And that's a damn shame, isn't it?
I did my duty for 45 years in the service business, and yes, saw my fill of previous disgusting sloppy service by nut brains.
But I held fast to performing First Class work for my customers, gained my Five Star reputation, and am able to sleep every night, knowing I did my best.
The crews today are scarce indeed.
But the fact remains, vintage is the best choice.
However, society has been severely brainwashed into the "toss it and buy new" mentality.
As long as we find points to improve, should we not hold ourselves to better standards if that's what we want?
There's enough lousy audio systems in this world, IMO the users here on this forum is a significant voice for those that wish for improvement.
You don't exactly need "golden ears" to differentiate between a steady layer of white noise vs silence. Most people just don't know what to listen for, most are just oblivious to the problem because it's not something they think about.
IMO the biggest problem right now is the streaming services, people have largely stopped listening to music and just require a few podcasts discussing random topics to feel less lonely. Whatever music is played, it's more or less as background noise when excersising or doing house chores. Conscius choice is largely unused, and this is manifesting into the whole signal chain.
There were definitely some great receivers made during that time period, and it certainly had a great look to it (far better than most modern things), but prices on most of the better stuff have gotten insane. It's hard for me to justify spending $700 on a used receiver knowing that it needs a good 20 hours of work to be made reliable.
Lately my favorite solution is to build the preamplifier and then mate it with an older power amp. That way I can have a volume control that I like (and I'm picky about the "feel" of a volume pot) and whatever interesting supporting circuitry I like. Right now, that's discrete op-amps with Jensen output transformers.
I see a fair bit of interest in vintage gear, but I also see a lot of people (particularly in my age group) buying fairly costly headphones and Schiit headphone amps. IMO, companies like Schiit are aligning themselves well for things to come- their products aren't insanely expensive (or insanely large), they're styled quite tastefully, and their products are reasonably well-built. It's a lot easier to sell someone new on the idea of a $100 or $200 headphone amp, but it's pretty tough to sell someone on a $1500 power amp that weighs 60 pounds.
They cannot understand, their prophet convinced them they can listen to the music by the AP plots.
The prophet who used a Mark Levinson 360S DAC for 21 years and in the end he realized, thanks to his fantastic AP tool, it is worse than the MEIZU dongle.
They don't care about listening to music, they are merely obsessed by the measurements, which are perfectly useless since they are the same as in the 70s.
That sort of stuff is fine, but high noise is what I would consider pathalogical (other than those odd people who stick their ears into 100dB/W horns on idle and complain about the slightest noise). It's been possible to build a system with lower noise than the recording microphone for a long time.
But taking a 20ppm power amplifier and reducing it to 10ppm is, to any sane mind just an exercise is doing it for fun as hobbies are about spending money pointlessly.
Sorry in advance for writing an editorial here, but this is a subject that bubbles up in my head a lot.
I don't think its terribly useful, and probably not possible, to define high fidelity since it has never been a term stemming from a clearly definable criteria.
Today, to the average person not already into hifi, i think it suggests exclusivity through price and the often unwelcoming hifi shops.
I personally believe it will behoove the entire community and industry around "hi fi" to acknowledge the incarnations that audio equipment exists in today, and seek ways to incorporate our wishes and interests and abilities to bring in fresh blood and expand the awareness of what high quality audio can do. I don't mean we should all sell our gear and buy bluetooth speakers, but we should at least consider that riding the wave might bring us to interesting places.
I have friends who are musicians and music lovers, who have no idea what hi fi is or can offer. Giant, "masculine" room filling gear with price tags that take your breath away is not going to create converts. The almost complete absence of women is not going to grow the industry. Salesmen informing shoppers that they sell nothing under 5k will not bring in young people, or most people in general. If we cant get the people who devote their lives to making music to explore hifi....
I have pretty strong feelings about the negative experiences i have had in hifi shops since I first wondered into one at 19 years of age and had my epiphany. The condescension and indifference i've encountered are incredible, especially considering that, while i may not look like i can afford the products on sale there, i can, if i choose to make it a priority. Thankfully there are many shops i've been in that aren't like this.
I think this stems from the fact that hifi is, for many, about exclusivity. Expecting a 19 year old to appreciate hifi that is exclusive, either by the guardian at the gates of the hifi shops, or by cost, is like expecting them to appreciate the road feel and engine notes of a 500k sports car.
I think hifi needs to open up and continue to embrace the staggering technology developments of the last few decades. For example, look at the world of guitars, with DSP, solid state memory, powerful processing, and flexible connectivity. People were lamenting the end of guitars and suddenly the industry sells more guitars then in any other single year in it's history.
What should hifi mean in the future?
