Colin L
High-tech low-life
Vive le 1978 Pioneer receiver for $150, I say!
It has a microphone input. It really sings if you can sing.
Joe
That was my first amp!!
Has hifi REALLY improved over the last 20 yrs
- Thread starter Dayvan cowboy
- Start date
That was my first amp!!
Joe P
Memory Alpha incarnate | mod; Shatner number = 2
clownfish
It's all in the details
@FLORIAN35 - I think it important I share that have a relative who works for McLaren. Not just a friend, a relative! That definitely makes me a better driver than you. Another relative has a PhD so I think I know a little bit more than you! Another friend is a vicar. I'll leave it to you to work out what that means.
For everyone else, all the people and my descriptions of them are real. The rest is utter bol*%!s
Joe P
Memory Alpha incarnate | mod; Shatner number = 2
My mother served breakfast to William Shatner at the family restaurant before he was cast as Captain James T. Kirk.
(He had his waffles … with … extra … maple syrup in case you’re wondering.)
I think everyone here knows exactly what that means and the stature it confers upon those in the world of audiophilia so I shall say no more lest I appear immodest.
Joe
(He had his waffles … with … extra … maple syrup in case you’re wondering.)
I think everyone here knows exactly what that means and the stature it confers upon those in the world of audiophilia so I shall say no more lest I appear immodest.
Joe
naka
pfm Member
In just the last 20 years?
It is easy, in my opinion: no!
I have 20+ years components still performing as new and, of corse, modern components, and even in design I prefer the vintage stuff.
To me the hi-fi from the mid 90s to 2010 is the most advanced and interesting, and I even feel that we will see another “golden period” like that.
Many components were made built to last (especially those from Japan and the US) but unfortunately many brands are now gone, making many components without service.
That said, the only advances I can admit is regarding to speakers, where the R&D invested in materials and acoustics software resulted in more performing speakers for less cost.
My HiFi experince has improved since my children have all left home ;-) Still buying Vinyl and streaming via Qobuz is convenient. I abandoned CD and NAS system a while back.
Tony L
Administrator
It is an impossible question to answer conclusively as there are so many entirely contradictory answers, many of them being right. At the lower end of the market a smartphone and a nice pair of £150 headphones and a streaming subscription is a game-changer. Nothing like this existed when I was a kid and I’d have killed for it. Proper hi-fi quality for mass market consumption along with access to the entire history of music. Just no way to argue against that. An iPhone and headphones vs. a Dansette? Game over.
At the other end of the market I can’t help but compare what I hear at dealers or shows with my own systems, which have true vintage components, some actually older than I am. I seldom if ever hear anything I prefer, and if I do it tends to cost at least as much as a luxury car, often more. It is also hardly ever serviceable in any meaningful sense, i.e. doesn’t come with a schematic, has bespoke chips and displays etc. As such will be polluting landfill whilst the 40-65 year old kit I own just keeps on going as it is sensibly designed and sustainable. Why in hell would I swap?
As such my view is to mix and match by placing the best of modern digital technology into a tried, tested and serviceable classic audio context. Best of all worlds IMHO.
Alex S
carbon based lifeform
The best of modern digital is one I've been trying to get to grips with for some months. I am now confident when buying a dac. The Topping D70Pro Sabre, for example, is phenomenally transparent and purposeful.
Streaming is a whole other matter. The day before yesterday's Bluesound or Lumin is yesterday's Wii or Auralic, is today's Eversolo, is tomorrow's...? I have a fancy Pi in a box with psu but it is not user friendly. I have a Node but it doesn't sound great. Additionally, I'm not going down the Ethernet (switch) rabbit hole so it's a no to Innuos, Aurender et al.
Then there's the MQA dust to settle. I'm sticking with a MacBook Pro - it works and will work for a few years, I understand and can use the software which is regularly updated. The screen is great and it sounds fine to my ears.
Del monaco
Del Monaco
Still use the Squeezebox Touch into my own amplifier’s Sabre Dac. Can’t really see I can do much better unless I spend a lot of cash that I do not have.Very satisfying combo and I think the Touch is a very good transport, still.
nostromo
pfm Member
The biggest revolution/improvement in the last 60 years in hifi and much else imo has been the invention of digital. Nothing to wear out or deteriorate, no moving parts, instantly searchable and shareable. Far bigger and better access to any music.... etc..etc. For anyone here without a DAC... Get one!
The other one is remote controllers. Thinking about it... the rise of China and worldwide logistics too... Its the best time ever to be alive in.
The other one is remote controllers. Thinking about it... the rise of China and worldwide logistics too... Its the best time ever to be alive in.
x21
pfm Member
I would say yes. We can now have low noise switching power supplies with full regulation. Computer simulation and testing has helped with both circuit design and physical design such as speakers. If you go back 30 years you will find most small speakers to be rather anemic sounding compared to today's speakers.
Dirac? Many people who seem to have tried to use it go down a rabbit hole of dissatisfaction and dispair) and switch it off or return it for something without it.
Give me a good recording anyday, a sofa, a bookshelf with books and a thick pile rug instead of dirac. DAC chips, miniaturisation, SoC and other developments have improved.
