So This Really Is The End....

Can't stand vague titles like this. Make the title fit the content eg about the record shop or 'Cincinnati fans' or something coherent. 

@zufan Doesn't meet your standards, sorry.

He’s disappointed. Maybe he thought that you were going to kill yourself or something.

The title is a bit click-baity! Many older stores are winding down as the generation ages out. It’s not necessarily a sign of "The End."

A variety of the long-standing local stores are closing. It’s just that the rate of change has accelerated.

  Yeah, the thread title had me ready to reach for the suicide hotline number.  To the OPs point, its sad, but lets face it, even with the vinyl resurgence physical media has been blown out of the water by streaming.  It's amazing to find any record stores.

So no one wishes to empathize with the poster that his favorite record store/hangout for the past 47 years is closing?  I sure have been bummed when local audio and record stores have shut down!  I still miss visiting Tower Records every time I was in New York, and the audio stores in NJ that are long gone.

I hate it that physical record stores have essentially disappeared. My record store job (Sound Warehouse!) paid for my undergrad degree. I have nothing but fond memories of that job and the years of selling music and talking to customers and employees about new and old bands. Met countless musicians, in store band promotions, free tickets to unknown bands, got in trouble for playing albums with explicit lyrics, watched CDs push vinyl out, and trends ebb and flow. I even met my wife in the store while working an evening shift! I love the convenience of streaming and on-line shopping, but it doesn’t come close to what we used to have in actual physical stores. 

 Our ET overlords are working towards a society where no one is allowed to leave their house. Groceries delivered, things delivered (by drones, of course), work at home, digital currency to make sure you're doing nothing naughty.

Were slowly converting from an animal paradigm to an insect paradigm. Ask anyone living in China.

Sorry you’re losing your local establishment. I still miss our local dive bar, which closed during the pandemic shutdowns. It had an incredible kitchen, a great shaded back patio, and low prices.

Two examples of the inevitability of change.

I hope you enjoy Qobuz as much as I do. It’s really wonderful to have immediate access to such a huge library.

Thanks all and sorry about the ambiguous title, never really gave it much thought. In this day and age, I’d make the assumption that many long standing businesses are closing everywhere so we’re all likely to be affected in some way. The closing of Mole’s Records now leaves a hole in my weekly routine, I guess I’ll spend more time at the gym.

I already put all my albums, thousand in lossless files, beginning decade ago...

It is impossible to store thousand of cd and thousand of books in a small house for two... I did not have even a dedicated acoustic room anymore .... Then i understand the shock of this closure because it is human interaction which is lost...

But anyway the time is already here where A.I. will create  my future  homemade acoustic room and device...And headphone designed with deepest acoustic knowledge coupled to the Choueri Dac BACCH filter will render speakers in a living room useless...No need for audio reviewers save for anecdotal reading... Then no material albums, no speakers and a headphone creating any acoustic soundfield at will in 3-D... At 72 years old probably i will not be able to afford it soon when it will come, but if you are younger you will live with it because it will become affordable...

The greatest revolution right now is A.I. not the economic crisis or the war or pandemic...

But with A. I. it will also increase the lost of human interactive relations... As the tv make it so, and the computer, and now the A. I.

I am not a luddite but human relations are possible only on social sane real public space... There is no more private space versus public space anymore...

Then loosing a fifty years store is loosing something we can call a warming human space...

Nice eulogy for your local record store. I'm surprised they make any money these days too, apart from the rare/collector's market and that's not stuff you typically find in the local record store. 

Actually my favorite record store just opened a new location and is now up to 5 locations in 3 states and has a thriving online business. 

Sorry for your loss. 

https://www.joseyrecords.com/?gad=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjw7PCjBhDwARIsANo7CgmtmSF_p3y-47x_4iSfCPfJ-YRkwvrrO3OQF5eZZRW5BoXgG5p__XgaAmv2EALw_wcB

The times they are a changing.   Someone should write a song about that. 

No store can make a living on just records they have to be diversified unless you are world wide and specialize in collector Albums worth $$ 

I'm totally relying on  downloads, internet orders and Qobuz. Anyway, just feeling "sentimental so thanks!"

Part of what we lose is the social interaction and that 'in store' experience.  I think that is part of why you are feeling a sense of loss.  Sure, we can get the same product with a mouse click or a box on our door step, but we don't get the fun of chatting it up with the owner or the other customers, getting those in person referral to new bands, or even that record store smell.  Some people never probably liked the interaction or wanted any interaction (or the store owner dreaded when they would show up), but I hear what you are saying.  Advances in technology, or more efficient business structures have their downsides.  

