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OT The death of the home stereo system



 
 
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  #11  
Old September 29th 13, 06:14 AM posted to alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt
Flasherly[_2_]
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Posts: 2,407
Default OT The death of the home stereo system

On Sat, 28 Sep 2013 21:20:39 -0400, Hench wrote:

I really don't give two flying fricks about sound quality so count me in
on that docking station craze fan list


I can play, from a musical instrument, or record my own music. No
doubt your wife agrees, at 5.1 stereophonic standards, Walmart might
be receptive to consider advertising, at $59, what other lithely
resplendent wives of a veritable fountain might also worthily reflect
by life's passionate ardor. Last woman who recently danced for me, of
her own accord, quite taken by my stereo and library of music,
unfortunately, couldn't quite make up her mind to dance while I, then,
played, vacillating, it seemed to me, as whether to just as easily go
off and slam the bedroom door. Then, again, I'm apt to play material
from periods now distanced by hundreds of years -- something her cute,
jiggling little fanny might have felt vaguely estranged from.
  #12  
Old September 29th 13, 03:53 PM posted to alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt
Michael Black[_2_]
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Posts: 164
Default OT The death of the home stereo system

On Sat, 28 Sep 2013, Larc wrote:

On Fri, 27 Sep 2013 22:11:18 GMT, (DK) wrote:

| In article , Metspitzer wrote:
|
| You really wouldn't even need a laptop. You could control the stereo
| with a cellphone.
|
| It's all just status games. Stuff not really far removed from "my
| dick is bigger than yours". Where it was big-ass HI-FI system
| before, it is the gold-plated iPhone now. It's not about function,
| it's about status.
|
| That said, the idea that mp3 on any of those teeny-tiny audio
| "systems" produce a sound comparable to the well-built
| analog setup is completely laughable. They are just good
| enough for masses and the hi-fi craze of the 1980s was a
| huge overkill for that same masses.

There's a definite connection between the death of good home stereo
systems and the death of golden ears. Much of the public just doesn't
seem to demand audiophile sound quality anymore. They are perfectly
happy with obviously reduced fidelity and increased distortion just so
long as it's loud enough. At a time when there has been greater clamor
for always better quality visuals, audio has been allowed to reverse.

Well, at least most of the music they listen to wouldn't profit any from
better sound reproduction.

I wonder if the Walkman had something to do with it. It gave a good sound
by doing away with speakers. A pair of reasonable headpones against the
ears will sound better than some random speaker in a less than perfect
box. And since they were headphones, not much audio power needed from the
Walkman, so it likely was a decent amplifier.

So people got used to something small, and eventually not so expensive.
It also shifted them, "music is portable".

And around that time, the CD appears, "really high fidelity sound", and
expensive. But eventually CD players are everywhere, the quality of the
sound not so important, the portability of the CD more important.

And that followed, so The Big Stereos start disappearing. Some of it is
cosmetic, the wave of mini-stereos came along at some point, some awful
but the quality (at least other than the speakers) not a reflection of the
small size.

And then computers came along, everyone wants sound, but doesnt' want the
space. So instead of a decent sound system, they add horrible plastic
speakers with just enough amplification to get some sound out of them.
They aren't there for sound, they are there to get some sound.

So by the time people decided they didn't always want to have headphones
plugged into their ears, the notion that small was what counted was there.
I've seen cheap speakers that have no amplification that plug into mp3
players. The good thing is that if they want good sound, they can always
revert to headphones, which of course puts them back into portable mode.
It's just that if they want speakers, they won't do so well. Even a
boombox with auxiliary inputs have bigger speakers (relative speaking)
than many of these docking stations.

Michael

  #13  
Old September 29th 13, 11:02 PM posted to alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt
Flasherly[_2_]
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Posts: 2,407
Default OT The death of the home stereo system

On Sun, 29 Sep 2013 10:53:26 -0400, Michael Black
wrote:

The good thing is that if they want good sound, they can always
revert to headphones, which of course puts them back into portable mode.
It's just that if they want speakers, they won't do so well. Even a
boombox with auxiliary inputs have bigger speakers (relative speaking)
than many of these docking stations.


The WEB can provide anything with research and an ability to build a
multimedia computer. Everything I bought for a new audio system,
including the computer I built for streaming a red laser modulated
output audio carrier (S/PDIF) into a dedicated rack-mounted (pre-amp)
pro sound processor came from online musician's supply houses. Over
$500US, but well under $1000US, which is quite a good price
considering it'll deliver demanding stereophile quality grade
reproduction. Identifying and finding around a $150 sale on Alesis
speakers retailing for $600, at the time, was the hardest part, but
once added, they'll EQ-in well enough to reproduce the pro headphone
experience.
  #14  
Old September 30th 13, 02:26 AM posted to alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt
Hench[_2_]
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Posts: 22
Default OT The death of the home stereo system

