It's just a WORD game hobby now...

[DesertRatt]

Words are not sounds, apart from the sound of me speaking the word. When this hobby was REAL, the literal sound of a speaker to all gathered was proof of everything. Words were just spices or dressings added on to the sonic experience. The hobby about sounds was enjoyed by hearing them.

When the hobby moved out of reality and into the abstract world of words typed in screens, it started to wither with incredible speed. I was reminded of this while participating in a recent thread about listening in mono. In the real days, the guys would just DO the listening comparison right now in the room while everyone was there listening! No need to concoct wordy explanations--Let's listen to it! Then we can argue about it! Can I have another beer?

Yes, this is another "old man yelling at clouds" moment. Moving the hobby from living rooms to the Internet, was like when bowling moved from 16-pound ball's to Wii sticks and Tv screens. Uhhh...No, it's not the same hobby at all.

I sold a pair of large speakers yesterday on Facebook. Guy cones to my house, sees a big stereo system, huge speaker at one end, rack of gear, doesn't ask a single question about. Leaves with his new speakers. Weird. I don't know a single person right now with a stereo.

Did the Internet kill it, or did it die first and then the corpse was resurrected on the Internet?

 

[painttoad]

years back i had a buddy, a fellow metal thrasher, come by my place for the first time and he says "nice tv" speaking of my 50" plasma,

no mention of the b&w speakers or the monitor audio sub. or the b&k amp. or tube dac. itsa tv. everyone has them

 

[malden]

A guy came over to buy a pair of Advent speakers, as soon as I turned the music on so that he could hear they worked, he commented on the "imaging" and "sound-stage". The speakers were in a tight space and not setup in a way to judge those qualities....

Far too many who post online simply repeat the words they've read but have not actually experienced in a meaningful way.

 

[rwtooley]

whenever someone doesn't notice something or decides not to mention it I just assume they either don't know what it is or don't like it and are being kind.

 

[RVT1K]

Maybe it was the Walkman? Once people could listen to essentially whatever they wanted wherever they wanted, the need for a home stereo went away.

I've been a fan of home audio since the 70's and barely ever knew anyone who was. Lots of music fans but very few audio fans. I think "we" have always been in the very small minority.

 

[GChief]

or did it die first and then the corpse was resurrected on the Internet?

IMHO its this ^^^. But maybe not resurrected, I think forums are the new hanging out with friends interested in the same things. As you stated who do "we" know close enough to hangout at each other's homes.

That said, this forum has enough local members to be doable, for me time is the issue.

 

[DesertRatt]

Lots of music fans but very few audio fans

I'm a little bit opposite of that. What I recall with great longing, was a group of audiophiles gathering at someone's joint to hear the new, latest, greatest, find or aquisition. Bring your own RECORDS, play them, listen, chat about it, get new ideas about your own system, lug that heavy amp back home. Get home, see if your stereo still sounded as good as you thought.

Or, "It's Saturday! Let's head on over to Pacific Stereo, or Century Stereo, or Mateo HiFi, and listen to some new stuff!" I'll mow the lawn later, dear - promise!

 

[orsen]

my close friends from my youth still have and use stereo's. but have not updated them in decades.

.

 

[DesertRatt]

IMHO its this ^^^. But maybe not resurrected, I think forums are the new hanging out with friends interested in the same things. As you stated who do "we" know close enough to hangout at each other's homes.

That said, this forum has enough local members to be doable, for me time is the issue.

I started yakking online about STEREO JUNK in the year 2000. In the earliest years - like 2003 - 2006 - I actually DID have two fellas local to me that were real audio freaks. We did exchange some visits, some gear, had some fun, it was nice even though small. Then that faded out, then it has been all WORDS since. Gee, not even spoken words! Just typed words which have about 1/10th the value of spoken words.

And for me, to make it doubly worser, the same thing has happened in photography - my other lifelong hobby. No ooggling over actual photographs any more, no print exhibitions at camera clubs, just SCREEN photos, zoom calls, and other online games. Images on screens are NOT photographs. Talk all you want about a camera - - until you FEEL it, hit the shutter release, turn the lens barrel, you have experienced nothing about that camera.

Maybe it's a grand plot?

