If there's one thing I think that today's semiconductor supply chain issues and electronics waste and recycling issues has made clear, it's that cheap manufacturing and continuous obsolescence has a price. One of the benefits of DIY technology is that the technology can be made from widely available components and be built to be easily serviced while not including functionality that adds complexity and fragility for minimal additional benefit. There is generally a core functionality that should not be compromised by adding extraneous features that increases risk and cause perfectly good existing equipment to become obsolete.
Fundamentally, audio systems today serve a similar purpose as those of a century ago. Of course, there have been massive improvements, but I would argue that probably the vast majority of changes have provided a benefit not in proportion to the additional risks incurred to be able to manufacture and use the technology. Today's devices could be made much simpler, easier to manufacture and service, and still satisfy most needs.
Perhaps DIY audio could help offset this by providing solutions that are simple enough that they could be implemented by a skilled consumer. If a solution is simple enough to be built and used by an individual, it should be far more resilient to variations in supply and manufacturing methods than the very short lifetime and task very specific devices we now have.
The creation of needlessly complex and short lived devices, for example, the obsolescence of mobile phones every couple of years, is only going to make this problem worse in the future. Devices need to be maintainable and under the control of those who use them.
It's no coincidence that many are trying to restore old equipment, mostly because it can be restored is not waste once a unique part is no longer available. Why should this be the exception?
Fundamentally, audio systems today serve a similar purpose as those of a century ago. Of course, there have been massive improvements, but I would argue that probably the vast majority of changes have provided a benefit not in proportion to the additional risks incurred to be able to manufacture and use the technology. Today's devices could be made much simpler, easier to manufacture and service, and still satisfy most needs.
Perhaps DIY audio could help offset this by providing solutions that are simple enough that they could be implemented by a skilled consumer. If a solution is simple enough to be built and used by an individual, it should be far more resilient to variations in supply and manufacturing methods than the very short lifetime and task very specific devices we now have.
The creation of needlessly complex and short lived devices, for example, the obsolescence of mobile phones every couple of years, is only going to make this problem worse in the future. Devices need to be maintainable and under the control of those who use them.
It's no coincidence that many are trying to restore old equipment, mostly because it can be restored is not waste once a unique part is no longer available. Why should this be the exception?
"Skilled Consumer" is one in a million at best.
Why does audio become "obsolete?" My ancient Yamaha amp sounds just as good as it did decades ago. Only thing obsolete about it is that if they want to make a new one, the old parts are no longer around, and the manufacturing processes have evolved.
Oh, and the other thing that has evolved is the consumer. My receiver had a phono input, well two of them actually. And a tape deck input, and if I recall also an AUX input for whatever line source. Nowadays, no one uses phono. (No consumers, yes many of us old farts uses that still) And even tape is all but forgotten, but we do have audio feed from the computer, from the TV set, from CD/DVD players. COnsumers now want more inputs of different types. My trusty old Yamaha would not be a hot seller
Why does audio become "obsolete?" My ancient Yamaha amp sounds just as good as it did decades ago. Only thing obsolete about it is that if they want to make a new one, the old parts are no longer around, and the manufacturing processes have evolved.
Oh, and the other thing that has evolved is the consumer. My receiver had a phono input, well two of them actually. And a tape deck input, and if I recall also an AUX input for whatever line source. Nowadays, no one uses phono. (No consumers, yes many of us old farts uses that still) And even tape is all but forgotten, but we do have audio feed from the computer, from the TV set, from CD/DVD players. COnsumers now want more inputs of different types. My trusty old Yamaha would not be a hot seller
They used to say that about cars. Now they don't, for very good reasons.
I'm not sure that you really know what the typical consumer is like.
About the only reasonably successful such effort has been with bicycles.
And what good reasons might those be? And who is saying this? If Toyota is going to prevent me from fully owning my car, they should certainly be paying me for the thing. I paid for a car, I should be in control of it. I should be able to do with it as I please when it comes to use and maintenance both. Laws govern my use of it while on the road. If I I don't follow those, I am at fault. If the manufacturer and the car are the ones in control, why am I still stuck paying for insurance?
I can sympathize with profdc9's comments.
I like things simple, durable, relatively easy maintainable too.
And if needed, adaptable to the changing world's devices.