On 9/29/2013 1:14 AM, Flasherly wrote:
On Sat, 28 Sep 2013 21:20:39 -0400, Hench wrote:

I really don't give two flying fricks about sound quality so count me in
on that docking station craze fan list


I can play, from a musical instrument, or record my own music. No
doubt your wife agrees, at 5.1 stereophonic standards, Walmart might
be receptive to consider advertising, at $59, what other lithely
resplendent wives of a veritable fountain might also worthily reflect
by life's passionate ardor. Last woman who recently danced for me, of
her own accord, quite taken by my stereo and library of music,
unfortunately, couldn't quite make up her mind to dance while I, then,
played, vacillating, it seemed to me, as whether to just as easily go
off and slam the bedroom door. Then, again, I'm apt to play material
from periods now distanced by hundreds of years -- something her cute,
jiggling little fanny might have felt vaguely estranged from.


my wife was happy with the 10 watt tv speakers and is now upset over the
addition of another remote that will never be used yet is kept nearby.....
  #15  
Old September 30th 13, 04:06 AM posted to alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt
Flasherly[_2_]
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Posts: 2,407
Default OT The death of the home stereo system

On Sun, 29 Sep 2013 21:26:15 -0400, Hench wrote:


my wife was happy with the 10 watt tv speakers and is now upset over the
addition of another remote that will never be used yet is kept nearby.....


Surprised those programmable LED models haven't dropped over the years
off a $100 mark;- unless she's very logically inclined, mention of
operating one of those should keep a lesser backup in good readiness.
  #16  
Old September 30th 13, 06:01 PM posted to alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt
Larc[_3_]
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Posts: 383
Default OT The death of the home stereo system

On Sun, 29 Sep 2013 10:53:26 -0400, Michael Black wrote:

| And then computers came along, everyone wants sound, but doesnt' want the
| space. So instead of a decent sound system, they add horrible plastic
| speakers with just enough amplification to get some sound out of them.
| They aren't there for sound, they are there to get some sound.

Those tiny (and usually tinny) speakers don't interest me. The soundcard in my main
desktop feeds into a Technics digital receiver that powers a pair of floor-standing
speakers (old Wharfedales), a center channel speaker mounted in the back top of the
desk kneehole and 2 surround speakers. That setup does a great job on audio
including CDs, DVD movies and TV.

Larc
  #17  
Old September 30th 13, 08:17 PM posted to alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt
Robin Bignall
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Posts: 173
Default OT The death of the home stereo system

On Mon, 30 Sep 2013 13:01:50 -0400, Larc wrote:

On Sun, 29 Sep 2013 10:53:26 -0400, Michael Black wrote:

| And then computers came along, everyone wants sound, but doesnt' want the
| space. So instead of a decent sound system, they add horrible plastic
| speakers with just enough amplification to get some sound out of them.
| They aren't there for sound, they are there to get some sound.

Those tiny (and usually tinny) speakers don't interest me. The soundcard in my main
desktop feeds into a Technics digital receiver that powers a pair of floor-standing
speakers (old Wharfedales), a center channel speaker mounted in the back top of the
desk kneehole and 2 surround speakers. That setup does a great job on audio
including CDs, DVD movies and TV.

I've got a similar setup using Celestion Ditton 25 speakers with a Nad
amplifier. This is stereo only but the sound is better then the modern
surround-sound system I have in another room. Speakers date from 1969.
--
Robin Bignall
Herts, England
  #18  
Old October 4th 13, 05:07 PM posted to alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt
Don Phillipson[_4_]
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Posts: 320
Default OT The death of the home stereo system

"Larc" wrote in message
...

There's a definite connection between the death of good home stereo
systems and the
death of golden ears. Much of the public just doesn't seem to demand
audiophile
sound quality anymore. They are perfectly happy with obviously reduced
fidelity and
increased distortion just so long as it's loud enough. At a time when
there has been
greater clamor for always better quality visuals, audio has been allowed
to reverse.


Market forces have a role as well (speaking as someone who used to run
home-built woofers in cases 5 ft. high, weighing 75 lb. or more, and ribbon-
diaphragm horn tweeters. Each cost in the 1960s about $100 cash (one
week's salary in 1964) and uncounted hours to build the cabinets. We can
now buy ready-made speakers of similar performance for less than $500
i.e. half the price in PPP.

Well, at least most of the music they listen to wouldn't profit any from
better sound
reproduction.


Yes: the hi-fi listening community was definitely focussed 1920-70 on
classical
music, extending at the edges to jazz, but practically excluding current pop
music.
But official as well as private tastes have changed. One local reference
point is
music for government -sponsored open-air ceremonies for Canada Day, July 1.
In the 1970s this meant military bands and children's choirs. Nowadays it
means
the most popular Youtube act the sponsors can afford to hire (adjusted for
multicultural
or ethnic representation.)

--
Don Phillipson
Carlsbad Springs
(Ottawa, Canada)




 




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