 

[dbuz]

People in general are different today, especially since 2020. Way less social and more introverted, with most of their interactions happening online or on the phone. Remember company? When someone would just stop by and hang out? Maybe they would call first, maybe not, but it was always a nice surprise. Now people don't just screen their calls, they screen the people knocking on their door with a camera, or pretend to not be home when someone stops by. People don't know their neighbors or talk to strangers in public anymore either. They're all walking around with earbuds and/or looking down at their phone. Honestly it's sad to think about.

I especially miss hanging out at stores too. Record and stereo stores used to be great for that. Stop in on a Saturday, talk with the guys working there and other customers for while, listen to some music, lust over gear you can't afford, maybe buy something, maybe not. Places like that are few and far between now, at least around here.

 

[malden]

Maybe it's a grand plot?

People follow trends. When something is big and mainstream, most will go along for the ride.

Many of us who post regularly have been into audio since our teenage years and have never lost interest. Audio gear in thrift stores and landfills are proof that many more were never really immersed with audio in the first place, it was just what they did to be a part of something.

 

[RVT1K]

I have one friend who is into home audio as much as I am. We constantly talk about gear and listening experiences on our own systems.

But we have no choice but to exchange words considering that we are 2,000 miles apart -in a straight line.

 

[DesertRatt]

Audio gear in thrift stores and landfills are proof that many more were never really immersed in audio in the first place

YUP. I had an early vision of this scenario in 1976 when I was in business. I needed a technician for testing and debugging production preamps. I posted the job at a local community college. Most (maybe 3/4) of the applicants didn't know jack squat about audio circuits - they were too busy building IMSAI computers, writing code for little computers and playing with computer-related circuits. They were the "young digirati" that in a few years became all the Wozniaks of this world. I had a heck of a time finding a kid with ANY interest at all in TUBE AUDIO - GASP!

 

[gadget73]

I've never been great at describing things that weren't of a largely technical nature. All that stuff is on the wrong side of the brain for me. "better / worse" I can do, explaining the very subtle nature of what some change may have done is probably not on the agenda assuming I do actually hear something.

 

[jobrewer1983]

A guy came over to buy a pair of Advent speakers, as soon as I turned the music on so that he could hear they worked, he commented on the "imaging" and "sound-stage". The speakers were in a tight space and not setup in a way to judge those qualities....

Far too many who post online simply repeat the words they've read but have not actually experienced in a meaningful way.

@DesertRatt @malden

This is somewhat funny in a good way. I was the one who started the Mono thread, and have one in the tube forums as well.

In that thread I made a few opening points and one was this:

3. If you have not actually experienced True mono or Stereo summed to mono, please do not make statements as if you have. That is of no help to anyone, and just makes one look foolish. One question I will always ask members on any topic is if they have actually experienced something, why because you don't know what you don't know.

@DesertRatt

I totally know what you are talking about, 9x out of 10 if we have someone over to the house they will always make a comment about my gear, always get asked a tone of questions like "Your wife is ok with this" and if they are audio people usually want to check everything out.

When they dont ask any questions I usually think they must have a really impressive set up, or they are going to be flipping something I am getting rid of.

 

[gadget73]

I almost never get asked in any real amount of detail by people who aren't into audio stuff. Two friends were over this weekend for a car project. One asked me what the silver things were sitting on the floor, an ARC D70 and SP9 pair in this case. I said it was a stereo amp and a preamp, he just said "Oh, ok" and that was it.

At one point I had a Marantz 8b / 7c combo in the same spot for testing, never got asked about that.

and in case anyone was concerned about cooling, I have a long piece of wood that was once the top of a console stereo that I lay on the carpet to put things on top of. I just don't have space for test gear to go anywhere else so it just sits in front of my usual array of stuff.

 

[dbuz]

I totally know what you are talking about, 9x out of 10 if we have someone over to the house they will always make a comment about my gear, always get asked a tone of questions like "Your wife is ok with this" and if they are audio people usually want to check everything out.

When they dont ask any questions I usually think they must have a really impressive set up, or they are going to be flipping something I am getting rid of.

On the rare occasion that I see anything remotely interesting in someone's house I can't help myself from asking a ton of questions and checking everything out. I once started taking pictures without asking because the guy had some things I had never seen in person. Luckily he was fine with it since he was cleaning house ahead of a move. I stopped by to pick up some speakers, left with 2 pair and some other stuff, and probably talked to the guy (a total stranger) for almost 2 hours.