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Are soundbars and Bluetooth speakers killing hifi ?

PS: And @ times when I'm not in the mood for the PC > DAC > big speaks OR shooting music rays @ the Klipsch BT, I use a(nother) "playback" laptop that's strapped into a "computer speaker system", specifically, Klipsch ProMedia 2.1 THX (sub + two satellites) .... the "headphone jack", not BT, variant. This 'lil system KICKS IT, me hearties. (nb: Checked @ Klipsch Corporate Site and appears this model is now only available as BT ... who's have guessed?)

LINK: https://www.klipsch.com/products/promedia-2-1-bluetooth
 
Didn’t read through all 11 pages but I will say that convenience seems to trump quality in almost every aspect of daily lives. I have 7 Alexa speakers around the house and they are great for what they are but no substitute.

that being said I recently got back into a dedicated stereo after taking a 10 year break with kids. My whole family likes to listen to it and we take turns spinning hits. My son is a drummer and he likes that he can actually hear the nuances in the music.

Just like anything in life exposure is the key. Most kids now days have never been exposed to a good listening system.
 
Mystic said:
C'mon Tim, there really aren't too many re: music... just focus, man, focus.
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Well, I meant for, let's say, a teenager - they have Twitter, Youtube, Facebook, every tv show ever made at their fingertips. Maybe many simply aren't gravitating to music much at all? Only a theory.

Bassmantweed said:
Didn’t read through all 11 pages but I will say that convenience seems to trump quality in almost every aspect of daily lives. I have 7 Alexa speakers around the house and they are great for what they are but no substitute.

that being said I recently got back into a dedicated stereo after taking a 10 year break with kids. My whole family likes to listen to it and we take turns spinning hits. My son is a drummer and he likes that he can actually hear the nuances in the music.

Just like anything in life exposure is the key. Most kids now days have never been exposed to a good listening system.
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And this post sort of said it better. I have a buddy who is an inventor. I told him anything he creates must meet 2 criterion - it must be fairly cheap, and it MUST be convenient.
 
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onwardjames said:
Well, I meant for, let's say, a teenager - they have Twitter, Youtube, Facebook, every tv show ever made at their fingertips. Maybe many simply aren't gravitating to music much at all? Only a theory.
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Oh, t/w/eens ... sheesh Tim, I thought you were referring to yourself, lol.

In that case, a damned good theory that I'll second.
 
I kinda like bluetooth. I can stream Pandora and Tunein from my to iphone to my covered deck system, my nightstand radio and my travel radio. Critical listening isn't required. Convenience is. Oh, and to a cheapo bluetooth speaker for when I'm in the hospital.

As for soundbars, I'm pretty sure they meet the audio requirement of those that buy them. They might not be card carrying "audiophiles" but they know what they like, and need.
 
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the skipper said:
I can't really say anything about Pono or those that bought into it. I'm one of the dozen or so that bought into Microsoft's Zune.
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the skipper said:
I kinda like bluetooth. I can stream Pandora and Tunein from my to iphone to my covered desk system, my nightstand radio and my travel radio. Critical listening isn't required. Convenience is. Oh, and to a cheapo bluetooth speaker for when I'm in the hospital.

As for soundbars, I'm pretty sure they meet the audio requirement of those that buy them. They might not be card carrying "audiophiles" but they know what they like, and need.
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I love bluetooth! Stream to my earbuds when walking the dog or working in the yard...Stream in my car...stream to my audioconference unit (when I used to travel)...Stream to my noise cancelling headphones (when I used to travel). For background music or non-critical environments, it's really pretty decent. When I want to actually listen to the music, the transport medium ain't Bluetooth!
 
Semanon said:
I love bluetooth! Stream to my earbuds when walking the dog or working in the yard...Stream in my car...stream to my audioconference unit (when I used to travel)...Stream to my noise cancelling headphones (when I used to travel). For background music or non-critical environments, it's really pretty decent. When I want to actually listen to the music, the transport medium ain't Bluetooth!
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Oh yeah, I forgot. Bluetooth to my earbuds while doing chemo. How could I forget that???
 
I'm still using wired earbuds...one less thing to charge. I usually listen to podcasts or audio books off a Sansa Clip Jam. 8 gig of data the size of a matchbook ( if anybody remembers matchbooks ) .
 
I just picked up a mint set of Bose QC15 noise cancelers from FB Marketplace for $35. I added a purpose-built Bluetooth module for about $50. The QC15 takes single AAA cells, so unlike modern headphones and speakers they are not limited in life span by battery degradation. They’re excellent for the shows I watch and the podcasts I listen to.