@mahgister 

".And headphone designed with deepest acoustic knowledge coupled to the Choueri Dac BACCH filter will render speakers in a living room useless..." 

I must respectfully disagree. There are many who don't enjoy the headphone experience, and I am one of them. Regardless of the sound quality, I find them uncomfortable and claustrophobic.

Dear roxy54 friend,

You completely miss my point...

First :I do not advocate for headphone i dislike them generally ... I listen to one because i loose my room...I modify it and to my surprize this headphone please me enough to cure my sadness..

Second: I was describing in my above post VIRTUAL ROOM ACOUSTIC which already exist thanks to Dr Choueri ...

In virtual room acoustic, soon assisted by A. I. there will be no sound coming from headphone inside the head , it will be a complete room experience exactly as with speakers but with something on your head...No headphone give that now...Except with the Choueri Dac filters BACCH...

But without headphone and with speakers in the same way and WITHOUT the need for real acoustic treament and mechanic control of the room A. I. will be able to customize the sound before entering the speakers and will balance it for any kind of room even for virtual room it will do it to a level no equalization can do it right now... Choueri filters for example are not standard equalization...

There will be only a cost difference but the same experience with low cost headphone for those who want or costlier speakers for those who prefer nothing on their head...But no difference in sound quality... Thats is my point...

i did not advocate for headphone over speakers , i came to headphone by fate not by choice... Happily i succeed to make my headphone to my liking but most people dont modify headphones anyway ...But now headphone listening so good it is or was is different from speakers listening; confort, acoustic impressions, dynamics etc all is different between headphones and speakers for now ...

But tomorrow  with A. I. virtual room acoustic assistance this difference of acoustic experience will disapear... People will choose headphone or speakers not for sound difference but for difference of cost, less for headphone more for speakers but same sound qualities... That is my point...

Almost in all cases. 99% of the times speakers/ dedicated acoustic room exceed almost all headphone listening in quality ...it is my experience...Headphone are convenient for some and some prefer it because no need to tune any room...

But with virtual room acoustic for speakers or headphones, the difference will be only cost, and the possible unconfort for some people...No difference in soundfield experience will subsist as it is right now before A.I. acoustic assistance ... I hope i made myself clearer...

I forgot to say that speakers in a living room generally dont beat top headphones...But speakers in an acoustic room beat almost if not all headphones NOW on many if not on all acoustic factors it depend of the speakers specs design... With A. I. assistance there will be only cost and confort difference...No more sound experience differences..

@mahgister

".And headphone designed with deepest acoustic knowledge coupled to the Choueri Dac BACCH filter will render speakers in a living room useless..."

I must respectfully disagree. There are many who don’t enjoy the headphone experience, and I am one of them. Regardless of the sound quality, I find them uncomfortable and claustrophobic.

We lost "the exclusive company" a while  back. I haven't bought much media since. 😕 

47 years is a long relationship. I hope you can fill some of that void. 

10 years ago there were 3 record stores in my city, now there are 8. The new arrivals section is out the door, they don't know where to put them. Same at Goodwill, more boxes of records every day.

@mahgister i haven’t listened to headphones for years, now … only because I’m a single adult male and was able to spend an absurd amount of mooola on a real cool pair of big speakers.

I was way into headphones before I grew my business and got to a point that I could part with the bucks. I remember what a weird, or at least real awkward initial sensation it was to have something shoved down INside my ear canal … at first. And I need to say, my advice is: if you can bite the bullet and force yourself to every day for two weeks, I promise you the day after you will miss them and want to stick them back in so you can listen.

That’s my headphone story. I used to ride a very cool ducati ST2 when I used them and ❤️ed combining long riding sessions with long listening sessions. I’m talking about 500 miles a day, with very high quality tunes the whole way. I do miss it.

The headspace thing, which is akin to soundstage with big speakers, is sort of a different ball game all together. There’s the real advice, right?
I used to use a very soft rubber tip that had 3 flanges that gradually seal off the canal as it slides in. Called a Triple Flange. It makes it possible to easily pressurize the sound field consistently, perfectly, every single time you listen. Now that I’ve been into my big speakers as long as I have, I’d say that part can be equated with having a perfectly controlled and precise soundstage every single time.
 

I’ll have to do a lil research later, but I think I paid a relatively small amount for my first pair of IEM headphones. And as it turned out they were one of the best for the money audio purchases for me, period.

Especially for well recorded classical or Progressive Rock.

Hard to beat for the bang to buck ratio.

@goofyfoot Sorry about your loss, man.

Thanks for your very interesting post and experience...