I'd like to see more devices that use wireless, DSP, class d or similar (ie, cheap, powerful, and clear) and high value drivers. Omni and dipole form factors. Desktop optimized listening. Hifi needs to get out of its temples and away from exclusivity to broaden out to new markets. WOMEN and YOUNG PEOPLE!
While I am one, we cant allow this to be the preserve of white middle aged men and think there will be hifi around when we are white old men. Thats just not the way demographics are going.
I also believe that diy and maker spaces open tremendous opportunities. Until covid i ran a kids maker space. One project was a paper plate speaker made with a paper plate, a coil, and a magnet. Even to me it was uncanny to hear clear music coming from a pizza slice plate, but some of the kids who did this project clearly had their minds blown.
For many of us, the gateway to hi end audio was hearing something in a hifi shop. For me it was $30k magnapans, audio research and oracle, but that shop was not easy and i just got lucky. I was probably indulged because i was buying my first, entry level audio system at the time. Those of us who are so inclined need to get out there and create accessibility by allowing people who are not going to enter hi end shops to experience the gateway drug. My hairs stand on end when i think of things like ampcamp, or this site here. I think we have an enormous debt of gratitude to the luminaries like nelson pass or linkwitz, among many others, who have opened portals into this awesome hobby.
I don't think its terribly useful, and probably not possible, to define high fidelity since it has never been a term stemming from a clearly definable criteria.
Today, to the average person not already into hifi, i think it suggests exclusivity through price and the often unwelcoming hifi shops.
I personally believe it will behoove the entire community and industry around "hi fi" to acknowledge the incarnations that audio equipment exists in today, and seek ways to incorporate our wishes and interests and abilities to bring in fresh blood and expand the awareness of what high quality audio can do. I don't mean we should all sell our gear and buy bluetooth speakers, but we should at least consider that riding the wave might bring us to interesting places.
I have friends who are musicians and music lovers, who have no idea what hi fi is or can offer. Giant, "masculine" room filling gear with price tags that take your breath away is not going to create converts. The almost complete absence of women is not going to grow the industry. Salesmen informing shoppers that they sell nothing under 5k will not bring in young people, or most people in general. If we cant get the people who devote their lives to making music to explore hifi....
I have pretty strong feelings about the negative experiences i have had in hifi shops since I first wondered into one at 19 years of age and had my epiphany. The condescension and indifference i've encountered are incredible, especially considering that, while i may not look like i can afford the products on sale there, i can, if i choose to make it a priority. Thankfully there are many shops i've been in that aren't like this.
I think this stems from the fact that hifi is, for many, about exclusivity. Expecting a 19 year old to appreciate hifi that is exclusive, either by the guardian at the gates of the hifi shops, or by cost, is like expecting them to appreciate the road feel and engine notes of a 500k sports car.
I think hifi needs to open up and continue to embrace the staggering technology developments of the last few decades. For example, look at the world of guitars, with DSP, solid state memory, powerful processing, and flexible connectivity. People were lamenting the end of guitars and suddenly the industry sells more guitars then in any other single year in it's history.
What should hifi mean in the future?
I'd like to see more devices that use wireless, DSP, class d or similar (ie, cheap, powerful, and clear) and high value drivers. Omni and dipole form factors. Desktop optimized listening. Hifi needs to get out of its temples and away from exclusivity to broaden out to new markets. WOMEN and YOUNG PEOPLE!
While I am one, we cant allow this to be the preserve of white middle aged men and think there will be hifi around when we are white old men. Thats just not the way demographics are going.
I also believe that diy and maker spaces open tremendous opportunities. Until covid i ran a kids maker space. One project was a paper plate speaker made with a paper plate, a coil, and a magnet. Even to me it was uncanny to hear clear music coming from a pizza slice plate, but some of the kids who did this project clearly had their minds blown.
For many of us, the gateway to hi end audio was hearing something in a hifi shop. For me it was $30k magnapans, audio research and oracle, but that shop was not easy and i just got lucky. I was probably indulged because i was buying my first, entry level audio system at the time. Those of us who are so inclined need to get out there and create accessibility by allowing people who are not going to enter hi end shops to experience the gateway drug. My hairs stand on end when i think of things like ampcamp, or this site here. I think we have an enormous debt of gratitude to the luminaries like nelson pass or linkwitz, among many others, who have opened portals into this awesome hobby.
Definition of hi-fi / high fidelity in sound reproducing system is available upon online search. It is clearly defined. Also, the level of fidelity is easy (for those with basic understanding of audio electronics) to figure out for preamp, amp and cables by comparing input vs output.
I cant see HiFI being defined. And by all means, don't mix it up with "good sound" or even accurate sound. Yes, I disagree with your statement.