Everything has its purpose. In many cases with wireless speakers and headphones, hifi is not the purpose. Nor should it be. Just like in the 1970s, most people you’ll meet don’t care about hifi. And that’s okay.
 
i'll cut to the chase. soundbars are good for consumers and are much better than the built in tv speakers that face the wall and not the listener. the clarity in dialogue alone makes them worth putting in. we did this for my 55yo daughter and her husband. it is compatible with women like her who no longer want the space used nor the hyper-visibility of a real stereo system. nor do they want to bother with playing LPs or cassettes. the CDs that they do have can be played in their dvd player. netflix and youtube satisfy their other needs.

in the kitchen at my house, we have a JBL google-home device with a screen for the cooking YTs and it has acceptable sound for incidental music listening or NPR programming. music streaming is easily done and specific radio stations stream over iHeart radio and other services to fill those temporary needs.

not all areas are blessed with enough radio stations to satisfy a user so streaming is the defacto method of radio listening. suffice it to say that in my house, there is a decent audio system in my living room, and in the family room where the BIG tv is, there is an avr with real stereo speakers with a real sub.

we are all working to interest our younger friends to embrace real audio and some go big with 2 channel and sometimes an aggressive A/V system. the re-vitalization of LP playback has propelled this to a great degree. i have been fortunate that when i married (twice), both spouses were amenable (it wouldn't have mattered with me as i would have insisted on it) to the music system. my second wife was especially accepting and engaged it herself. she recognized the benefit and that of having a husband that wanted to be home.

so there you have it.
 
pustelniakr said:
My opinion: Not killing, but enhancing, by contribution...

During this pandemic, I meet socially with one person, my best friend, once per week, on Saturday afternoons and evenings. We sit in one of the outdoor gazebos that my bride has put together in the back yard. We sit at a 10 ft. distance from each other, so we wear no masks. This is so we can smoke pipes and cigars, while enjoying single malt Scotches, absinthe, and a variety of other spirits. This we do while enjoying good music and conversation.

Up to now, we have received the music from my main PC in my lab, through a bluetooth transmitter to a blue tooth receiver outside, into a vintage JVC boom box. This has served us well, but I am left wanting more, in the way of sound quality, as the boom box is lacking on the bottom.

Based upon my own research, I went out today and purchased Klipsch's "The One II Phono." I considered the original "The One," but it appeared to me to be powered by a rechargeable, but non-replaceable, battery which was reported to discharge fairly quickly even when power was switched off. As an engineer, I know that batteries have limited lifespans. I did not want to wind up with a pretty paper weight when the batteries gave up the ghost, and, seeing that The One II was powered by line AC, I heartily settled on that.

OK. The sales packaging was clear and unpretentious, and sufficiently informative, while being adequately protective as well. The product itself is fairly small, but larger than its competition. It appears to be solid, substantial, of significant weight, with an appearance that is indeed reminiscent of vintage high-end Klipsch products. It actually looks kind of like a miniature version of the top section of a Klipschorn. The overall visual effect is quite nice.

I have yet to take it outside to see how it performs out there. But, I have it placed on top of the center rack of my main rig, and tipped it slightly (so I am on axis with the drivers), and I am listening to Steely Dan's "Can't Buy a Thrill" (via YouTube), as I type this. I must say that I am quite impressed. It reaches low, while not sounding as though it does it with lots of augmentation. In other words, it puts out more sound, with much better fidelity than a device of this size has a right to. The sound is full and clear across the full audio spectrum. It is very listenable, indeed. It gets nice and loud, and certainly wakes up when more volume is asked of it. I have yet to get it to sound like it is clipping, as it gets plenty loud before it gets there.

During "near-field" listening, this unit actually presents a surprising amount of soundstage and imaging. Outside of the near field, it still presents a noticeable amount of soundstage, but greatly reduced, and still manifests "some" stereo imaging. No complaints here. If you lived in a mobile home or RV, this would be perfect. If something like this had existed back when I was doing alot of TDY (temporary duty) at various bases, in the Air Force, this would have been perfect for that too. This is because my audio rig in my main barracks room was not much smaller than it is now (massive). We did not have bluetooth back then, but we certainly did have line level sources and turntables, both of which this unit is designed to accommodate.

Again, it is hard to believe that what I am hearing is coming out of this little package. Very impressive.

Anyway, this is my take on this product. I paid $148 for it, at Walmart. I am very happy that I splurged, as my weekly smoke-drink-listen sessions will certainly be enhanced. This kind of performance, at this price point, shows alot of good thinking and execution. Kudos to the conception, marketing, design and production teams. I highly recommend this little piece of audio kit.

Enjoy,
Rich P
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Follow-up to the quoted post:

I finally got a chance to try this unit in my out-of-doors venue. It certainly did not disappoint. In fact, the sound was nice and sweet and full, and loud enough to likely engender complaints from my immediate neighbors (a townhouse complex).

So...I am now satisfied and happy with my purchase.

Enjoy,
Rich P
 
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