Don't know what your talking about!!!!
Is high-end audio dying, if not dead already???
Without sounding like the mad prophet of the airwaves, I think high-end audio is in its death throes. I would like to hear other opinions on this issue, but I think it is time to raise the question and also some hell as to what is happening to the high end audio and audio in general.
Here's why: Most of the major audio publications spend a great deal of time on romancing the "absolute" fidelity of computer audio and music that is digitally processed. On the other hand, you have critics, reviewers, celebrating the comeback of vinyl, analog, and turntables. The mantra goes: "it really does sound better, like real music", so chuck out your CD player, and buy a $5000 analog rig, and have fun again cleaning, preserving (a medium) searching record huts worldwide for pristine vinyl gems. Maybe, there are some shellac gems out there also
It seems the CD format has "OUTLIVED" its usefulness in the pursuit of the absolute sound because its technology and soft ware has never convincingly improved. It is like the BB King tune "the thrill is gone" or saying kids let's just change the channel for something more exciting and new.
High-end audio seems to now ( as the old joke goes)require a degree in engineering or rocket science to understand the circuitous (bad pun) route to audio nirvana. Equipment has gotten more expensive over the last 15 years, under the pretext that the electronic functions have increased and become more complicated. Take a look at the back of a 5 channel receiver or amp, or home theater receiver, a digital processor, etc. and you will see the future of audio. It might be easier to hook up a heart and lung machine.
Ironically, as high end audio and audio in general evolves, the music industry delivers more shit to the public's ears, Geez, I never knew that in order to really enjoy Shakira, JZ, Pharell, and the rest of the talentless trash discovered and pushed by American Idol, The Voice,and the popular Mega media, would require hearing it in absolute sound.
Here's why: Most of the major audio publications spend a great deal of time on romancing the "absolute" fidelity of computer audio and music that is digitally processed. On the other hand, you have critics, reviewers, celebrating the comeback of vinyl, analog, and turntables. The mantra goes: "it really does sound better, like real music", so chuck out your CD player, and buy a $5000 analog rig, and have fun again cleaning, preserving (a medium) searching record huts worldwide for pristine vinyl gems. Maybe, there are some shellac gems out there also
It seems the CD format has "OUTLIVED" its usefulness in the pursuit of the absolute sound because its technology and soft ware has never convincingly improved. It is like the BB King tune "the thrill is gone" or saying kids let's just change the channel for something more exciting and new.
High-end audio seems to now ( as the old joke goes)require a degree in engineering or rocket science to understand the circuitous (bad pun) route to audio nirvana. Equipment has gotten more expensive over the last 15 years, under the pretext that the electronic functions have increased and become more complicated. Take a look at the back of a 5 channel receiver or amp, or home theater receiver, a digital processor, etc. and you will see the future of audio. It might be easier to hook up a heart and lung machine.
Ironically, as high end audio and audio in general evolves, the music industry delivers more shit to the public's ears, Geez, I never knew that in order to really enjoy Shakira, JZ, Pharell, and the rest of the talentless trash discovered and pushed by American Idol, The Voice,and the popular Mega media, would require hearing it in absolute sound.
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- 93 posts total
(1) High end audio is neither dying nor sick nor stagnating . (2) The irrefutable tenet in this hobby still reigns true: you get what you pay for. (3) There is a limited cross-section in this hobby arena who are very happy in their low-fi or (at best) mid-fi strata. They have never or rarely experienced the zen produced by a high-end system, but that is no measure that it remains strong and true. |
As for the music industry, like many industries, they are still digesting the changes the internet has introduced. There is more superb music available than ever before and it's easier to find then ever before. It's not the stuff selling in amazons top 100 though. The internet has made it possible for talented people to bypass the major label marketing machines. Go to bandcamp.com and see what people are doing all by themselves. Awesome stuff. As for the high end manufacturers and retailers. They are in major up heaval due to the internet also. They do not know how to deal with it. The manufacturers and distributors want to support the remaining brick and mortar dealers but a huge segment of the market no longer buys from them anymore. So their are all these dealers that have almost no physical B&M business and deal mostly with internet orders. And they mark the products down 20 to 40%. But they have to hide that this occurs from the distributors. But the distributors actually know it's going on, they just can't publicly endorse it so they don't piss off the remaining legit B&M dealers. It's a mess. The internet buyers don't want to pay full retail and they should not have to since they get nothing for the markup from the dealer. So,we have all these clandestine back room deals between dealers and customers that nobody can talk about. And all the distributors will say "yeah, but not my product, we don't do that", but they do. You name a product and if it's sold in a normal B&M store, it can be had for at least 20% off and usually 35% off. Their are so many dealers doing this now that it's not even a challenge to find anymore. It's ridiculous. The only products that cannot be had at a major discount are the ones sold only via internet because those are all ready free from middle man markup. But does this mean the end of high end audio? No it's just the end of the old model. Personally I don't care if every B&M dealer goes under tomorrow. It's inevitable anyway. I don't use B&M dealers. Can't afford the mark up. The new model will be internet direct sales with 30 day home trials. If you want to hear a piece before buying then you will attend audio shows. That's why we've seen audio shows grow, not shrink. It is the only good way for distributors and manufacturers to get public exposure for their gear. That's the future. |
Really it is more of a point in time rather than 1 album. I just wanted to use a year prior to 1990...LOL the early 90's (seattle grung rock) If thats what your into then ..keep it. I have almost 1,000 albums mostly from the 60's 70's and 80's so its a fair statement for me to make ..I only listen to vinyl when I want to really listen. Its my opinion your intitled to yours. |
08-17-14: Akg_caTo cite just one counter-example, however, this post from just yesterday describes a situation involving speakers in which the exact opposite turned out to be true. I'm sure that a little searching would disclose a great many more such instances, even in situations where system matching and system synergy were addressed as carefully as possible. I fail to see how "you get what you pay for" can be regarded as an "irrefutable tenet" in high end audio. I would say that at best a **loose** correlation can be expected, but nothing more. Regards, -- Al |
- 93 posts total