The Future of HiFI?

Why don't the full-system manufacturers take this on? Let's see: Rega, Mark Levinson, McIntosh (especially McIntosh), Bang & Olufsen (B&O). All of these companies are capable of producing wonderful consoles. 

I'm in agreement here with the "trend" towards consolidation of stereo components. As spaces get smaller and it gets harder to get seriously good sound, big name manufacturers should consider something more than an all-in-one device and take on an all-in-one system. That way, high end audio can coexist with this new direction people are taking.

I'm still all in with the separates but at least we can keep the flame going. I couldn't find it but there's an Italian manufacturer that made a stereo unit with telescoping speakers that rise out and up from the sides of the unit when playing. It's more a art piece but they do sell them.

Audiophiles can have it all without the pretend angst and indignation.

All the best,
Nonoise

Fisher Consoles.

Please note that the President console's $2,495 price in 1958 is equivalent to approximately $22,000 today.

The downside of most consoles were their loudspeakers.  Both the quality of components and the difficulty or impossibility of optimizing them for location in the listening room.  In a modern console the latter issue can be overcome with DSP tech.  Controlled dispersion as used by B&O, Kii and others should enable consoles to produce large and spacious soundscapes.

I saw one of these in my neighborhood Vinyl Record Shop With matching speakers.
http://c7.staticflickr.com/6/5773/31126360086_5c1f91af6c_o.jpg

I was brought up in a house full of herman miller furniture. I had no idea we were hipsters :-). We also had a console. The only music my father seemed to like was Hawaiian. Later that console was turned on to Led Zeppelin. He hated that, LOL.