Re-birth of hifi for the masses?

[David Matz]

High end is pretty much dead for the masses. It used to fashionable, but no more. Better sound may be having a comeback, however, thanks to China.

2 recent products come to mind:

- Microlab md332 ipod clock radio with Dynaudio engineering and design

microlabav.com - $119 on amazon


good review here:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/busin...half-microlab-20100415,0,1775205.story?page=2



- Little dot mk3 tubed headphone amp

Enthusuastically reviewed in stereophile by Tellig this month, but raved about on headfi.org for the last few years. It's a tube amp for $199 + shipping! $199 is big bucks for an average person, but it's a like buying a pack of gum for an "audiophile".

The sound is supposed to be amazing. I may pick this up later this year.

 

[sleepysurf]

The Squeezebox Touch really has the potential to bring high-end sound to the "masses". My only fear is the "masses" will continue listening to MP3 cr*p, instead of the lossless 14/44 and 24/96 tracks it can handle. Time will tell.

 

[David Matz]

The Squeezebox Touch really has the potential to bring high-end sound to the "masses". My only fear is the "masses" will continue listening to MP3 cr*p, instead of the lossless 14/44 and 24/96 tracks it can handle. Time will tell.

You may be right, and I will not be holding my breath. But the silver lining behind the digital revolution is that with increasing download rates and cheaper storage one can easily download and store those larger files. Also, the record companies will take any revenues they can get, so there will be some impetus to release good sounding music.

If one can easily demonstrate the difference between an mp3 and a 96/24 file, there will be some people who will really appreciate it. Most no, some definitely yes.

 

[asindc]

You may be right, and I will not be holding my breath. But the silver lining behind the digital revolution is that with increasing download rates and cheaper storage one can easily download and store those larger files. Also, the record companies will take any revenues they can get, so there will be some impetus to release good sounding music.

If one can easily demonstrate the difference between an mp3 and a 96/24 file, there will be some people who will really appreciate it. Most no, some definitely yes.

I understand what you are saying, but I believe that would be a departure from their current practices, for the most part.

 

[JMAUSGP]

I am still waiting for the current generation to pick thier pants up off the ground.

With your pants on the ground you can't run from the police like we did when I was young.

Also makes tripping on your headphone cable too easy, not to mention what kind of tracks you have out back.

 

[amey01]

There is no rebirth because high-end hi-fi never died. In fact, it is stronger than ever - even if the methods and distribution channels are a bit different these days.

Today we have more choice and more thriving high-end companies than EVER before. It's fantastic. Why does everyone always carry on about it being dead?

The iPod (primarily) has been responsible for a large part of it these days. It has got people back into music again. People are enjoying their music and listening to more of it than ever before.

And when people (the masses) are doing something, there will always be a sect that is "obsessed" and demands higher quality. That's us.

It's all good.

 

[User211]

- Little dot mk3 tubed headphone amp

Enthusuastically reviewed in stereophile by Tellig this month, but raved about on headfi.org for the last few years. It's a tube amp for $199 + shipping! $199 is big bucks for an average person, but it's a like buying a pack of gum for an "audiophile".

The sound is supposed to be amazing. I may pick this up later this year.

Yup - ebay is full of Chi-Fi. I've just started a thread on another forum to see what people think of the Chi-Fi they own.

As for headphone amps, I'm desperately trying NOT to buy a Woo Audio WA2 with all the upgrades... I'll get hammered for import tax, and the dollar exchange rate is abysmal at the mo.

Woo Audio WA2

 

[Rich]

Yup - ebay is full of Chi-Fi. I've just started a thread on another forum to see what people think of the Chi-Fi they own.

As for headphone amps, I'm desperately trying NOT to buy a Woo Audio WA2 with all the upgrades... I'll get hammered for import tax, and the dollar exchange rate is abysmal at the mo.

Woo Audio WA2

Oh, Justin. You so need to buy that amp and the accompanying Stax SR-007 MK2 headphones. :music: I auditioned that combo at RMAF and it was simply astonishing!

 

[User211]

Oh, Justin. You so need to buy that amp and the accompanying Stax SR-007 MK2 headphones. :music: I auditioned that combo at RMAF and it was simply astonishing!

I really like the design of it, and it'd be a good preamp for the lounge system, too, I'm sure.

However, I'm just about to book a holiday - San Fran, LA and Hawaii later this year. Maybe I'll try and pick one up when I'm stateside.

 

[Satch]

"Chi-Fi"... that's too funny! That term has probably been around for a while, but I don't remember seeing it. Thanks for the early afternoon chuckle.

Ray

 

[tonepub]

There is no rebirth because high-end hi-fi never died. In fact, it is stronger than ever - even if the methods and distribution channels are a bit different these days.

Today we have more choice and more thriving high-end companies than EVER before. It's fantastic. Why does everyone always carry on about it being dead?

The iPod (primarily) has been responsible for a large part of it these days. It has got people back into music again. People are enjoying their music and listening to more of it than ever before.

And when people (the masses) are doing something, there will always be a sect that is "obsessed" and demands higher quality. That's us.

It's all good.

An excellent observation....

 

[David Matz]

Yup - ebay is full of Chi-Fi. I've just started a thread on another forum to see what people think of the Chi-Fi they own.

