Do you think this hobby is dying ??

[DaveVoorhis]

As with much of what you have said in this thread, at least in my experience of living with a stereo in that time (1970 onwards), I have to more or less disagree. Perhaps because there was a lot of money floating around in my community but performance was important and people DID care how it sounded. Back then we just had 14 channels of shit, no computer, nothing but music, and we did listen to it, and it was a focal point to how we socialized with one another.

What maybe killed it was all the other distractions that came along in the 80s, Apples, the 80 x86's, the rise of cable, as well as a downturn in the economy in the mid 80's. No, stereo gear was more than a fashion statement in the 60's and 70's at least for most IMO. It was a large part of our social existence.

Interesting, and quite different from at least my childhood experience. Other than my parents -- both with a strong musical interest -- and one of my friends who had obtained access to an older brother's stereo (I don't recall whether the older brother had lost interest and given up his system, or had upgraded and passed down his old gear), in the 1970s where I grew up -- semi-rural Canada -- every house had a nice stereo but the majority were essentially unused except sometimes at holidays. It wasn't unusual for the speakers to normally be tucked out of sight behind the couch or even disconnected and put in storage, and only hooked up at Christmas to play "the Christmas record" or a dull and infrequent rotation of the same six or eight K-Tel records.

It wasn't until the early 1980s that I met others in university, my own age or older, who were as interested in audio as I was. Their experiences were similar to mine, and there was a certain delight that we'd finally found people interested in music. However, every one of us knew of some other social group like ourselves that was "into" music but that was too old -- or had such mismatched musical tastes that we didn't belong -- and I imagine there were other groups that viewed us the same way, but the majority of the population were disinterested. For them, the car radio seemed to be enough.

Perhaps you belonged to one of those musically-inclined social groups and didn't get to see the desert of musical interest that lay outside it.

 

[Alobar]

Po

Interesting, and quite different from at least my childhood experience. Other than my parents -- both with a strong musical interest -- and one of my friends who had obtained access to an older brother's stereo (I don't recall whether the older brother had lost interest and given up his system, or had upgraded and passed down his old gear), in the 1970s where I grew up -- semi-rural Canada -- every house had a nice stereo but the majority were essentially unused except sometimes at holidays. It wasn't unusual for the speakers to normally be tucked out of sight behind the couch or even disconnected and put in storage, and only hooked up at Christmas to play "the Christmas record" or a dull and infrequent rotation of the same six or eight K-Tel records.

It wasn't until the early 1980s that I met others in university, my own age or older, who were as interested in audio as I was. Their experiences were similar to mine, and there was a certain delight that we'd finally found people interested in music. However, every one of us knew of some other social group like ourselves that was "into" music but that was too old -- or had such mismatched musical tastes that we didn't belong -- and I imagine there were other groups that viewed us the same way, but the majority of the population were disinterested. For them, the car radio seemed to be enough.

Perhaps you belonged to one of those musically-inclined social groups and didn't get to see the desert of musical interest that lay outside it.

Possible, but I suspect I am a few years older as well and as mentioned in my previous post there were big changes happening starting in the early 80s that not only distracted us from music as the major entertainment source (other than the vast wasteland of TV) but possibly had the start in us becoming far more isolated and less social,at least in the physical close proxmation sense.

Once the internet became a social thing with the advent of bulletin boards etc, we became even more isolated from one another. Arguably for human beings having it's roots in social contact, tribes and such, it is unclear what this isolation is doing to us. The Audio experience in the home today is much different than it once was, but sq was sought after then as much as it is now.

I came of age at 16 or 17 in a time when there was a lot of money about due to a very large construction project going on and anyone who wanted in on it and was willing to participate could have themselves a nice system of their own. Of course many chose to to to college, but mostly my fairly large circle of friends worked right out of high school.

As for your opinion that sound quality didn't matter i can only offer this. We never really hung out together at a house with a cheap crappy stereo much. All the real social gatherings were at places with at least sonething that could play to some sort of undefined minimum. Those who didn't have good audio of their own usually went over to someone's place that did, or we all went out to the clubs if there was good music, and always with good sound being a sought after thing.

So yeah, sound did matter, at least to the ones I knew about. Car audio was in its infancy then but most people I knew brought the best, not because of status but for the sound.

