The Death of the Home Stereo System
Tissues, torches, pitchforks, and other items will be found in the lobby.
Don't forget to peruse the T-shirts! (I've already have mine, but from a different vendor.... ;) )
...submitted for your...
This popped up on my phone this AM...
Now, since this has been an 'off 'n on' topic of late, Mikes' MHO vid pretty much encapsulates the general ennui expressed over B&M shops fading away, the high and rising cost of 'our level of quality equipment', and all the reasons and rationales for the SOTA becoming 'out of reach' for all except the most dedicated 'philes.
And Yes, a run-on sentence that isn't my usual terse twaddle.
So be it; lets' have fun with this, please.
If extinction is to be our lot, we can afford to be noisy about it. ;)
Rant 'n rave, dear friends.
Showing 10 responses by asvjerry
*G* I had an uncle that I swear suffered from Tourettes'..always cursing at everything and anything that either was in his way or was thought to be a pending roadblock of some sort....🙄 But Albert was a man of kind soul at his core, and loved my aunt Gerry (who I was named for, but since I debuted as an 'outie' (m) v. 'innie' (fm), some changes were made...). Just occurred to me that someone deaf and mute that suffered from Tourettes' might appear as being struck periodically by an unseen local tornado....😬🤷♂️ When I got Mikes' vid it just occurred to me to post it as a weekend distraction, a source for amusement and less of target for arguments and ill will. We're a fun group when given the chance to just engage in some light-hearted 'bench racing'.. What would or could the strangest collection of gear one can imagine? You've gifted yourself with an amazing system (cost no object, size considerably matching (BIG); what if you had to 'insert' it into a small, too small space? ...and Had to.... Now what? ...or any other conceivable (or not so) "...'philephobia that you could only blame your deity or fate upon.... |
Always been drawn to the sounds of music...*s* The parents on weekends, playing lp’s of Crosy, Martin....old ’78s’ of their polka greats, those memories brought back when hearing various ’folk’ of various countries with similar rhythms, the varied instruments adding the ’flavors’ of that land... Older bro’ playing Alpert, later bebop, M. Miller singalong groups...first on an Eico mono with a Garrard stacking tt, replaced by a Sony r2r and HK diy integrated tube amp....speakers from Lafayette in diy bass reflex cabs.... I’d sneak a sess with that later set, my intro to r2r and better... ;) A period of playing with shortwave ’ham’ radio, held a license, strung dipole antennae about, learned to ’talk’ symbolically to strangers, moved on...but learned how to strip wire and solder...👍 Inherited the Eico and the Garrard; lost the Eico for an early Kenwood....built 2 pairs of 2 ways, cone tweets both, 4" in the small cabs, 8"s in the larger. Moved out, moved again to the Bay from LA, with a 2270, Bose 901s, an AR with a Stanton cart.... Didn’t know at the time, but lived ’bout a mile away from Linkwitz....*g*wow*
Mystic daze in a while.....fell in ’love’, moved beyond the Redwood Curtain to Eureka!...fell out, and fell out further.... Young landlady Vicki (now a therapist...good move) handed me a stiff drink and advised: "You really need to get away from here....as much as you love the place, it’ll eat you alive..." A hug, a kiss, gone in a week....to Oakland... (Later back to visit and receive Grace the Wonder Cat, who was MBFeline for 17 yrs..)... ~Inter Mission~ ’Preciate y’all...;) I’ll read you as long as you tolerate me...🎶
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"Coffee is my Spirit Animal" (magnet on the side of our coffee maker....)... Very apropos....and Groucho as guide may not be as bad as some choices...😏 Mikes' <10min.is a tidy summation, mho....and we can always make claim to being the shock(ed) troops forcing the sota to 'new levels'...👍 "Some are happy to stay home, but there's always going to be those who think Mars is a legit goal...." (A bit forced of an analogy, but my 'drifts' are like that...*G*) Oh.....hi. *S* |
Understood...I tried to 'get' guitar, but my muscle memory wasn't up to it..... " "The lead character in ‘Money for Nothing’ is a guy who works in the hardware department in a television/custom kitchen/refrigerator/microwave appliance store. He’s singing the song. I wrote the song when I was actually in the store. I borrowed a bit of paper and started to write the song down in the store. I wanted to use a lot of the language that the real guy actually used when I heard him, because it was more real. It just went better with the song, it was more muscular. I actually used ‘little faggot,’ (...which got the song banned in the UK for awhile) but there are a couple of good ‘mo_my edits_uckers’ in there. I wanted to do a second version that way but I never had time. I’d still love to be able to do it. Even if just the band had it, because it would be the real version. I mean that is the way people speak. I think people still get the general idea. You can use other words that will suggest the general feel." ("...I shoulda' went back and gave him song cred, Ev 'n I got to see them live in SF @ The Old Waldorf 3/31/79, 5th row...great show... One of the guys lit a cigarette, stuck a 'fay' pose as an opening for 'Les Boys". so their gay teasing had history....starting with 'Sultans of Swing'... The 'Old Waldorf' never was 'old', and is now know as the Punch Line comedy club...and is part of a line of high rises and always has been... ;) Don't be sorry for either....I liked Groucho for his one-liners and wit, but would always pause to hear Harpo play his harp....always entertaining, and proof that silence has its' benefits....you never have to worry 'bout the taste of shoe leather. Because of my admiration of Harpo, I took in a small concert of 4 harpists back in Houston....playing jazz harp...