Yes, this old, yet still stunning piece in my dining room's got an set of "aux" inputs, connected to a Technics CD player hidden underneath on the floor.
Sounds fantastic and adds nice background for dinner parties, or if I choose, to rock the house and bother the neighbors.
I like things simple, durable, relatively easy maintainable too.
And if needed, adaptable to the changing world's devices.
Yes, this old, yet still stunning piece in my dining room's got an set of "aux" inputs, connected to a Technics CD player hidden underneath on the floor.
Sounds fantastic and adds nice background for dinner parties, or if I choose, to rock the house and bother the neighbors.
Attachments
There are mobile phones that are designed to be as sustainable as possible:
Fairphone | The phone that cares for people and planet
Fairphone | The phone that cares for people and planet
I think there's a lot going on here about control and ownership. One can buy a record, tape, or CD and use it as long as one possesses the media. But now media is so centralized that one subscribes to a service and if one doesn't pay for the service, one loses access to the audio content. Similarly, devices become so short-lived that one keeps to need buying new devices over and over again to continue to enjoy one's music. It's no secret that the technology and entertainment industries would rather be rent collectors than content producers. It's the same with software in that software is now subscription based and generally can not be purchased at all.
There's a whole generation of people who will grow up having everything on demand and will not even consider this problem until they no longer have access to the media or resources. But there are young people who want to learn and understand the technology they rely on for their daily lives, and I think DIY stuff like audio technology can help encourage them to learn about it. It's about whether or not individuals can be technologically self-reliant or dependent on whatever highly consolidated industries permit consumers to have.
I think DIY audio projects can be a way to promote technical literacy because, as well as producing useful devices that can be maintained and have longevity, there are many concepts in engineering needed to construct these devices. Furthermore, it is something that does not require overly exotic equipment to experiment with.
I am guessing most of the members of this forum are here because of their enthusiasm about audio, whether it is about technology itself or cherishing the traditional sound of various kinds of audio systems. But it also is a way to learn as well and perhaps promote technical literacy.
There's a whole generation of people who will grow up having everything on demand and will not even consider this problem until they no longer have access to the media or resources. But there are young people who want to learn and understand the technology they rely on for their daily lives, and I think DIY stuff like audio technology can help encourage them to learn about it. It's about whether or not individuals can be technologically self-reliant or dependent on whatever highly consolidated industries permit consumers to have.
I think DIY audio projects can be a way to promote technical literacy because, as well as producing useful devices that can be maintained and have longevity, there are many concepts in engineering needed to construct these devices. Furthermore, it is something that does not require overly exotic equipment to experiment with.
I am guessing most of the members of this forum are here because of their enthusiasm about audio, whether it is about technology itself or cherishing the traditional sound of various kinds of audio systems. But it also is a way to learn as well and perhaps promote technical literacy.
profdc9.....
Generally, people want to have a certain amount of control over their lives.
They look forward to enjoying their time on this planet, and focus on their happiness, along with patterning their worlds with the things they find of value, delight, and comfort.
Noting that everyone has different wants and desires, along with differing priorities, the list of "things" is endless.
Some people focus on foods, others reading, knowledge, and yes, some love their music.
Music is a comfort zone for many, but you already know this.
In today's bizzare world, the current choice of entertainment and how it's available is so widely spread, that it's become confusing to many, you almost need a course in dealing with it all.
People like me, like to keep things simple.
Others become entrenched in the maze of it all, fascinated, always "keeping current" with trends and devices.
And that's their life. (or lack of, in some cases).
You mentioned about durability, and the lurking possibility of extinction regarding devices.
Yeah, it's been part of life since its birth, evolution results in changes over time.
But when and how does a person decide to focus on real life and intelligently justify the urges to purchase of something new?
I got "off the bandwagon" a while ago, while others are still "hooked" to consumerism and its powers.
It's like a drug... it can rope you in and never let go.
In some ways, it can take away a substantial part of your freedom as well
To me, that's not a good thing, nor is it normal.
I find it's best to "keep a balanced mind" about it all.
Generally, people want to have a certain amount of control over their lives.
They look forward to enjoying their time on this planet, and focus on their happiness, along with patterning their worlds with the things they find of value, delight, and comfort.
Noting that everyone has different wants and desires, along with differing priorities, the list of "things" is endless.
