CNN says LoFi is the future

[Doug Olitsky]

Doin' my part to stem Lo-Fi

I'm doing my part , I dont own an Mp3 player.

barely have a cellphone (only have 'cause wife forced me into it, she just bought it and gave it to me) I have managed to turn it on a few times, but it goes mostly unused, call me a relic :thmbsp:

I also do my part to expose as many kids to good sound as possible. Being a Technology teacher we spend a lot of time working on projects.

During said time we jam. From Abba to Zeppelin - From Bach to Zoot Sims. This steady diet is fed to them via Klipsch Heresey II and a brace of MC2200's

Media format is CD (p.o.s. sony) and Vinyl (currently a B&O RX2, soon to be a Lenco L75 or a Thorens 125).

How many Karma points do I earn :scratch2:

 

[masterlu]

No doubt Ivan's purchases, both in use and in storage show up on McIntosh's corporate profit charts.

And yet another post on my outrageous spending habits.

Maybe that explains the Special gift McIntosh has sent me.

I will post pics soon... :yes:

Till then I will leave you guessing :scratch2:

 

[wajobu]

Nice pic Carl!

Masterlu...I am SO there!

I love this caption quote:

"The days of the high-fidelity component stereo system are pretty much over, with more and more people listening to music through MP3 players."

Let 'em have their MP3s...I will gladly take their components.

 

[PHC1]

Till then I will leave you guessing

A free psyciatric evaluation? Hey, even the folks at McIntosh recognize a McAddict when they see one. (The real answer is bomber jacket?)

 

[Cleve]

If this is true, is anyone else thinking.... "More for US!!!"?

 

[Wigwam Jones]

I used to laugh at all the lemmings, running over cliffs all the time.

Then I noticed - we never seem to run out of lemmings.

Go, lemmings, go.

 

[Number 9]

Let 'em have their MP3s...I will gladly take their components.

Its not about us vs. them. They are wrong, we are right. Ours sound better.

Its that there is way more people over on the other side, and we are a shrinking minority. As I said earlier, there will always be renegades fighting it out in the hills ... But I would have to agree with the ariticle, 2-channel stereo via a big hi-fi rig is diminishing. It will never disappear, but is in decline as boomer's go deaf and start dying. To a younger generation ... it's the "old-man's" way to listen to music ... not theirs.

 

[Wigwam Jones]

Its not about us vs. them. They are wrong, we are right. Ours sound better.

First you say it isn't about A versus B, then you say it is.

Who cares what others listen to, what they listen on, or how they listen?

We do what we do, they do what they do.

If there is a 'right way' and a 'wrong way' to listen to music, then I quit. I don't need or seek anyone's approval to listen to music just exactly the way I choose to.

 

[masterlu]

A free psyciatric evaluation? Hey, even the folks at McIntosh recognize a McAddict when they see one. (The real answer is bomber jacket?)

That's good! :lmao: (Psychiatric) :thmbsp:

Nope, its not the bomber jacket... :scratch2:

 

[AudioClassics1]

What I find interesting about this article is that the BIG retailers that they use as examples would be better examples for a business management class about poorly run companies. Of all of the specialty manufacturers that we deal with (McIntosh, B&W, Krell, Rotel, Martin Logan, Klipsch.....) They are all doing better than ever....especially McIntosh! At CES, specialty audio was VERY impressive in that it had a strong showing of two channel audio instead of home theater. If business was failing...why would they be investing in more two channel products?:scratch2:

I think that the article was very short sighted and biased. Using the examples of the Big retailers was awful convenient to prove their point. Our business continues to grow, and dealers are the first line of defense...especially specialty dealers!

 

[Fisherdude]

...With my apologies to FisherDude, it's McMusic :yes:

No offense taken, but you have no idea how spot on your comment is.

In years gone by, there were plenty of people at McD's, both staff and franchisees, who firmly believed that because the primary reason customers came was simply convenience, it was fine if the product itself was just "satisfactory".

They did a 180 in the past few years, and I wouldn't be surprised if the music industry did the same thing. Quality usually wins in the end.

I hope.

 

[bob243]

Its not about us vs. them. They are wrong, we are right. Ours sound better.

Its that there is way more people over on the other side, and we are a shrinking minority. As I said earlier, there will always be renegades fighting it out in the hills ... But I would have to agree with the ariticle, 2-channel stereo via a big hi-fi rig is diminishing. It will never disappear, but is in decline as boomer's go deaf and start dying. To a younger generation ... it's the "old-man's" way to listen to music ... not theirs.

It has been like this in my area for the last 15 or so years. We used to have a few good dealers in the area, all have been closed now for over five years. There is one place left to get any of the top end of the denon gear or Klipsch (no heritage) line. Luckilly I am only about an hour and a half drive from AudioClassics. I actually found them by luck when I was trying to find a pair of ChorusII speakers. But it would be nice to be able to stop somewhere on my way home from work to listen or pick up something new.

As far as MP3s and such. I have a decent collection of them, (just hit 320gb + another 300gb of live shows from taper friendly bands) mostly because I got tired of my CDs getting ruined in the truck. Now I just pick what I want burn it to a CD and drive off. If It gets ruined no big deal, a spindle of CDs is under $20 now and lasts me quite a while. I had a mp3 player, I got rid of it because it was more of a PITA to remember to take it in and charge it, or bring the cable if I got something at work and wanted to put it on the player. Or the other big thing is its easy. I have a dedicated server setup and ethernet throughout the house, and out to my workshop. If I want to hear something or were having a party outside, it is as easy of going on the PC in my shop or firing up the wireless on a laptop and going to the web interface on the server.

