Audio Fads that Died

[Mwdan]

This was my first behemoth. I will not tell you how it treated batteries, but it was not very nice to them

View attachment 3697579

I sold it to my buddy in a time of need, and he sold it to another buddy. I was offered it back but I declined. It was pretty badass when it was new though. Seeing that pic kinda makes me want to shoot him a message lol.. but it was looking a bit rough and the text was faded on the case and buttons.

It was just too massive lol. Double fisting..

Edit:

That is the MKII I just saw.. mine was the MKI

I've got one that's like that one but it's labeled as a Marantz RC-18SR.

 

[Mr Boochie]

My son's AV remote for his gaming system. I press the red button when the thing starts acting goofy, hoping it'll stop.

It doesn't

 

[YY1]

I don't care for remotes that have all the buttons the exact same size and shape.
A well designed remote has differently sized and shaped buttons, at least for the common commands.
That way you can use them in the dark, by feel, or without looking in the daylight.

I also don't care for the -
12345
67890
or
01234
56789
format

I much prefer phone style or keyboard style
123
456
789
_0_

789
456
123
_0_

Some are even more oddball.
I've seen
123456
7890
and
1234
5678
90

 

[gadget73]

None of my audio gear actually has a remote. I suppose the CD changer came with one, but I don't have it.

 

[YY1]

I used to really crave a remote for my cassette deck.

Finally got one. (and with a real time counter, no less)

...about 2 years before CDs took over.

 

[bobschneider]

It strikes me as odd that it took so long for cassettes to hit car stereos. Why did 8 track get so popular when cassettes were a viable format all along? Pioneer had in car cassette deck units by about 1975-76, so was it just a matter of cost? Or was there some other underlying reason for the push to use 8 tracks?

As far as 8 track in general, it gained too much widespread use, and was around too long to be considered a fad. Now, 4 track was a flash in the pan, as it was so quickly supplanted by 8 track.

The first 8 track car units came out in the late 1960s. It was always primarily a music format for cars - home 8 track players didn’t start showing up until a few years later, when folks wanted to play their car tapes in the house.

Cassettes first came out around 1964, but were originally intended as a dictation format. They didn’t have the frequency response or signal to noise ratio to be a viable music format at first. That didn’t change until the early 1970s, first with the Advent deck (the first with Dolby as I recall), then with the early Nakamichi decks. The first car cassette players came out around that time. At that point 8 track had such a large user base that it took a few years for cassettes to take over the market.

I got my first car cassette player around 1976, and even at that point 8 tracks were more popular.

 

[Lavane]

I have a remote for my CD player in my main system. I never use it.
It doesn't work all the way across the room from the CD player. What good is a remote that doesn't work remotely?

 

[OBMG74]

Not a fad but more of a transition:
Wired VHS and Beta remotes.

 

[Bill Ferris]

Not a fad but more of a transition:
Wired VHS and Beta remotes.

Early DAT machines, as well .

 

[Sansuiman]

@bobschneider, I know the basic history and development of the 8 track and cassette formats, but didn't realize 8 tracks were available for in car use so far back into the 1960's. I always figured that in car 8 track units emerged circa 1970, by which time cassettes were already in use (even if not widely yet) for music recording and playback.

That difference of even just a few years head start for the adoption of 8 tracks obviously made the difference in establishing it's popularity for longer than it otherwise would've enjoyed. Heck, I remember the old TV commercials that used to sell albums (usually greatest hits and compilations) by mail order/800 number still having 8 track as an option (along with 33 and cassette) well into the 1980's.

 

[62caddy]

I think 8 Track's appeal in cars was the mostly hands off operation- eliminating the distraction of physically flipping tapes sides. It seems when auto-reversing cassette machines started appearing is when the 8 Track format began to seriously decline. The improved SQ of cassette also played a role. 8 Track was largely discontinued as automotive OEM by the early/mid '80s.

 

[OBMG74]

I seem to remember invented by Mr. Lear of Lear Jets?

 

[Sansuiman]

@OBMG74, and as I understand it, Lear improved upon the 4 track design originally developed by Muntz, to arrive at the 8 track. Which quickly killed off the 4 track.

 

[Mr Boochie]

None of my audio gear actually has a remote. I suppose the CD changer came with one, but I don't have it.

I only use the remote for my big screen TV. Pre-programming the VCR to record can sometimes be a vexing problem. I'll end up with two hours of America's Auction Channel, instead of the hockey game.

The remote doesn't work on the better-half either.

 

[peterp1]

I only use the remote for my big screen TV. Pre-programming the VCR to record can sometimes be a vexing problem. I'll end up with two hours of America's Auction Channel, instead of the hockey game.

VCR (as in VHS) or DVR?

 

[Mr Boochie]

I meant DVR. Sorry.

 

[peterp1]

I meant DVR. Sorry.

I've been trying to find a way to get my DVR to flash "12:00", but haven't been able to do it

 

[Mr Boochie]

I've been trying to find a way to get my DVR to flash "12:00", but haven't been able to do it

It goes from 11:59 to 12:01?

 

[peterp1]

It goes from 11:59 to 12:01?

The only thing I remember about my VHS player is that the clock was always flashing 12:00

 

[Mr Boochie]

The only thing I remember about my VHS player is that the clock was always flashing 12:00

Oh, I get it.

My cable box has no channel or time LED display. Just one on-off light. Everything is on the TV screen.