 

[donprice]

I was visiting my niece over Christmas. She gave her son several LPs including a box set of something that I didn't recognize but "the vinyls" clearly appealed to a 19 year old college freshman. I asked him about his system and he said he had found the turntable at a yard sale. We were interrupted by dinner before we had the chance to discuss it further. No clue if he will devolve into an obsessed audio nut but the potential is there.

 

[SoCal Sam]

16 pages of posts. Hobby looks healthy to me.

 

[Quadman2]

POV's offered all have to some degree of validity to this topic.


Times change as do the tastes that people who are found in them. On a parallel note, I've found that the change in cars of vintage have changed as well as the people who drive and appreciate them.

Personally, I think the change started to take place more and more with TV taking over from the audio that was offered by radio. Society became more of a viewer rather than a listener. Before, one had to use their imagination to create the images but later, TV offered a visual offering, with the audio becoming secondary in importance. After all, it is the visual part of our sense system that we tend to favour over the rest in most cases.

Then the musical videos hit the scene, which was to further enhance the listening appreciation. Again, this became the accepted form for audio entertainment, with the appearance of the artist being as important or even more important to the success of that performer.

Again, as some have already pointed out, media and the taste for it changes as do the people taking part in it.

As for "dying"? Maybe not, just evolving as time plays upon the entertainment world and change takes place.

Q

 

[Todd Dodds]

Y'know what? I don't think any hobby ever dies (assuming it's legal). It may fall out of fashion and have fewer people interested in it, but it will still be pursued and practiced, even to the point of becoming a craft or art.

 

[Ken Boyd]

As crappy as it is, yes still around So is Muzak although the name has been retired you still are subjected to it every time you are put on hold or in a box store. There are a lot of services like streaming that will be around losing money and eventually filing bankruptcy and still will be streaming after in likelihood. It isn't going away neither is anything else. profits be damned.

Muzak got bought out by Mood Media.

We will know when the hobby is as strong as it was in the 60's when we start seeing tube testers at all the CVS's and Walgreens.

 

[Alobar]

Muzak got bought out by Mood Media

Yes after being bought and sold several times I believe, decades of business, surviving bankruptcy it is now owned by mood media and while the name Muzak is finally dropped, it still exists. It can't be killed because there are a great many out there that believe we will go mad or something without crappy music being played constantly through our Dept stores speakers and on hold telephone calls.

 

[50nstillhifi]

Recently.. and over the holiday, I attended a college basketball game. I have not been in the environment of a basketball colliseum for a while. I was quite impressed, and overwhelmed for that matter, by the sound system. Dynamic, impacting, full, and loud!

During the quarter "timeouts", the boosters and cheerleaders would run out onto the floor and perform their routines to the music played. Most if not all of the entertainment was quite good, Gazing over at two gentlemen standing up at just above court level.. I thought.. NO.. did I see two turntables and were they "mixing"... ?

I'm sure it was just a retired deejay's hallucination?

But it sounded damn good!

It did evolve... ((( Excellent )))

 

[barrakkuda]

The only decent audio shop we have is fun to go visit because it's such a throwback to the 1970's. The first thing you get hit with is the smell of stale cigarette smoke deeply embedded in the carpeting. Then the fresh cigarette smoke hits you. Then you see a guy that stepped straight out of central casting for every 70's "skinny dirtbag" role.. he could be a hippy or a low level drug dealer and then you see the equipment. It covers every available inch of the labyrinthine store. So much fun.

EDIT... South Florida audiophiles get a dollar if they can name it.

WHERE is this audio shop in South Florida you speak of?? I want to go!

 

[MannyE]

WHERE is this audio shop in South Florida you speak of?? I wan to go!

Hollywood Sound in Hollywood, FL.

 

[gatorbait]

Hey everyone, new to the forum, was looking for help with a JVC receiver our kid has, when I spotted this forum. Yes old school is alive, it is doing well and being born everyday, Seems us 60-70's kids have grown up a bit and taught our kids the way they boot music is dull, bland and doesn't have the tricks (equalizers) and the purity of vinyl, When I finally got our daughter (13) a used rack system for her own, the next thing she asked for was a turntable, from there it's become auctions looking for vinyl rock, classics and minor pop. I am proud of her tastes, she hears the same quality I did in original pressings and the sound is her own. So ask me, is this art dying? Absolutely not, enjoy it yours red

 

[jcamero]

Visited a local used record store Saturday. A couple of mid-40's women came in, and picked out a couple of albums. I overheard one of them say, "I just got my record player out of storage, these albums bring up great memories, I'll be back". I guess it's how you look at the hobby as a whole.

