Are we the last 'Hifi' generation?

I’m perfectly satisfied running two Sonos Amps with Tannoy’s and ATC’s. The thought of spending more on a “top end Wi-Fi amp” has never crossed my mind. The Sonos Amp works so well with my main turntable system and configuration of my home that I see no alternatives that appeals to me.

 

I wish someone would tell the teenager next door that yoofs only listen on headphones now. Or maybe he just has open backed 'phones with unfeasibly deep, loud bass.

 

This is what people listen to these days. Why would you spend anything over what a cheap pair of bluetooth in-ears cost for that?

 

Ha ha, do you live in Tunbridge Wells by any chance? Why be disgusted by people with likely more money than us choosing to spend their money how they choose?

I suspect that the high end will always find a market. Often made by small companies able to ride out economic storms and not requiring vast numbers of sales to stay afloat. As to whether high end products are value for money depends on the depth of one’s pockets and how discerning one’s ears are. Fortunately for all of us there is a wide choice of hifi (as in music reproducers) at a wide range of prices. Long may that continue!

 

OK, I'm confused then. This is Spotify - without equal the most popular music streaming service (which has a free tier too) and the most listened songs from last month (current time looks very similar). That is worldwide. Does that not represent anything then?

 

I love the part of the video where the old man had to put on his glasses and squint to be able to read the fresh, new musicans' names.

 

My first house cost 12,000 quid. That year my annual pay cheque was £3000. 1/4 of the house cost.
Average UK home price today is about 275000 apparently. Average annual wage is 27,000, 1/10th of the house cost so i agree, we had it much much better. A simplification but valid in many ways.

 

I thought I'd do a bit of research and show you how all top 10s are shit through the ages - so I went (UK chart) to May 1973, 1983, 1993, 2003 and then gave up. Sadly, there are at least two good songs in each list. Here's 1983 for example:

- 1 Spandau Ballet True
2 New Edition Candy Girl
3 Heaven 17 Temptation
4 Beat Can't Get Used To Losing You
5 Galaxy featuring Phil Fearon Dancing Tight
6 Wham! Bad Boys
7 Fun Boy Three Our Lips Are Sealed
8 Human League (Keep Feeling) Fascination
9 Hot Chocolate What Kinda Boy You Looking For (Girl)
10 Tears For Fears Pale Shelter

 

Hang on, what's not to like in May 1983. Even May 1973 isn't all bad:

1 Dawn featuring Tony Orlando Tie A Yellow Ribbon Round The Old Oak Tree
2 Wizzard See My Baby Jive
3 Sweet Hell Raiser
4 Gary Glitter Hello Hello I'm Back Again
5 Perry Como And I Love You So
6 Roger Daltrey Giving It All Away
7 David Bowie Drive-In Saturday
8 Hot Chocolate Brother Louie
9 Wings My Love
10 Alice Cooper No More Mr Nice Guy

Probably not the done thing to be a Gary Glitter fan but he was big for me when I was 10, metaphorically speaking. And Hot Chocolate made it a decade apart.

 

Nah. Rosalia is great : )

 

Let's face it if PFM got sucked through a time warp and popped out in 1963 half the posters would be moaning about what a racket this new fangled rock & roll music is and how these these funny new microgroove records aren't a patch on their trusty 78s...

 

Rosalia looks great (haven't heard of her before) but that track stinks (sorry).

Billie Eilish is one current exception I can think of. Interesting to see where she goes from here.

The last high profile mainstream album I can think of that got treated to special care in its production was Random Access Memories and that's 10 years ago from a band that doesn't exist anymore. At least we still have Peter Gabriel mucking about ever so slowly.

 

My kids live in London: average house price £737,512; average deposit on a flat £115,759.

 

ouch.
Well if you must have london then you must pay?
Glasgow is 10 x nicer and 10 x less costly.

 

And 10 x colder : )

 

I know this is true. Can someone please start a thread on where to find this worthy new stuff and add suggestions of radio stations that promote it? For those of us whose lives don't allow a lot of time on youtooob etc.
I think it would help a lot.

 

Nah. About the same. maybe a degree of 3 max.
And
people talk to you!
Not a bad trade off for 1 extra thin wooly.

 

When I was in my teens in the 80's the stuff I listened to was MJ, Madonna, Prince, Peter Gabriel, Kate Bush, Tears for Fears, Genesis etc. For some much of this is "pap" but at least it was more or less well-produced (not the since remastered versions) and had dynamic range which meant it made sense to move the listening experience from the walkman or ghettoblaster over to the (modest) 2ch hifi system. For an uptick in listening pleasure.

Why would you persuade young'uns of today to get something better than their BT cans when the music they listen to is produced to sound "good" on such gear and will sound pretty bad on a proper stereo (due to heavy compression/wall of sound)?

Rambling here.