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Obsolete Features on Audio Equipment

One of my stereos has a turntable thingy in it. Never have found a good use for that obsolete technology. Well, I do like to set things on it and spin them around, but the kitty never stays put!
 
trhee said:
Tone knobs and Loudness button.

The last time I had gear that had these were at least 10 years ago and the last time I used them were maybe 20 years ago. I know there are many that still use them but for me, it's an obsolete feature that does more harm than good.

From my experience over the years, the better your system is, the better most of your music collection sounds without having to fiddle with EQ matters for every album you play.
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I understand your point, but I use my tone controls to boost the treble because of high frequency hearing loss. One day I'll get some hearing aids and I won't need the tone controls (well, maybe).
 
My Fisher 100T preamp/tuner has a FM/AM setting for stereo simulcasts from 2 different stations. It could still be used at news time until CBC Radio One switched from AM to FM a few years back.
 
Current models of hearing aids will not obviate the utility of your tone controls. At least mine don't.

Technology is evolving and I have heard reports of an audiophile mode being offered, someday. So don't disable your tone controls just yet.
 
crouse said:
I understand your point, but I use my tone controls to boost the treble because of high frequency hearing loss. One day I'll get some hearing aids and I won't need the tone controls (well, maybe).
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Done that with the aids at last, I was somewhat apprehensive of turning my sys into a giant shrill hearing aid substitute that others would find intolerable.
 
ghazzer said:
Current models of hearing aids will not obviate the utility of your tone controls. At least mine don't.

Technology is evolving and I have heard reports of an audiophile mode being offered, someday. So don't disable your tone controls just yet.
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I have ReSound Alera 61s, the newer iteration ReSound Verso is supposed to be good for music. The Aleras are not horrible but not 100% either with entrainment and other related issues.
 
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OK- nobody is broadsiding AM-FM stereo, that feature could be legitimacy withdrawn from the marketplace. There used to be an FM sub-channel that I don't believe is use anymore. Nix that.
 
Obsolete? How about Multiplex (an early form of stereo)?
[Edit: see comment and note posted below.]

How about analog TV tuners? In an increasing number of jurisdictions which have switched to digital TV broadcasting, they are entirely useless devices.

To many, phono inputs are obsolete, but they are rare in modern gear, and not obsolete to most AKers. The same could be said for tape/monitor in/out controls, although they still have their uses in certain situations.

One could argue that 16rpm and 78rpm are obsolete speeds, on some TTs.

Or that vinyl itself is obsolete, although its popularity continues to grow in a niche market.

Plenty of obsolete connector types, too, like those odd ones at 90 degrees to each other on some old Pioneer gear.

PLENTY of obsolete formats out there, including:

Edison rolls
Pianolas
DCC
DAT
Betamax
VHS
Wire recorders
Cassettes
Reel-to-reel tape
Videodiscs
Elcassettes
8-tracks
Laserdiscs
VCDs
and many, many really obscure lesser formats.

Heck, one can well argue that even such modern formats like CDs and DVDs are already obsolete, replaced by downloads and Blu-ray discs. Yes, they are still produced and sold, but so are cassette tapes in some places.
 
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My JVC MX-1 has a feature called "Beat Cut." Does that qualify as obsolete? I don't really even know what it does.
 
Pio1980 said:
Multiplex is the FM stereo system still in use, usually selectable with the FM Mono/Stereo option.
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Of course you are correct, but I was referring to/thinking of it being obsolete as a separate control on a radio, or even as a separate add-on system in some cases, or as a control for radios designed to simultaneously combine AM and FM channels to create stereo. Early stereo-era radios had separate "multiplex" functions which today would be considered obsolete. Sorry for over-simplifying and not being clear enough.
 
Wanna know a truly obsolete feature? The "input balance" found on some older Dolby pro-logic receivers, particularly ones that do not have speaker-level center output and instead just a preamp out. It is not the normal balance left right ding-a-lang, it is used to shift voice away from all channels except the center in surround mode, or something to that effect. My Onkyo TX-906 has it, completely useless since these 1st-gen pro-logic receivers (ones without subwoofer out) is obsolete and usually found operating in stereo mode only.
 
Splatter Pak said:
My JVC MX-1 has a feature called "Beat Cut." Does that qualify as obsolete? I don't really even know what it does.
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IIRC, beat cut relates to canceling/ reducing a form of audible objectionable interaction between a tape recorder bias oscillator and a radio sub carrier signal.

Sent from my SCH-I605 using Tapatalk
 
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