Whenever I do any serious listening, it is off retail CD only. (and vinyl once I get a new turntable) MP3, and even some of the "LOSSLESS" formats are missing alot of the music.

 

[bob243]

No offense taken, but you have no idea how spot on your comment is.

In years gone by, there were plenty of people at McD's, both staff and franchisees, who firmly believed that because the primary reason customers came was simply convenience, it was fine if the product itself was just "satisfactory".

They did a 180 in the past few years, and I wouldn't be surprised if the music industry did the same thing. Quality usually wins in the end.

I hope.

I hope so too..

 

[salm]

I also do my part to expose as many kids to good sound as possible. Being a Technology teacher we spend a lot of time working on projects.

During said time we jam. From Abba to Zeppelin - From Bach to Zoot Sims. This steady diet is fed to them via Klipsch Heresey II and a brace of MC2200's

:

Doug,
I think your approach is critical, educate the young. For Christmas I bought my 14 yo stepdaughter a nice little Yamaha mini-system. She loves it, and now needs more blank CDs to rip songs to. I've also gotten her to hear the difference between MP3 and lossless file formats and she sees the light and now listens to her Yamaha system more than her iPod. Seems the only time she uses the iPod is when she's out and mobile. When I pick her up at night after track practice the first topic of conversation is usually what kind of music her class listened to in school that day (she's in a creative arts magnet program). I now have conversations with my 14 yo about Muddy Waters, BB King, Jeff Beck, Led Zep, The Cure, etc. She asked to borrow my Last Waltz DVD last night. All priceless in my eye.

My 11 yo skater-dude is also learning. No mini-system yet, he has to pay his dues! But he's also into classic rock and loves Elton, America, Chicago and Steppenwolf. While they each have their iPods and download songs to their game consoles, they both also get into listening on the big Mac/Maggie system.

And my 21 yo in college inherited my Linn/Bryston gear earlier this year.

If high-end audio is to be saved it's up to us to pass it on. Educate the kids, make them understand there's more to music and music reproduction than MP3s. All of us at one time or another had some sort of epiphany that drew us in. Hopefully there are enough of us out here to provide some guidance and inspiration to future AKers.

 

[markc2]

Hi

The "Home Theater Store" in my area is now making a dedicated two channel listening room.

I go downtown to Waterloo Records, and they have NEW VINYL for sale, along with CD's, yea those round shiny things, and even DVD-A along with SACD. The store is full, they let you listen to the shiny discs before you buy, or don't as the case may be. There are Ipods on the wall, that you can listen to CD's that have been put on them.

Get this, it's CROWDED with people a lot younger than me. I'm 39. Heck, my girlfriend and I probably stay about 2 hours.

So yes, as long as there is a love of music, there will be always a high end. It will morph and change, hey Mac's making a music server. Wouldn't that be outrageous 20 years ago, let alone possible? As long as people love music, there will always be a Hi-fi. The fact that people are already making fancy cables for Ipods, isn't that the first step in our direction...

 

[tony-w]

But I would have to agree with the ariticle, 2-channel stereo via a big hi-fi rig is diminishing. It will never disappear, but is in decline as boomer's go deaf and start dying. To a younger generation ... it's the "old-man's" way to listen to music ... not theirs.

I never thought my grandfather's MC275 was an "old-mans" system, all I had at the time was a transistor radio but soon started saving for a used MC30. Now I have an MC275MKIV and expect to see many ipod owners ending up with McIntosh when they have more money. Nothing wrong with the latest listening device but it's technology is more likely to be integrated into stereo systems rather than making them obsolete.

 

[sully1801]

Doug,
I think your approach is critical, educate the young. For Christmas I bought my 14 yo stepdaughter a nice little Yamaha mini-system. She loves it, and now needs more blank CDs to rip songs to. I've also gotten her to hear the difference between MP3 and lossless file formats and she sees the light and now listens to her Yamaha system more than her iPod. Seems the only time she uses the iPod is when she's out and mobile. When I pick her up at night after track practice the first topic of conversation is usually what kind of music her class listened to in school that day (she's in a creative arts magnet program). I now have conversations with my 14 yo about Muddy Waters, BB King, Jeff Beck, Led Zep, The Cure, etc. She asked to borrow my Last Waltz DVD last night. All priceless in my eye.

My 11 yo skater-dude is also learning. No mini-system yet, he has to pay his dues! But he's also into classic rock and loves Elton, America, Chicago and Steppenwolf. While they each have their iPods and download songs to their game consoles, they both also get into listening on the big Mac/Maggie system.

And my 21 yo in college inherited my Linn/Bryston gear earlier this year.

If high-end audio is to be saved it's up to us to pass it on. Educate the kids, make them understand there's more to music and music reproduction than MP3s. All of us at one time or another had some sort of epiphany that drew us in. Hopefully there are enough of us out here to provide some guidance and inspiration to future AKers.

I hear ya Bro...
My oldest daughter has inherited my love of music.
She plays my stereo every chance she gets; till I get home & say "What is this crap we're listening to?"
We do have some common ground as far as to what to listen to...
She's even gone on to stake her claim for the Mc gear when I go to that big listening room in the sky...

My youngest, on the other hand, could care less...
As long as she's got her iPod, she's content...:thumbsdn:

There's still time to turn her around :thmbsp:

I think she

 

[AudioClassics1]

Geez Sully, I thought I had claim on your gear when you left this world. Well, now that changes everything! :tears:

 

[Vintage Pete]

Yeah, right

But they did include some Mac gear in their photo of the old dinasaurs

http://www.cnn.com/2007/SHOWBIZ/Music/04/23/lofi.america.ap/index.html

Peter

 

[Vintage Pete]

Directions, please!

Garage Sale at Masterlu's

I'll be right over! :yippy:

Peter