HEA is people who demand HEA, not the equipment; when they're dead, HEA will be dead.
There are entirely too many things that can be done with computers for "expensive" HEA to survive.
Is this the end of HEA?
http://www.cepro.com/article/is_this_the_end_of_high_performance_audio_at_ces
This last year has made my ears perk up. Honestly I didn't even know the article above had been written until now. What I did know was listeners have been in touch with me about the future of HEA and their future as advanced listeners. It's been nice to see folks getting in touch with me and even nicer that they are doing so because they wish to settle into their final system sound. To say things in their words "it's been an expensive ride" and most of these folks aren't sure they've gotten a fair shake always from the hobby. Many feel they have bank rolled a part of a hobby that hasn't always delivered the goods. Basically instead of telling listeners that this is a variable hobby the "experts" pushed a very expensive game of component Plug & Play onto the discrete audio generation. I remember those days of guilt buying where a dollar amount was used as a representative for quality, when it meant no such thing. I knew first hand this was not the case as designers scrambled to make up-sell products that sounded less musical than the original products that put their name in audio fame. I also could see the HEA decline happening but still was giving the benefit of the doubt to those saying HEA was just fine and growing. Mom and pop stores for the most part have vanished in the US with the exception of a few creative thinkers. New expensive products are being adored but I don't see many actually buying them. Now I've got my eye on T.H.E. Show (Richard's show) and wondering if it's happening or not. Richard and I have talked many times about what will happen to HEA in the US if T.H.E. Show and CES cease doing their thing in Vegas. I wonder what Richard RIP is thinking now sitting in the clouds.
I am very excited to see the next few years come about even though I know some are still buying into the old paradigm that the HEA is the cutting edge with only a volume control to adjust and a fork lift included with every purchase. Going to the CES web, I have my answer for Vegas. Going to T.H.E. Show website I'm still in question. If these two are no more, in terms of HEA, who's next?
Michael Green
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Keep in mind that the end of HEA does not mean the end of the audiophile. The audiophile and audiophile market is stronger than ever. Nor does this mean the expensive products will stop being built in the near future for those who believe they are the way to go. The end of HEA simply means the paradigm has changed from old to new. Higher price to lower price Higher mass to lower mass Higher heat to lower heat More crossover parts to fewer Fixed sound to variable sound One volume control to more control Harder to drive to easier to drive Playing less to able to play more mg |
Low mass speaker drivers are a trade off. Standard speaker drivers typically move more air than dipole drivers, thus deliver lower bass frequencies and greater dynamics. How are we defining low mass systems? Taking the transformer out of the chassis and relocating it elsewhere doesn’t reduce the total mass, just redistributes it. Removing the chassis cover does reduce total mass. |
Geoffkait, what have you to say about this driver; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_Motion_Transformer |
- 111 posts total