Audiophiles

dwill73 · « **Reply #20 on:** 6 Dec 2021, 07:31 pm »

Quote from: charmerci on 6 Dec 2021, 02:33 pm

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!

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.

charmerci · « **Reply #21 on:** 7 Dec 2021, 02:48 am »

Quote from: dwill73 on 6 Dec 2021, 07:31 pm

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!

Letitroll98 · « **Reply #22 on:** 7 Dec 2021, 11:32 am »

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.

fatwok · « **Reply #23 on:** 14 Dec 2021, 03:26 am »

Greetings everyone from San Francisco. Any audiophiles from the Bay Area?

jules · « **Reply #24 on:** 14 Dec 2021, 06:12 am »

This ...

Quote

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.

Thetrilliam · « **Reply #25 on:** 23 Jan 2022, 12:55 am »

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

TMon · « **Reply #26 on:** 12 Feb 2022, 12:32 am »

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!

Jayson · « **Reply #27 on:** 21 Feb 2022, 06:38 am »

Hi, it's an honour to be among similar minded people. I'm just getting into the audio file Arena. Hope to learn slot.

JLM · « **Reply #28 on:** 21 Feb 2022, 01:23 pm »

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.

Laser8025 · « **Reply #29 on:** 6 May 2022, 12:56 pm »

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.

geowak · « **Reply #30 on:** 9 May 2022, 08:54 pm »

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?

FullRangeMan · « **Reply #31 on:** 10 May 2022, 10:20 am »

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

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.

feovo · « **Reply #32 on:** 11 May 2022, 11:35 pm »

hi
sorry for bad English, i want to ask , is a streamer better then physical media like CD player. thanks

JLM · « **Reply #33 on:** 12 May 2022, 11:46 am »

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.

LeonDC · « **Reply #34 on:** 15 May 2022, 12:57 pm »

Hi guys...
Leon.
From Brazil... just looking to learn as much as i can in these crazy colossal world of hifi and DIY.
Greetings.

lapratho · « **Reply #35 on:** 18 May 2022, 03:57 am »

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

Pentafan · « **Reply #36 on:** 18 May 2022, 05:09 am »

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

ArthurDent · « **Reply #37 on:** 19 May 2022, 03:23 am »

Greetings & Welcome to AC Leon, & Mike

F208Frank · « **Reply #38 on:** 19 May 2022, 04:38 pm »

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

Infi-del · « **Reply #39 on:** 30 Jun 2022, 04:39 pm »

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.