As for headphone amps, I'm desperately trying NOT to buy a Woo Audio WA2 with all the upgrades... I'll get hammered for import tax, and the dollar exchange rate is abysmal at the mo.

Woo Audio WA2

Thanks for the link, Justin. This may be another solution for my sound proofing problem! Isn't this stuff made in Queens, though? Amazing how little this costs compared to audio amps. Many people have paid more than that for an interconnect or a power cord.

Why wa2 and not wa6se? They cost almost the same.

 

[David Matz]

There is no rebirth because high-end hi-fi never died. In fact, it is stronger than ever - even if the methods and distribution channels are a bit different these days.

Today we have more choice and more thriving high-end companies than EVER before. It's fantastic. Why does everyone always carry on about it being dead?

The iPod (primarily) has been responsible for a large part of it these days. It has got people back into music again. People are enjoying their music and listening to more of it than ever before.

And when people (the masses) are doing something, there will always be a sect that is "obsessed" and demands higher quality. That's us.

It's all good.

Adam,

You may be right in terms of volume - no really knows who sells how much as these are all small private companies. You are most probably right in terms of $, with the proliferation of the uber priced products. However, when I talk to people who have been in this hobby in the 70's and 80's, they talk about an audio store on "every corner". From what I have read, audio was the third most popular hobby behind cars and watches for guys. Today older guys play a lot of video games.

Even now, you see these attemps to cross sell audio to rich car guys - naim and bentley, levinson and lexus, burmester and porche, b&w and jaguar, etc.

 

[David Matz]

I understand what you are saying, but I believe that would be a departure from their current practices, for the most part.

I am not holding any hope out for pop or rock, but I think that classical and jazz labels maybe up for it. However, I have been wrong many, many times before...

 

[amey01]

Adam,

You may be right in terms of volume - no really knows who sells how much as these are all small private companies. You are most probably right in terms of $, with the proliferation of the uber priced products. However, when I talk to people who have been in this hobby in the 70's and 80's, they talk about an audio store on "every corner". From what I have read, audio was the third most popular hobby behind cars and watches for guys. Today older guys play a lot of video games.

Even now, you see these attemps to cross sell audio to rich car guys - naim and bentley, levinson and lexus, burmester and porche, b&w and jaguar, etc.

Well, the internet speaks for the lack of an audio store on every corner.

Really, I think it's irrelevant. Correct me if I'm wrong, but the reason people get all uppity about the popularity of the hobby is because they're scared there won't be the customers to support a wide variety of equipment.

So I'm not looking at how many stores there are on street corners or how many $ sales there are. What I'm concerned about is that there is a variety of customers to support a active, dynamic and vibrant industry. And that there are.

Just look at one sect of the audio world - amplifiers. In the '60s it was Leak or Quad valve amps and that's about it. In the '70s it was big transistor amps. Things started to get a bit better through the '80s and '90s, but look at what we've got now.

Sure, we've still got the basic NAD and Cambridge Audio entry level stuff.
But then, if you want a retro valve amp, you've got it.
If you want a big transistor amp, you've got that too.
If you want a uber-high-end / high power transistor amp, there's Krell, Mark Levinson, Classé et al.
If you want a uber-high-end valve amp, there's ARC, C-J, VTL, et al.
If you want a flea-watt SET, well, you've got that too.
If you want a new-fangled Class-D amp, well there's Lyngdorf, TacT, BelCanto........
....and if you want a OTL, well, you guessed it - you've got that too.

Then there's a whole lot of budget and quaint / obscure stuff like Class-T, Class-G and valve amps built on Russian trawler valves.

There is so much out there - and so much competition to keep prices down in each and every one of these categories - we're really living the good life.

 

[tonepub]

Gotta agree, there are more great choices, new and used than ever.

 

[David Matz]

Oh, Justin. You so need to buy that amp and the accompanying Stax SR-007 MK2 headphones. :music: I auditioned that combo at RMAF and it was simply astonishing!

These guys are coming to CanJam next month and are bringing all of their amps. Rich, I remember you mentioning this as a best of show from RMAF. I look forward to hearing this combo!

 

[David Matz]

I understand what you are saying, but I believe that would be a departure from their current practices, for the most part.

It's starting to slowly trickle in...

"HDtracks.com just announced the addition of The Verve Music Group's legendary audiophile classic Getz/Gilberto to its growing online store, in 96kHz/24-bit sound....HDtracks.com welcomed The Verve Music Group in April, with albums from legendary jazz vocalists Billie Holiday and Diana Krall."

 

[asindc]

It's starting to slowly trickle in...

"HDtracks.com just announced the addition of The Verve Music Group's legendary audiophile classic Getz/Gilberto to its growing online store, in 96kHz/24-bit sound....HDtracks.com welcomed The Verve Music Group in April, with albums from legendary jazz vocalists Billie Holiday and Diana Krall."

That is indeed great news. I am quite familiar with HDTracks and other online music services that are dedicated to high quality music recordings. My assertion is that there are not nearly enough of them, especially with regard to popular music. The jazz lover in me understands that there are outlets geared towards me, but the popular music lover in me laments that the lowest common denominator for music recordings is generally promoted as the norm.