Why did the golden age of SS equipment end so quickly? (analysis please)

domino4001

domino4001

domino4001
This topic surely has been discussed before, but I couldn't find it with a search so here goes again....

Why did audio equipment decline in quality so fast in the early 80's? What was going on at that time that caused it?

In the late 70's, Kenwood, for example, was building great integrated amplifiers and receivers, within 5 or 6 years, they were putting out BPC.

Was it the dawn of the cd age that "convinced" people that now that "perfect" audio reproduction was here, they didn't need expensive gear anymore?

What killed the golden age of hi-fi???
 
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* The economy (recession, high inflation rates, unfavorable exchange rate)
* Technology (new materials and manufacturing philosophies, LSI circuits, digital)
* Target audience grew up, got married, had kids
 
The desire to maximize profit at the expense of evrything else. It's the "human" way.
 
Besides everything that MH talked about there was a huge paradigm shift in the buying logic. It seemed to go from a quality first to a cost first market. Even government contracts shifted from mostly cost plus to low bidder. If you've ever worked at a large government power facility you can tell what era it was built in by looking at the quality of the equipment. I worked at a dam where 14 generators were built on a cost plus contract in the 50's and 8 were installed in the 70's by the low bidder. The difference is apparent when you start comparing the number of major repairs between the the equipment from two different time periods.
 
I might throw in that the 80s was the start of micro-computers becoming available to the technical hobbyists. There was now a new interest competing for the same discretionary money.


Lefty
 
The Japanese embraced technology for technology's sake, and convinced Americans that this was good. Every manufacturer knew tubes sounded better, but the switch was made to transistors. ICs didn't sound as good as transistors, and the waves of change rippled through the industry.
The decline of the "serious hobbyist" who actually listened before buying made it easier for stores to sell stacks rather than sound.
 
Lefty hit the nail on the head :)!!! right on the money! i worked in audio back then and we had to share the pie (luxury dollar) with a new player! we were left with the crumbs!!! it wasn't just cameras vs audio gear anymore :(!
 
Lefty said:
I might throw in that the 80s was the start of micro-computers becoming available to the technical hobbyists. There was now a new interest competing for the same discretionary money.


Lefty
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Interesting observation, although I always thought serious audiophiles and computer geeks were separate crowds....

I never owned a computer until 1999. :D The computers that were available in the early 80's were not all that fun, IIRC..., unless you got your kicks trying to program in BASIC, lol.
 
Personally I'm not convinced that the "golden era" was all that golden. Take a look at McIntosh. Many believe that Mc is making some of the best sounding amps now. I've gone back to listen to many "vintage" components and find them to be very good, but not in the same league as the higher end stuff of today. IMO. :smoke:
 
wineslob said:
Personally I'm not convinced that the "golden era" was all that golden. Take a look at McIntosh. Many believe that Mc is making some of the best sounding amps now. I've gone back to listen to many "vintage" components and find them to be very good, but not in the same league as the higher end stuff of today. IMO. :smoke:
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I must respectfully dissagree. We have three systems in our apartment; one built around a 1978-79 Realistic STA-2000D receiver, one around a Pioneer SA-8800 of the same vintage and one built around a Sony STR-DE135 receiver of 2003 vintage. The Sony can't compare with the warmth of the two vintage systems when subjected to an a-b-c comparison.
I originally bought the Sony because my wife was "afraid of all the buttons and switches and knobs" on the vintage systems, but once I finally showed her the side by side with my Pioneer stuff, she's overcome it. ;)
 
I bought my first microcomputer in 1983, and built my first (Heathkit H-89 2MHz Z-80A) when in grad school in 1980-81.
 
mhardy6647 said:
I bought my first microcomputer in 1983, and built my first (Heathkit H-89 2MHz Z-80A) when in grad school in 1980-81.
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Cool, I too built that same Heathkit computer, it was quite the bundle at a good price. Lost it in a break-in while we were on vacation but our house insurance was replacement value and was able to replace it with a Kaypro 10 that had a 10 meg hard drive! CPM ruled the day and I sure enjoyed the hobby until windows came around and made the software so damn complex. Now I use a computer as an applicance only.


Lefty
 
I think its the Wal-Mart menatality. Consumers no longer say "hey come listen to my quality gear" they say "Check out how cheap I got this!"
 
In March 1985 the Yen was 250 to one US $. By Jan 1989 it was 125. That pretty well doubles the cost of made in Japan gear for US consumers within 18 months - either make them cheaper or sell fewer of them .... you know the rest.

Couple this with increasing computer, VCR, and TV market (home theatre was just getting going), and the age of the StereO was coming to a close. :tears:
 
Bogframe said:
I originally bought the Sony because my wife was "afraid of all the buttons and switches and knobs" on the vintage systems, but once I finally showed her the side by side with my Pioneer stuff, she's overcome it. ;)
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If your wife looks like your avatar, Bogframe, I would buy her whatever she wanted! :yes:
 
Back in 1980 there was a store here in antwerp, where they had a beautifull rotel rx-1603. Nobody want this iron thing because it was 5 years old and the new black receivers with much leds were much more "cool". thats why they selled the rotel to my father for half of the price.

This is a world of SHOW and for the most people something qualitative is just not "cool" enough.
 
domino4001 said:
If your wife looks like your avatar, Bogframe, I would buy her whatever she wanted! :yes:
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Now now! AK has a Parts Swap board - but we don't have a part-NER swapping board. :lmao:
 
This is a world of SHOW and for the most people something qualitative is just not "cool" enough.
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I would have to agree with this.

Reminds me of the familiar IPod vs. Vintage Hi-Fi debate. I had with my young cousin who scoffed at my vinyl and boasted of his being able to "copy tons of MP3s" for nothing. He chose quantity over quality. And he can't lug my Onkyo on the train with him.

Most people associate "brand new" with better. Is it? A new Yankee Stadium will make big George more money, but don't tell me it will have the charm of the old joint.

I live near a great old Chinese restaurant. Its featured in Art Deco books for its decor and was the site of some secret meetings during the Cuban missle crisis. The food is great, the price right. And you can always get a table because the legions of hungry people are piling into the "brand new" places across the street while ignoring this gem. Its old. Why bother? Must be bad if its old.

So it goes...
 
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