Arcam only employ the cheapest software "engineers" as evident in their dreadful software which doesn't work, unfortunately they can't design this by listening to it like they and others have and still do with their products. Tell your measurement theory to the owner of Neat Acoustics, Rega etc who listen to their products...
Give me a good recording anyday, a sofa, a bookshelf with books and a thick pile rug instead of dirac. DAC chips, miniaturisation, SoC and other developments have improved.
Arcam only employ the cheapest software "engineers" as evident in their dreadful software which doesn't work, unfortunately they can't design this by listening to it like they and others have and still do with their products. Tell your measurement theory to the owner of Neat Acoustics, Rega etc who listen to their products...
narabdela
who?
A sweeping statement if ever there was one.
Speaking personally and my Hi Fi journey over the years since I was given a used GL75 as a present by a friend of my dad's in 1976...
My two 'big jumps' were getting a Naim 202/200 system in 2006 and then replacing the then Naim 252/300 multi box system with a Devialet 250 in 2015. The Devialet sounded better, was much easier to maintain, smaller and extremely configurable without having to add 'expensive stuff' every time there was a small change. It has been through two Mac minis, Ethernet (AIR), streaming box (Moon Mind), and USB/Audirvana digital inputs, two CD players (now gone) and two turntables, but its the constant in the system.
My two 'big jumps' were getting a Naim 202/200 system in 2006 and then replacing the then Naim 252/300 multi box system with a Devialet 250 in 2015. The Devialet sounded better, was much easier to maintain, smaller and extremely configurable without having to add 'expensive stuff' every time there was a small change. It has been through two Mac minis, Ethernet (AIR), streaming box (Moon Mind), and USB/Audirvana digital inputs, two CD players (now gone) and two turntables, but its the constant in the system.
camverton
pfm Member
Had long did you use Dirac for and with what speakers and room? When you say “many” what percentage of those who have tried it does this represent?
Like everything else Dirac won’t work for everyone, every hifi, or every room. Dirac, and its alternatives, has been a real advance in hifi allowing people to use the speaker they choose in the room they have, without making it look like a recording studio. As a way of ameliorating room nodes it is way more powerful than using rugs or bookcases, although it doesn’t hurt to do both and, of course, using small speakers with little real bass output won’t need so much attention. Interestingly, Dirac isn’t just about correcting for room nodes but improving the impulse response with resulting better definition and image stability. If using full range, a lot of care has to be taken with measurement positions and FR curve. That’s not so much a rabbit hole as learning how to use a powerful tool to best effect.
Roog
pfm Member
I would say definitely.
I believe todays electronics is a significant improvement over the best that was on offer from the early solid state amplifiers such as the Sugden, Leak, Marantz etc. How much 'the amplifier' will improve, (or needs to improve for that matter), beyond its current position is to my mind in question, however, the facilities on offer will continue to improve, with stuff like digital room correction reaching maturity with greater acceptance as most of us cannot adequately treat our rooms whilst remaining in a marital relationship. (this of course may also apply to those who aren't married!)
I consider that speakers have improved massively since the first set in our household, 1970's AR's with their paper tweeters and lack luster bass performance and even well respected speakers of that time where often considered to be noticeably 'coloured'. The understanding and facilities available to speaker designers has improved considerably allowing the development of professional monitors offering exemplar performance. I have had three sets of speakers since the ARs and each step has given a noticeable improvement over the last.
Of course many like the imperfections, I get caught up by the 'air of nostalgia' of 1970's receivers and this can win over almost everything, so I completely understand why some might consider that new stuff isn't an improvement. Of course despite having a better understanding of the design process, cost cutting and high manufacturing/marketing costs may mean that some of todays products are not where they should be in the pecking order.
I believe todays electronics is a significant improvement over the best that was on offer from the early solid state amplifiers such as the Sugden, Leak, Marantz etc. How much 'the amplifier' will improve, (or needs to improve for that matter), beyond its current position is to my mind in question, however, the facilities on offer will continue to improve, with stuff like digital room correction reaching maturity with greater acceptance as most of us cannot adequately treat our rooms whilst remaining in a marital relationship. (this of course may also apply to those who aren't married!)
I consider that speakers have improved massively since the first set in our household, 1970's AR's with their paper tweeters and lack luster bass performance and even well respected speakers of that time where often considered to be noticeably 'coloured'. The understanding and facilities available to speaker designers has improved considerably allowing the development of professional monitors offering exemplar performance. I have had three sets of speakers since the ARs and each step has given a noticeable improvement over the last.
Of course many like the imperfections, I get caught up by the 'air of nostalgia' of 1970's receivers and this can win over almost everything, so I completely understand why some might consider that new stuff isn't an improvement. Of course despite having a better understanding of the design process, cost cutting and high manufacturing/marketing costs may mean that some of todays products are not where they should be in the pecking order.
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ampedup
Lost in audio
At some point, about ten years ago, I realized that 'higher-fi' wasn't doing it for me. I had embraced newer and better components, particularly amps and speakers (which were clearly 'better') but found myself working towards synergy rather than fidelity. I listen, however, to a lot of new pop, rock and contemporary orchestral music. The one very worthy modern component I retain is a Border Patrol DAC. Yesterday I had my Linn Kan IIs hooked up to Quad IIs and a Quad preamp and I've got to say, I can't remember music sounding so good....