I come from acoustic room well tuned to headphone by fate as i said... And i never dare to compare my 9 past headphones to my acoustic room... Except the last... Happily it beat my room optimized on many acoustic factors if not all... But my Speakers so good they were in my dedicated room they were not 20,000 bucks speakers ... Gave me 20,000 bucks speakers and any headphone will bite dust because i will tune the room for these specific speakers... But it takes a year of listening session everyday to did it .... I will never did that  again... Life is too short...

The father of my wife a wealthy business man sold all, retire, bought a farm learned how to keep herd of sheeps, learn all about them, even basic veterinary, cooking,  anything  and when he knows everything, he sell the farm after 7 years...

Then he goes making house  alone, or adding section to some in their old style,  not for money but for fun... Samething. he stop after it would be no surprize, except he did my house before retiring definitively...The house i just sold...

Myself without money for an acoustician for sure  i learned basic acoustic by experiments, it takes a year non stop... It was sonic heaven and new fun each day ... I sold the house and i will never invest so much time to do it again... It was fun learning to do it... i will not begin that again it will be no more fun because even if i know how to do it, the time span for the tuning will not decrease...

i stumble on an headphone and learn how to make it as my liking... It takes 6 months because this is the hardest headphone to figure out it right... it is not a ready out of the box one you buy and all is at his optimum level ...

i never tried very good costly IEM... It is too costly to buy 10 of them till i was satisfied as i did with my 10 headphones... And IEM did not had the same shell/room to optimize... I could not modify them for improvement... Then probably to be satiasfied i will be in the obligation to buy many more than 10...Or very. very costlier one... I dont have this money now... And anyway i am more happier than ever for sound quality... Even a real upgrade after computing it will cost me 15,000 bucks... But i can live without anyway...

thanks for your interesting story...

i wish you my very best from my heart ...

@mahgister i haven’t listened to headphones for years, now … only because I’m a single adult male and was able to spend an absurd amount of mooola on a real cool pair of big speakers.

I was way into headphones before I grew my business and got to a point that I could part with the bucks. I remember what a weird, or at least real awkward initial sensation it was to have something shoved down INside my ear canal … at first. And I need to say, my advice is: if you can bite the bullet and force yourself to every day for two weeks, I promise you the day after you will miss them and want to stick them back in so you can listen.

That’s my headphone story. I used to ride a very cool ducati ST2 when I used them and ❤️ed combining long riding sessions with long listening sessions. I’m talking about 500 miles a day, with very high quality tunes the whole way. I do miss it.

The headspace thing, which is akin to soundstage with big speakers, is sort of a different ball game all together. There’s the real advice, right?
I used to use a very soft rubber tip that had 3 flanges that gradually seal off the canal as it slides in. Called a Triple Flange. It makes it possible to easily pressurize the sound field consistently, perfectly, every single time you listen. Now that I’ve been into my big speakers as long as I have, I’d say that part can be equated with having a perfectly controlled and precise soundstage every single time.

I’ll have to do a lil research later, but I think I paid a relatively small amount for my first pair of IEM headphones. And as it turned out they were one of the best for the money audio purchases for me, period.

Especially for well recorded classical or Progressive Rock.

 

Hard to beat for the bang to buck ratio.

Being stationed at Wright/Patterson AFB near Dayton, I heard the name "Bogart's" a lot but never saw a show there. Did see a few at Riverfront Coliseum but mostly went to Hara Arena in Dayton. 

As for the record store, all things must pass but the memories live on.

Wow, I didn't realize Moles was closing I definitely got a lot of my vinyl from there and from wizards in ozarkas. I spent many days down in Clifton buying records and then we shoot up to Reading to hit up record alley and everybody's. Streaming is convenient but it's just not as much fun as standing in that record store finding something that was either rare or hard to find. The good news is there's still a lot of record stores in the area plaid room records in Loveland and spinal groove in Milford still have a pretty good collection of vinyl and seem to be making a go of it. 

You are absolutely right about that SACD by steely Dan it is awesome Good luck in your endeavor to find new musical buying options if you get a chance definitely swing by some of the ones I mentioned.

@mrskeptic I saw the one and only Grateful Dead show at Hara Arena. Also saw Buddy Rich and Mel Lewis at Gilly’s. Anyway, Bogarts is a small venue on Short Vine. I've seen some good shows there.

@oiche_shamhna Yeah I hit up Plaid Room every now and then. But I live in Northside so that's a bit of a drive. My Mom shops at Spinal Groove. I remember Gary at Ozarkas, he will always remain in my memory as one of the nicest people I've ever known.

@goofyfoot 

If you are ever in Winston-Salem, NC, stop by my favorite vinyl slab purveyor, Underdog Records.  Tell Jonathan I sent you -- he will treat you right!

