Are audiophile products designed to initially impress then fatigue to make you upgrade?


If not why are many hardly using the systems they assembled, why are so many upgrading fairly new gear that’s fully working? Seems to me many are designed to impress reviewers, show-goers, short-term listeners, and on the sales floor but once in a home system, in the long run, they fatigue users fail to engage and make you feel something is missing so back you go with piles of cash.

128x128johnk

Showing 6 responses by johnk

So this doesn't happen in audio=obsolescence achieved by frequent changes in design, termination of the supply of spare parts. 

 

Much of the modern design goes into causing a product to fail at a certain time or after certain num of uses. And it was reported by reviewers that sometimes they come across an item that's voiced to stand out but not to give long-lasting pleasure. It would benefit a manufacturer to get you to upgrade shortly after you just purchased and I'm pretty sure they know this so why not design it to happen? Is this hobby about constant upgrades or system synergy and long-term enjoyment? Seems to me most are on the constant upgrade path and that's profitable. Why would I want to build you a product that lasts a lifetime? I just killed my future sales.

{a policy of producing consumer goods that rapidly become obsolete and so require replacing, achieved by frequent changes in design, termination of the supply of spare parts} this describes a good portion of the audio market sure not all nothing is an absolute, and one can always find an example outside of this but that doesn't eliminate the basic premiss.

{For you to believe that excellent manufacturers build gear to minimize useful life prematurely is misguded.} Planned obsolesce is a thing I didn’t invent this or imagine it, it exists. Audio products are mostly made from parts from many manufacturers. Manufacturers use planned obsolesce for many reasons and not just to milk you for more cash some things you don’t want to last longer than needed. But most all products factor it in. Why are audiophile products somehow not part of this? Do they all agree with suppliers to forgo any planned obsolesce? Review this and tell me that it doesn’t apply to audio.

  1. a policy of producing consumer goods that rapidly become obsolete and so require replacing, achieved by frequent changes in design, termination of the supply of spare parts, and the use of nondurable materials.

  I have no such issues I DIY most all my gear or I buy from very well-respected knowledgeable builders. But I do see you types living what I posted constant gear changes many complaints of not using systems or of listening fatigue. Many loudspeakers today are voiced to have an extended response in the upper ranges but are overly small and weak in mid-bass and bass. These require large power to produce a sense that there's a lower frequency which leads to thermal compression and listening fatigue maybe you recall the BBC would put a bump around 100hz to give the impression of bass. These types of loudspeakers will sound bright and clear at the shop thus attracting buyers. Many modern amps are also fairly bright and hard sounding toss this in with the over-bright extended upper range weak thin mid-bass and bass with a bump to make you think you have bass but once in a home, you will be left wondering why you don't make time to use such a system. Manufacturers know they need to grab the attention of reviewers show-goers and at demos. Why I posted what I did. 

Love how some audiophiles feel insulted by a discussion in an audio forum he feels all lumped in poor old sod. it's all about him. Not about voicing planned obsolesce or manufacturers trying to get attention on a filled sales floor no it's all about him feeling lumped.