Some people focus on foods, others reading, knowledge, and yes, some love their music.
Music is a comfort zone for many, but you already know this.
In today's bizzare world, the current choice of entertainment and how it's available is so widely spread, that it's become confusing to many, you almost need a course in dealing with it all.
People like me, like to keep things simple.
Others become entrenched in the maze of it all, fascinated, always "keeping current" with trends and devices.
And that's their life. (or lack of, in some cases).
You mentioned about durability, and the lurking possibility of extinction regarding devices.
Yeah, it's been part of life since its birth, evolution results in changes over time.
But when and how does a person decide to focus on real life and intelligently justify the urges to purchase of something new?
I got "off the bandwagon" a while ago, while others are still "hooked" to consumerism and its powers.
It's like a drug... it can rope you in and never let go.
In some ways, it can take away a substantial part of your freedom as well
To me, that's not a good thing, nor is it normal.
I find it's best to "keep a balanced mind" about it all.
Some of us old f*rts can and simply will “opt out” of al this money-draining subscription based crap to the extent possible. When today’s media content just doesn’t appeal to you much, you already have a massive record collection and a good home brew stereo that you can keep running for the next 30 years, what do you need to keep spending money on every year/month? Maybe the one “device” you use to access all your financials with - you keep updating that, but you keep running the old OS on everything else and to hell with what the hackers have access to. Give ‘em phony e-mail addresses and credit card numbers to keep ‘em occupied. Want to keep your “music machine” safe from possible corruption? It’s called an air gap. Use it, it works.
Now it’s a bit more slippery of a slope when EVERYTHING becomes internet based - cars, home appliances, maybe even your home itself. They are going to want to charge everyone every month for things you could traditionally PAY OFF and use till they die. When it comes down to paying an $8000 a year subscription fee just for the privilege of driving a car (in addition to the insurance, taxes, fuel and maintenance you already spend) you may see a lot more bicycles on the road. When it gets to the point of a washing machine saying “insert Bitcoin to continue” I”ll be washing clothes by hand. I already pay enough in extortion fees as it is.
Now it’s a bit more slippery of a slope when EVERYTHING becomes internet based - cars, home appliances, maybe even your home itself. They are going to want to charge everyone every month for things you could traditionally PAY OFF and use till they die. When it comes down to paying an $8000 a year subscription fee just for the privilege of driving a car (in addition to the insurance, taxes, fuel and maintenance you already spend) you may see a lot more bicycles on the road. When it gets to the point of a washing machine saying “insert Bitcoin to continue” I”ll be washing clothes by hand. I already pay enough in extortion fees as it is.
On my new Mercedes car, a few features of the internet-connected MBUX entertainement system are disabled by software because I haven't started the required paid subscription after the initial complimentary free period. They are reasonably priced, but I don't need them yet. It's a bit funny, because the system is behaving like a "free" smartphone app, nagging me about the missing subscriptions if I ever touch the disabled icon. Perfectly working hardware is sitting idle due to a software lock: wasteful, but it does make sense for the manufacturer. It enables a direct sale of the upgrade to the end customer with instant activation, no committement of scarce technical resources at the dealership, and predictable revenue stream. I guess that we will see more of this in the future: product feature-sets that aren't fixed, but rather subscription-dependent. At work I have been asked to put software locks on some features of the last-generation product, they may be used also to enable this kind of sales.
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Excellent post!
When you think about it all, it boils down to a system of "control" interlaced with manipulation.
I certainly don't want that in my life, unfortunately many are complacent, and "go along for the ride" due to the small and gradual changes over time brought on by "evolving technology".
Indeed, some of it is beneficial, even convenient, as wg_ski pointed out, like financial stuff such as online banking.
Yet, the attraction doesn't stop there, and seems to encompass every facet of our lives.
You have to look past "face value" at things, and use some common sense to judge if something is really worth getting involved with, and what, if any, consequences may arise down the road.
What makes things difficult is the forced submission brought on by big tech.
Again, a matter of control.
Can you buy a new car these days without one of those big screens in the dashboard?
Can any car be conveniently serviced as in the old days, in your driveway?.... by you?
No!...... because that freedom has been taken away from you, masked as a fabulous new way of living.