👍😆😊....a good waste of time, and atypical for TX. Time to put the memory mechanism into park, since I'd wander off into lanes untold. |
Anyway: To try to wander back into the point of the post that started this.... Given the states of SOTA, or even the SOWhat’sAvailable (oh, so close to SoWhat...*L*), where does anyone think certain aspects of ’mid-fi’ or ’upper mid-fi’ ought to go towards, given the expense of current items in the audio chain? To expand on this, imho, or just a leap into raising a fuss or cane... A percentage of my equipment is mounted on rack rails, for my convenience; the 6 two channel distribution amp is at the bottom, x-overs (3, one sub only) above, multiple eqs at varied points, and signal(s) directivity (4 of the latter; three digital, one manually switched) means next. Oh, and a nice pre that can (or not) be applied.... 7 discrete sources available; 7 discrete pairs of drivers available, 3 of which are available to be driven as a ’triamped pair’ as a general rule... One sub....one must simplify Somewhere....*L* ...although have the means to add 4 single subs of varied dimensions and drive needs, but lack the amps to drive them properly. Could have multiple pair as well, but have already run out of space. Obviously, a handful...but an intentional one. Well, maybe, both hands... ;) I would like, as with pro audio, to turn over control to one of 2 computers currently in charge of part of ’my show’, be it a personal one... I’d like to see a blank rack case that could house multiple amps of varied configs; mono, 2 chan., perhaps a 4 chan. Various wattages as needed by application. All inputs co-ordinated by ’puter driven processor (or more, again by app.). Obviously all D amps, all running fans.... The difference would be that it would all be ’scale-able’; start (and stay if desired) small, but capable of being grown in whatever fashion or desired outcome one wishes... Quality of the individual items would hold to a standard. Kiss obsolescence goodbye, hopefully. Unless some miracles happen, which at this time, only adding another zero to the right of the decimal point... ...if you can hear that at all. Any thoughts...rants...revulsions...? Taking the cable conundrums to a different level, I remain yours unruly, J |
@larsman , I’d heard of a previous site, but never had the pleasure... Probably from those ’60’s when I was in my teens, wondering and curious about the ’goings on’ in the Bay.... It was a sunny Saturday postnoon with all the creatures out, about, and likely from any state and in any state.... Quite Rightly a Scene, bound to be the very next phase.... And was, but not there, in that time nor that spaced. ;) |
@sokogear ...and I for one still believe you can....given some parameters which others may view as 'restraints'. The judicious application of a budget, savvy shopping, and perhaps perusal of used equipment can make for a modest dive into what can be seen as a bottomless pool..... Anyway, mho: -Set cables aside for awhile, until you've gotten The Big Ticket Items covered. If I replaced All of mine with SOTA...I'd rather buy a car. Really. ;) - Item #1 = Speakers. What does the mind between the ears like to apprehend? To keep something aside for #2 and beyond, a pair of bookshelf or stand-mounted seems to be suggested.... What space do you need to fill with 'a glorious noise' of what sort? ...and, if applicable, the SAF. If you make that personage smile as well, you've won most of the skirmish... ;) 👍 - Item #2 = Integrated amp....if you can select such that can 'stream' as well...wonderful. I don't have a streamer, use switchers for what to where and how, and tone can be through various means of eq at hand. Until relatively recently....no pre was involved...nor missed. I'll set it up as an 'option'.... I'd divide my budget into rough 'quarters'; 40~50% speakers, 50/50 integrated/streamer.... Imho. You've not mentioned any other source (tt/arm/cart, or any other) beyond the intended streamer....personally, I've 2 'puters 'integrated' into my main, and one in my office... Do I have any specific suggestions for speakers/integrateds/streamers? No. Personally,an integrated with D amplification enough to drive the speakers and a third more, a sub output at least...if anything, but beyond that... I stay out of 'you ought to go with ___'. I kinda rank it with underwear, gloves, glasses, shoes.....too close to the skin.... Mine. ;) Welcome to The Hunt.....and Good Luck.... Take a dongle with you. If they can't play it at the B&M shop....leave. |