 

[Rockon1]

Hi everyone,

Every single day, I see less and less Hi-Fi stores and equipment. At least, in Miami, where I live, most of the dedicated stores are closing. Hi-Fi equipment manufacturers are presenting less lines, less models, and many of them are switching to commercial electronic or other branches. I don't see young guys interested in Hi-Fi. I see them completely toward to Ipads, Iphones, Wireless Headphones, and storage chips.

For me, someone who has been enjoying Hi-Fi gear for more than 40 years, it is a sad thing.

What we love is about playing music using the best possible way, according to our possibilities. But, most of us can not negate we are equipment lovers, probably more than music lovers. I can not think of myself enjoying a record using a computer speaker set ,or listening to MP3 music, or from a memory stick.

What do you think about the future of this hobby ?? What are your predictions ??

Thanks

Hard to say. My son got me back into vinyl - he's 27. He's also a guitarist and into DAW recording like myself so theres a definite music connection/exposure. My 22 year old son has inherited my big floor standing Infinity speakers... its gotten passed along here I guess...Bob

 

[Tedrick]

I guess I'm pretty lucky. We have two thriving brick-and-mortar audio stores here, both of which have been in business for 30+ years. Both shops have had to evolve over the years to include home theater, custom installs, and full home automation, but both still heavily feature two-channel audio systems on their sales floors.

 

[Rob41]

I haven't stepped foot in a brick and morter store in more than 30 years. I live in a rural area and there's no audio stores for hours I'm sure. Hell, In person, I've met 1 other enthusiast in 30 years and that was in Iceland a couple years ago. I know enthusiast exist only because I see gear sell at places like ebay and Parts Express. That and of course I visit various audio forums like Audiokarma.

 

[awillia6]

I guess I'm pretty lucky. We have two thriving brick-and-mortar audio stores here, both of which have been in business for 30+ years. Both shops have had to evolve over the years to include home theater, custom installs, and full home automation, but both still heavily feature two-channel audio systems on their sales floors.

If you don't mind my asking, what do you see as the future prospects for home automation/audio/entertainment hybrids such as Crestron, Control4, SpeakerCraft/Niles, etc. make products to implement? As audio and entertainment goes increasingly personal, do these "communal" systems even have a future in the home, or will they be relegated to commercial installations only?

 

[oldflame]

Compared to back-when-I-was-a-boy ... The explosion in the quantity of different, and good equipment brands, with almost too many choices, and the amount of new gadgets, googaws, cables, and audio snake oil, just blows my little mind. For all these manufacturers to stay in business, I'm guessing that our hobby has grown outside of the USA.

 

[Fairlane]

Just this past Saturday I put in a beautiful SX-838 that I worked on including all new LED's at a charity silent auction for a group my wife is involved with.

Got four bids and it was eventually sold to a middle aged women and her partner. They were so happy they were going to be able to use it with there old record player and iPad at the same time. Made me feel good it was going to a great home.

Many people came by to spin the knobs and listen to it. My Minimus 7 clones worked great for demoing too. Lots of memory stories from people and what they had as youngsters. Favorite comment from an old gentlemen in a walker was, "You can't buy those anymore". (Unless you know where to look)

Think hobby is alive and well.

 

[Tedrick]

If you don't mind my asking, what do you see as the future prospects for home automation/audio/entertainment hybrids such as Crestron, Control4, SpeakerCraft/Niles, etc. make products to implement? As audio and entertainment goes increasingly personal, do these "communal" systems even have a future in the home, or will they be relegated to commercial installations only?

I don't have a lot of insight on this, but it seems to me that traditionally most of the whole home audio/automation systems were being installed in the homes of the well-to-do. Since my community is supporting two stores that specialize in this niche market and have been for a long time, I don't think it's going away any time soon. In addition, it seems to me that home automation is slowly becoming more affordable and thus available to more households. Also, the continued spread of smart phones has made it more accessible and easier to use.