No need to get your hands dirty now, toss out the grease gun, the wrenches, and save gas by not going to the auto parts store for anything.
Seems like eventually, you won't need hands, feet, (or even a brain) anymore, or even a shopping trip to the supermarket, because your refrigerator notes what you used, and sends a shopping list for delivery automatically!
How convenient!
Or so you're "led" to believe.... led meaning controlled.
Remember when you actually had to get up from the sofa, and had to adjust the volume or change the channel on the tv set?
It wasn't a big deal back then, people did it without hesitation, it wasn't really annoying.
God forbid you need to sort through a nasty cluttered record collection and actually load up the record changer with your favorite Connie Francis songs.
Today all you need to do is tap a tiny screen.
Today, you're "connected" to that little cellphone screen for just about anything and everything, monitored, sent advertisments, and badgered by mysterious hackers - and big tech has the solutions, not you.
That's fine and has been done for a while now. The issue with connected devices and subscription-based sales is that features can be yanked off from you. This only works if customers are prevented from accessing the inner workings of the device, and this means that basically they don't own the device anymore. There should be a new word to describe the "purchase" of this type of devices, because surely the meaning is different of what we are accustomed of. See as example the currently hot debate about the right of repair. Corporations like Apple are almost outraged when someone wants to repair a device, because this will interfere with the planned lifecycle of the product. I fully expect the future implementation of some kind of lock to impede the reselling of the used product outside a controlled path.
On this background, DIY audio and vintage certainly are a guarantee of durability.
By the way: Steve Wozniak, Apple cofounder, is well known for "to the point" declarations. It said in 2013: "Nowadays in the digital world you can hardly own anything anymore, It’s all these subscriptions… and you’ve already agreed that every right in the world belongs to them and you’ve got no rights. And if you’ve put it on the cloud, you don’t own it. You’ve signed away all the rights to it. If it disappears, if they decide deliberately that they don’t like you and they cut that off, you’ve lost all the photographs of your life… When we grew up ownership was what made America different than Russia.”
And As I commented on previously, it's all about CONTROL, MANIPULATION.
Not just about rights, but a Freedom being taken away.
That is not possible for every device (how about unlocking 100 GHz or more) and i think it is just a marketing trick.
They did also with the Tasla models. You pay for a smaller battery but actually you get the full package but cannot use it unless you "upgrade". If not you will carry the full wheight of the battery with you all the time, very environment unfreindly i would say.
I agree that there should be more modular ways of producing so updates and upgrades can be made without needing to replace all.
Plus the companies should keep promises they make of optional future upgrades as now they just tell you that they will when you purchase a new product but never offer an upgrade for this same product anymay, "for that you will need to buy the latest model" and so on....
Could vary from anything between “My God, those speakers sound so GOOD. How did you ever get it to do THAT?”, to “why do you have speakers so big in your living room - I could never live with something that takes up so much floor space!”
Now to go to work on a 666 watt per channel amplifier…..
When I was young, back in 1972/1973, I worked a 2nd job in the evenings at a local electronics parts/audio salon, earning extra money in order to buy my first car.
We sold the currently available decent consumer level stuff, like Marantz, Dual, Garrard, BIC, Sansui, Teac, Pioneer, etc.
Along comes the "quadraphonic" stuff, 4 channel was a whole new venture in HIFI.
But it didn't really impress me, or my young ears, it seemed more like just another "gadget" for people to buy.
I sensed that this quad stuff, while not exciting me, would not last, besides, I had a nice 2-channel system at home that perfectly satisfied me.
Oh sure, some customers would come in, determined to get into "quad sound", but not many, compared to usual 2 channel stuff.
The customers that were curious, I showed them our offerings, but also told them that "really all you really need is a good 2-channel setup".
They often took my advice, and were pleased in the end, I suppose the demonstrations proved my point.
My thoughts on quad came true eventually, because it did turn into a "flash in the pan" and quad died off. - so I was right as far as the insight on it.
We also sold more mid-line stuff as well, a nice 35w/35w receiver with decent speakers often flew out the door - it was enough for the main stream crowds.
Those "monster" receivers and amps hardly moved, even when discounted on sale.
So the bottom line was - not everybody bought into the hype of the latest/greatest stuff.
And that's true, even today.
There is sensible, and then there is decadant - you settle into your own choice.