@allenf1963 Never been to NC. I imagine there's good food there so could be worth a road trip. Thanks!

That's life.

@goofyfoot ...*G*  Add Asheville into that route to W/S; not only good eats, but some fun roads to ramble...the BRP is good for sights but marked for 45. :(

(A waitress at one of the diners' admitted she'd push 90 on her commute to & fro...

"What do you drive?"

Toy' Cami....

"You crazy, grrl....*L* "  ('stones' for ovaries....😏..)

More 'craft' beer here than the tourista can possibly inhale...much to the local PDs' delight....

W/C 2 hr. east; done faster, but pick your 'time of rapid transit'.. 

@allenf1963  The 2nd or 3rd largest Habitat for 'Umanity is a 5 min. walk from me.

All sorts of LP there, name your 'tune 'fix'...;)

The occasional equipment find, but one has to be early...otherwise, audiomuck...and the occasional that I 'frankenstein'...🙄

@mahgister ....one thing in common is 72...👍 ...but refuse to do 'gracefully'....

@mapman ....the only way times don't change is when you stop noticing...
Unfortunately, the only way that occurs for us Is really the End on that very personal level that awaits all...😬😇

Late night fun in the 'phones...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VScSEXRwUqQ

Whew! Really had me concerned there for a minute.

From the OP’s title, I thought AudioGon was going to ban any future discussion of audiophile fuses on this forum.

@asvjerry -- Asheville is an ABSOLUTE must visit!  Beautiful scenery, and tons of lakes with 10 pound largemouth swimming in them and 5 pound smallmouth.  Not to mention truly Trout unlimited. 

Asheville is now challenging Portland, OR, for the Micro-Brewery Capital of the U.S.  So many breweries your head will spin....literally.   And the iconic Orange Peel music venue.  I love stopping in A-Town on my way to Knoxville. 

@asvjerry 

i am curious of what you spoke about referencing to me in 72 ?

😁

@mahgister ....one thing in common is 72...👍 ...but refuse to do ’gracefully’....

Man I feel really guilty. With the exception of 6 years or so in the late '80s early 90s I've lived here all my life and had no idea moles was still open. I definitely would have checked it out. As far as the old school holdouts everybody's records is my go-to although I do a lot of business with spiral groove and the morrow audio store across the river. I spend at least $200 a month on vinyl exclusively and would have been happy to throw some of that business their way. You mentioned Bogart's, thanks for the memories. I saw countless bands there usually just wondering in off the street. Robin Lacey and dazydeco.. psycho dots.. midnight on Vine.. my favorite was a dead cover band called the spirtles out of Indiana

Wandering... Not wondering. And I was an English major.Thanks speech to text

@mahgister ...72 years of age in common, ref-ing back to your earlier post...

Now that we’ve the experience, knowledge, and ’wiz-dum’ that all seem to desire & require...we get ’blown off’ by the punks...*ironic L*

Well....they’ll get theirs...*evil snickers fading into coughing fit* ;)

...but it’s fun to get the drop on them with the ’casional one-liner that causes pauses....*G*

@allenf1963 ...yeah, it’s nice here. *S* Although the ’out of state’ (and mind, sometimes) plates seem to begin to outnumber the locals, esp. with parking... ;)

Not a ’fisher person’ myself, but happy to enjoy eating the catch of the day...

Out-pacing Portland is a mixed bag, my friend.... The large and well-placed property next to us (and earlier, occupied by) came up for sale.
Spouse Ev and I fretted....Hi-Wire is .25 mi. away (crawling distance! *LOL*) and another Next Door would be likened to inviting the locusts to consume any/all vehicle spaces and even that which is not....

...and I can’t ’pump up the volume’ enuff to drive them off....nay, loudness seems to draw them in, and considering what I ’play’....😬😟

But...bought by a legit biz that does terrain site studies for construction purposes...

*whew* Howitzer shell missed. *g*

The ’Peel....was there Fri. night for a show..curious ’bout the act, not so happy ’bout the venue anymore. The O’P could use a serious renov, as it sounds like a barn, which it truthfully IS. Better PA, -ventilation- (that Big Ass fan just don’t cut it, and really never did), and when the crowd cheers/whistles/shouts...

...my ’gentile’ ears can’t cope no more with it....the music, the point, yes..

Moi’ & the 'dirty white noise' of 'crowd appreciation"?
Sadly, no...😔
Indoors don’t work no mo’...

Bright shiny NEW venue on Coxe, .5ish W. of ’Peel: Rabbit Rabbit.

Brought to us by: The O’P.. Outdoors. Better layout (beer & food not flanking the audience area). Season One 6/1/’23.

