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Why is the industry so lame?

I'm a 40+ audiophile who just can't understand why the industry is so tied to the past. Countless audio manufacturers will eventually go the way of the buggy makers if this continues. Consider:

In 1998 the Diamond Rio was introduced and Diamond was sued by the RIAA.
In 2001, the Ipod was introduced and it held 1000 songs.
In January 2003 Flac was introduced.
In 2003, Sonos was founded.
In November 2003 the Squeezebox was introduced.
In April 2004 Apple introduced its own lossless codec.
In 2005, Apple sold over 20MM Ipods for the first time.
In December 2007, Apple sells its 125 Millionth Ipod.

As we head into 2008, this is where the industry finds itself:

A growing number of mfrs now have proprietary Ipod docks to enhance their revenues to the tune of $100-300.

Krell now has a dock dubbed the KID that includes a preamp for about $1300. Matching power amp TBD.

The vast majority of preamplifiers have no DAC or DAC option.

Bryston and Naim have integrated DAC's into one of their integrated amplifiers (Bryston's is an option).

Only Outlaw has a 2 channel receiver with built-in DAC.

Rather than seeing the emerging new technology as something to be embraced the entire industry seems to regard it as something to ridicule. Sure, not everyone wants a DAC in their amp but how many are buying $2500 CD transports these days or even $1000 phono cartridges.

When will the industry wake up and smell the coffee?
wdrazek
kthomas
911 posts
 
I'm with you Wdrazek - I read the music sales statistics in USA Today this week. I don't get it either - it seems plain as day that things like CD transports are dead, and should be deader than dead. It amazes me that any CD player is produced today without a digital input, much less a USB port and a thumb-drive input. Whether a computer / thumb-drive is the absolute last word in audiophiledom or not isn't the point, even though my guess is that they match any transport mechanism ever produced.

I do feel like we'll get there, slowly but surely. I'm sure there are commercial issues that are cumbersome. But for anybody who has boxes and cables strewn all over the place, the notion of not being able to consolidate / minimize space and reduce cables in this day and age just seems unacceptable, especially when accompanied by the constant woe-is-me din of declining sales.
don_s
271 posts
 
Wdrazek,Sidssp, Is this lame?

http://www.ilounge.com/index.php/news/comments/wadia-digital-to-debut-itransport-digital-ipod-dock/12256

I do not have an iPod so I don't care one way or the other. Just an interesting observation considering the origin of the product.
wdrazek OP
100 posts
 
Don, that's what I'm talking about. I saw this too and am very excited. Wadia pulling the raw digits from an Ipod. If they don't sell a ton of these to audiophiles something is seriously wrong.
brimac
59 posts
 
I'm in complete aggreement with wdrazek. Innovation has been, and will continue to be, from the high tech community. The high end sector seems to see itself apart from the digitization driving music, choosing to sell to the installed base. As a result, their profit margins must continue to rise at every tier, as they sell to less and less customers. Hence we see the $50,000 amplifiers that cost a tenth or less than that to produce. Meanwhile, Apple produce a computer and sells it at a 40% profit margin. The computer industry has given us wifi at low cost, iTunes is free and is incredible, Soundengine make some great speakers at insanely reasonable price; the high end sector cannot, or maybe choose not to compete.
Meanwhile, the high tech industry focusses its attention on this mass of music lovers and products like the squeezebox, Ipod, music servers and the like raise their heads over the decomposing carcass of an industry that chooses not to evolve.
wdrazek OP
100 posts
 
Brimac, you are spot on.

This industry just does not get it. They need those enormous margins because their market is stagnant to dying. If they tapped into the enormous potential market of Ipod users they could make a killing. And offer innovative products at far reduced prices. Instead, they lament over the world subsisting on 128k MP3 files and the decline of western civilization.

Even the recording industry, dinosaurs that they are, are now selling downloads free of DRM. They are finding ways of adapting. To see new lines of amplifiers, CD players and integrated units like the Arcam Solo and Linn Classik without digital inputs is indicative of an industry that is out of touch with consumer needs.

A digital input in the 21st century should be like a phono input was in the late 20th century - a given on any preamp or integrated amp. Every AVR I've owned for the past 10 years has had one (or more) of them.
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