2. analog
  3. 176979-9627

The past meets the future

I have become a huge advocate of streaming over the last few years as streaming has at long last reached audiophile sound quality. So, for someone that is new to audio or does not have a lot of money invested… it is hard to recommend this route.

However, as an old fart. One that suffered through low end turntables, unbelievable surface noise, scratched records, and debatable fidelity for much of his life. Owning a tremendous analog end is such a pleasure. I recently upgraded my contemporary Linn LP12 to nearly the maximum. I have a Audio Research Reference 3 phono stage so the sound quality is simply stunning.

Taking a Covid break and going to my local record store… buying a half dozen great old blues albums… cleaning up to pristine condition. It is such a pleasure to hear such fidelity and musicality from a ritual I have performed since a teenager… record store, spinning. That has been mainstream for me for over fifty years. I guess it is like the old Shortwave radio guys when I was growing up. They had the 25’ antenna sticking up above their suburban houses in the 1960’s.

Just a nod to the era and tradition that will soon pass into history. It has been a blast.

ghdprentice

Showing 3 responses by williewonka

williewonka
3,072 posts
 

There are some interesting responses above that made me think of other areas in audio that might suffer the same fate - the first was loudspeakers and, if they become a thing of the past won’t large mono-block amplifiiers suffer the same fate?

With the advent of Atmos, even small speaker systems can sound "very effective", and by "effective" I do not necessarily mean good.

  • Atmos wow’s people, but it does not replicate the recorded sound verbatum.
  • So are the large expensive speakers the next dinosaur?
  • and once large speakers become extinct, won’t the large Mono-blocks be next?

From my own personal experience, I downsized my home theatre system to a Bluesound Sound bar + subwoofer

  • gone are all the additional speakers and associated cables
  • gone is the Blueray player that streaming made redundent

As @ghdprentice noted

when a good looses its performance edge… it’s appeal becomes all nostalgic…

And as new devices, supported by the convenience that "Alexa:" provides, come to the market, then is that the demise of high end audio altogether?

I think we now live in a era of "convenience"

  • streaming - we no longer need to buy music/movies, we just rent it
  • voice control - much easier to say "Alexa, next track please"
  • size - the new speakers may not have the same abilities as the big towers, but they are getting better with every year that passes.
    • and they do not require cables or a lot of space

Two channel systems started a revolution way back in time when it was realized that it added dimension to the music.

Will Atmos (and other forms of sound manipulation approaches) see the end of stereo recordings?

I think that high-end systems will be around for the next little while, but perhaps more as "Audio Bling".

But the move to those invisible home automation systems that incorporates audio reproduction will probably see the end of the magnificent two channel systems that adorn our homes today - not just the humble turntable.

But that brings me to the opening scene of "I, Robot",

  • where Will Smith gets out of bed, picks up a remote and activates an old CD player,
  • which springs into life playing "Superstition" by SteveiWonder
  • pure nostalgia !

I Robot - Première Scène - Bing video

Something to think about 😎

Regards - Steve

 

 

 

williewonka
3,072 posts
 

But what I find most comical are those artists that introduce "scratchy sections" in their recordings - and I have to wonder WHY?

Will they still do that in future, i.e. when vinyl has gone the way of the corded telephone? 

Regards - Steve

williewonka
3,072 posts
 

Interesting thread - lots of nostalgia floating around, but here is what I am seeing since the advent of the CD.

  • more new sytlus profiles have been developed than at any time prior to the advent of the CD
  • More cantilever materials have been employed to improve cartridge performance
  •  More retipping services are now available than at any time in the past
  • More new cartridges are now available
  • More new Tutntable designs are now available to the market
    • from entry level to highest end products
  • More third party arms are now available
  • More audio companies are now building Phono stages
  • More artists are releasing albums in both formats
    • AND the quality of new vinyl is improving 
  • more used record outlets are popping up everywhere
  • more younger people are discovering the "kick back and relax" approach, when listening to vinyl
  • I know younger people are really getting intl the album cover art and included artist's notes
    • they find the foramt is a more intimite connection to the artist and the album

I think vinyl has made its resurgence and established itself as another medium that for some is preferred.

I have some albums in both formats

Both formats perform to very similar levels in my system, so for me, it's not a case of which one is better.

I just see each format  as serving a different purpose

  1. the convenience of the NAS drive or streaming service, more for backgroud music when friends are over
  2. vs. those "Rrituals" that for me, puts me into a more "relaxed frame of mind"
    • plus a glass of my favourite beverage 🤪

Where will it all end up? Only time will tell - but MY vinyl rig is here to stay

Regards - Steve

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