I randomly found this forum while looking for information on some Salk soundstage 8’s (ss8) as I have an opportunity to buy a set of ss8 cabinets but only that the cabinets! So I joined to see what possibly I can find out about acquiring all that’s needed (internals,speakers,grills) to complete a Salk set that never was finished. The Salk audio co. Closed it’s doors earlier this year which is sad to hear about as just one less audio company around but even more sad is that they’re a Michigan based company that I had no idea about until recently and I had lived only a few miles away from their location! So I’ve been doing my best to try and get some lead on components to make them complete. I’ve yet to find any source for a starting point until coming across a thread on ss8’s. So I signed up and joined the forum and I’m excited to see where it takes me! I’m trying to not get too excited on or stuck on the possibilities of what could be as I have my eyes on a few sets but those are all together plug and play speakers vs these needing quite a bit of work. Any and all suggestions I’m open to hear as I hope to get past the newbie level here to start getting down to what possible audio people to chat with and get great advice on what would be best suited for me coming from others who have insight in audio!! Thank you hopefully this makes the cut to be seen! 🍻
There's info at the Salk site - https://www.salksound.com/model.php?model=SS%208
and the Salk circle is still around to pose questions and sites like Madisound (e.g. https://www.madisoundspeakerstore.com/index.php?p=catalog&mode=search&search_str=accuton) may carry many of the components needed
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Hi
I'm Chuck from San Francisco
and I am an audiophile (audioholic).
I've been listening intently since 1973 when I received an old Dynaco set with tubes and A25 speakers, as well as an AR turntable.
Components have come and gone over the years, and I even discovered boutique wires and cables, but I find the sound quality of the gear has only improved slightly since my original system.
What has improved the most has been my setup(especially speakers) technique and listening style, which involves maintaining a quiet environment with good acoustic treatment on the walls.
I wish you all the best in music listing, and hope you find even a bit of the pleasure I've gotten over the past 50+years.
Ciao
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Greetings & Welcome to AC Chuck :thumb:
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I was one of the early Quadrophonic adopters. I actually had a 4 channel 8 track player!
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When these Quad systems appeared, I swore they were better than Stereo, even though I'd never heard them, just because they had more channels :duh:
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Welcome! I had surround sound in the 1970s via time delays (https://www.teachmeaudio.com/mixing/equipment/effects/delay#:~:text=A%20delay%20unit%20works%20by,set%20by%20the%20mix%20control.) The longer the delay (in milliseconds) the bigger the acoustic space it was simulating. I heard quad recordings but never invested in the hardware.
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I was one of the early Quadrophonic adopters. I actually had a 4 channel 8 track player!
We had Quadrophonic Receiver & Headphones, which I thought was quite good. Must have been my brother who bought it because I didn't purchase it, which would then place it around '78 or '79.
Then I heard my friends new Radio Shack stereo system and I concluded good stereo beats Quad. However when I started investing in audio around year 2000. My girlfriends low cost Surround system sounded better to me than my stereo. So after that I was sold on Surround Sound. With my Bryston Model T speakers & 2 corner speaker for 4 channel stereo. I get a better soundfield than I did with 5.1 Surround, but my room dimensions is also a factor. :smoke:
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Audiophile gear have alway been an expensive hobby, but now the prices are become ridiculous, especally for speakers.
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Audiophile gear have alway been an expensive hobby, but now the prices are become ridiculous, especally for speakers.
Very true, the Alpha 15A was $69/each, now $144/each, same driver.
https://usspeaker.com/eminence%2015-1.htm