I’ll keep eyes open for an act I’d catch, review to view after. ;)

(They actually approached us for a ’temp. playground’ for an grand opening...
"Ah, we don’t do ’temp’ ’t’all," (..and mixing over-amped kids with drinking ’adults’?

Bad idea...

...just because we label (and have to) something '5-12 years old ONLY'...

...doesn't stop the adult(s) who act like it from breaking it....🤨😟😬😖

I was thinking 1972 .... 😁

It seems you are a young mind in an old body...

In the opposite i am an old mind in a young body... at least i felt so...

But i may be wrong and it could be the opposite...

Anyway we are magnets and you are south  and me North or perhaps the opposite...

«We are always two minus one»-Groucho Marx 🤓

Yeah, old timer here as well. Definitely miss the olden days of walking into record stores and having at it. I’ve bought a lot of stuff over the years.

But....

I find I don’t care as much since starting with Roon. Much more efficient and cost effective way to extensively explore the enormous world of music that is out there already and keeps on growing.

Gotta get with the times. I’d hate to have to make a living selling records in a B&M store these days.

Still some things I find that I do not yet own but would like to. CDs and records are still good for that. Records for the whole package and makes for nice wall art framed but not stream-able unless you convert it yourself, which I still do quite regularly. Doesn’t make sense to buy albums and just stash them away on a shelf 99.99999% of the time anymore. Old habits are sometimes not easy to change.  Lots of cool old records still out there that can be had for not much at Goodwill, etc.

@mapman One thing Qobuz or Tidal doesn't offer are those boutique audiophile remasters from companies like Analogue Productions, MOFI, etc...Anyway, given my current set up, my local file storage sounds better than streaming. I tried Roon but my streamer/renderer internal software sounds better and I couldn't get Roon to recognize DSD. Roon is easily the best organizer of files, I just wish it sounded more like Audirvana. So given that, I'm still in the market for tangible CD's and at times, newly remastered or original vinyl. Moles Records was my anchor in this sense so now, I'll have to make determinations about certain title selections on my own. I'm likely in the minority but I still believe there are many record collectors out there who are finding themselves in the same circumstance.

I think the title of the post says an awful lot.

When Jim Morrison sang “….MUSIC is your ONLY friend….” In The Doors song “The End” I felt he was speaking directly to me. In high school I thought that more than once.

Flipping through the record stacks, drifting along, checking out the foxy girl one row over, listening to something new playing on the store stereo…..that was many a weekend days pleasure for me.

Browsing Discogs, or Amazon, etc. will never be a substitute.

As always, as the song goes, these are the good old days.

@mahgister ...*g*  Yeah, we can be North/South and be civil about, for sure....

*fist bump/hand jive/brobodbump/(and, of course) handshake.... ;)

The 'polarity shift' you've noted, the young/old~old/young thing gets one by the ears too often of late....

"..should I stay or should I go..."  is less of a question and more of a choice that'll get made regardless of how one feels about it...

In the meanwhile, I'll work at finishing that which will never be completely completed...

Best, J

....and a sound I'll never know....😊

I wonder if the Princeton Record Exchange is still open? I spent many hours there in my youth going through their inventory of CDs and records. The perfect setting for many  students and older audiophiles to hunt for recorded treasures.

I was just thinking yesterday, as I walked up the West Side in NYC, how much I miss Tower Records. It was a beacon beckoning with excitement to come in - explore and discover in a way that's just not the same with streaming. Those days were electric in NYC and I miss them.

I very much miss the record store experience even though I have limited need/desire for physical media.

The need is for a place to go, a thing to do, that feeds into my interests, Even a record store doesn’t exactly do that anymore, even though there isn’t a better model right now.

So, my thought is, records stores need to find a way to join the 21st century rather than cater to the dinosaurs until we all turn into petroleum.

To me, a 21st century equivalent would have physical media available, but would be more about the connections between people that otherwise don’t get to happen. Ideally a 21st century experience would almost be like a cafe - with some food and beverages, some element of a Japanese vinyl bar, some elements of sharing music, possibly even some elements of used/new gear. Friday night and weekend scheduled events as ice-breakers. Make it the destination of the day, not the place to stop on the way somewhere. If I ran it, it would also be the best hash bar (i.e. dispensary) in town. Imagine the music/weed pairings!

It would also sell downloads. You can take your music home on a USB stick or be emailed a link to DL later. Or you can just earmark the music you heard that you like for later exploration through your online account or mobile app with the store. It should just integrate with your Spotify or Qobuz account. 

The challenge is, those of us who would understand this vision are probably in income brackets too high to be the entrepreneur who does it.