Is it this?
You search it and publish here the *clear* definition! Is it DIN? Why is it interesting for you to campaign the notion that it is defined?
//
Is it this?
You search it and publish here the *clear* definition! Is it DIN? Why is it interesting for you to campaign the notion that it is defined?
//
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The first link you posted before editing, showed High Fidelity | Definition of High Fidelity by Merriam-Webster and High fidelity - Wikipedia as results.
Whatever hifi stands for or is defined in dictionaries is irrelevant to this thread. IMO best definition is in DIN45500 standard from 1966 or contemporary IEC 61305
"Normal people" might know the dictionary definition or not, but in common phrasing it has wide variety of meanings. Über expensive millionaire devices might be most common association nowdays, thanks to many web sites and magazines focusing on that kind of gadgets.
But for a bit older and long-time enthusiast diy-capable person (like me) it means aiming for best possible sound and knowing means and restraints in achieveing that goal. More like an attitude, objective or dogma than specific gadgets.
I have some "hifi" friends who are nitpicker type freaks searching those last sub -120db noise level etc. and buying new stuff all the time - and never being happy. I just don't understand that and I can't even really discuss with them, because my dogma is so different.
I have 40+ years of hifi history and diy loudspeakers. I can't design or tune electronics, so I try to find best value low-mid price source and amps. I strongly believe that loudspeakers and room make 99% of hifi sound. Even more, if you don't make stupid mistakes with sources and amps.
For example my latest "project" was bedroom stereo system which has 350€ Yamaha WXC-50 as "source" (Spotify/Wifi, laptop/BT and optical/TV) which is quite adequate hifi IMO. Yammy feeds 3-way speakers which have Hypex FA123 boards (dsp-xo and Ncore amps). Speakers are originally 20 years old, weigh 80kg/piece, made of stone sheets, have now double 8" SS woofers sealed, Audax mid and SBA tweeter. Only problem is that speakers must be in the narrow end corners and I'm laying on bed in the other end 5m away, so stereo imaging doesn't work at all. I have now three different systems of which this is the only one not capable of multichannel. All systems sound and measure good hifi, but very different despite all using dsp to make measured response almost similar (excluding modes and factual reflections and room decay).
I have made 3-way speakers for my kids as well, and they like the hifi sound and the second-hand flea market sources and amps driving them -but they are not interested in hifi!
"Normal people" might know the dictionary definition or not, but in common phrasing it has wide variety of meanings. Über expensive millionaire devices might be most common association nowdays, thanks to many web sites and magazines focusing on that kind of gadgets.
But for a bit older and long-time enthusiast diy-capable person (like me) it means aiming for best possible sound and knowing means and restraints in achieveing that goal. More like an attitude, objective or dogma than specific gadgets.
I have some "hifi" friends who are nitpicker type freaks searching those last sub -120db noise level etc. and buying new stuff all the time - and never being happy. I just don't understand that and I can't even really discuss with them, because my dogma is so different.
I have 40+ years of hifi history and diy loudspeakers. I can't design or tune electronics, so I try to find best value low-mid price source and amps. I strongly believe that loudspeakers and room make 99% of hifi sound. Even more, if you don't make stupid mistakes with sources and amps.
For example my latest "project" was bedroom stereo system which has 350€ Yamaha WXC-50 as "source" (Spotify/Wifi, laptop/BT and optical/TV) which is quite adequate hifi IMO. Yammy feeds 3-way speakers which have Hypex FA123 boards (dsp-xo and Ncore amps). Speakers are originally 20 years old, weigh 80kg/piece, made of stone sheets, have now double 8" SS woofers sealed, Audax mid and SBA tweeter. Only problem is that speakers must be in the narrow end corners and I'm laying on bed in the other end 5m away, so stereo imaging doesn't work at all. I have now three different systems of which this is the only one not capable of multichannel. All systems sound and measure good hifi, but very different despite all using dsp to make measured response almost similar (excluding modes and factual reflections and room decay).
I have made 3-way speakers for my kids as well, and they like the hifi sound and the second-hand flea market sources and amps driving them -but they are not interested in hifi!
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Ok. That input vs output thing makes sense, except that there are countless instances of esteemed “hifi” products that don’t adhere to that definition. Many who participate in these sorts of forums talk about solid state amplifiers with incredibly low distortion that are still unbearable to listen to. Many hi end amplifiers use tubes which introduce distortion and yet are considered to be at the top of hifi. The Harmon curve is not flat, and so alters the signal from the input. A great deal of fascinating development discussed in these forums is about controlling sound waves after output to deal with the influence of the room. This would suggest that perception and not linearity at the output is a critical aspect of “hifi” today.
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