How Many Switches . . .

[AudioHR]

Tube system power up: switch on preamp eventually switch on amp. (Two)

Digital: select via knob on preamp if not already on. Four taps on IPad ; Open , select Roon, select album, play. Turn knob for volume up. (Six)

Analog: select phono on preamp, place, clean and cue record. Switch on turntable. Turn up volume knob on preamp. (Six steps)

So 6 steps for each source after initial power up. Of course playing a record takes more time and care as one must place, clean and cue the disc.

There are no remotes in my system. So volume adjustments must be made manually. Really not a problem as my preamp is adjacent to my listening position.

 

[Al M.]

Preamp on, power amp on: 2 switches.

Press play on CD transport remote: 1 button.

Volume control: 1 knob to twist.

Total of 4 steps.

 

[Kjetil]

Main system.Depends on the source:
Spotify: 2 (on my phone)
Local files: 6-7 (still on my phone)
Vinyl: I lose count.

 

[ssfas]

To me, simple is good

Switches?

 

[MarkusBarkus]

...Alexa, open pod bay doors. Nicely done @ssfas

 

[ssfas]

...Alexa, open pod bay doors. Nicely done @ssfas

I can't open the pod bay doors with Alexa, but I can turn on the coffee machine.

I use an external Alexa switch for that, although you can Alexify just about anything with Shelly relays. My kitchen is Alexified, but I've never risked it. Buttons really are increasingly of historical interest.

Not sure if it appreciated that the music is coming from the lights. Also the blue light is an indicator that it's listening to you, the microphone being built in.

For years I used Devialet Expert, one of its best features is digital auto-detect, you send a digital signal from any source (Roon, uPnP, Spotify, AirPlay) and it wakes up and plays it, and after no signal for 20 minutes it goes to sleep. The standby power kept the processors at about 30 degrees C, after hours of use they never got over 42 C, so it always sounded good from the get go. The Holo May I have is a superb DAC but takes 20 minutes to warm up and does not have a power button on the remote. Boo hiss.

 

[Tuckers]

None, system is ready to go when I hit play on tablet/PC . System always sounds its best when its been running for 5 days

 

[Ron Resnick]

Buttons really are increasingly of historical interest.

You are correct, unfortunately, in my opinion. I find this trend most annoying in automobiles.

One of my personal pet peeves is the replacement in automobiles of buttons, switches and knobs with touch screens, menus and trackpads.*

We are renting temporarily a Mercedes-Benz GLC 300. I drove it for the first time yesterday.

It has the most annoying complement of control devices I have ever seen. On a small section on each side of the steering wheel at the 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock positions sits a 3/8" square trackpad. One must land one's finger precisely on this little piece of plastic to scroll among most major dashboard functions. I found it super-annoying!

Also, I think the flat digital displays for speed and RPM look cheap and chintzy compared to traditional analog gauges.

(I got a low mileage copy of the last generation of two-seat/retractable hard-top Mercedes SL550 partly because the new SL was dispensing with most of the traditional buttons, switches and knobs, and analog gauges I personally prefer.)

* Who at automobile manufacturers thought this was a good idea? Is this simply because it is cheaper for a dealer to replace an entire LCD panel if anything goes wrong than it is to replace a particular analog gauge?

 

[Al M.]

You are correct, unfortunately, in my opinion. I find this trend most annoying in automobiles.

One of my personal pet peeves is the replacement in automobiles of buttons, switches and knobs with touch screens, menus and trackpads.*

We are renting temporarily a Mercedes-Benz GLC 300. I drove it for the first time yesterday.

It has the most annoying complement of control devices I have ever seen. On a small section on each side of the steering wheel at the 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock positions sits a 3/8" square trackpad. One must land one's finger precisely on this little piece of plastic to scroll among most major dashboard functions. I found it super-annoying!

Also, I think the flat digital displays for speed and RPM look cheap and chintzy compared to traditional analog gauges.

(I got a low mileage copy of the last generation of two-seat/retractable hard-top Mercedes SL550 partly because the new SL was dispensing with most of the traditional buttons, switches and knobs, and analog gauges I personally prefer.)

* Who at automobile manufacturers thought this was a good idea? Is this simply because it is cheaper for a dealer to replace an entire LCD panel if anything goes wrong than it is to replace a particular analog gauge?

We think similarly about this, Ron. I also hate loading up devices like GPS with all kinds of extra functions that make the whole thing impossible to navigate. I once had a rental BMW SUV in Germany that was the worst. Trying to fix anything that should have been easy to do on the GPS or otherwise while driving was so distracting that the whole vehicle became dangerous. I had to stop at times on the side of the road in order to try taming the controls of that silly beast. Also, in this car (or was it another one?) it was impossible to find, gasp, the car radio!! Only after hours without I finally figured out where and how to scroll. Complete idiocy.

I think it's those 25-year old computer wiz kids, thoughtlessly employed by those car companies, who have no inkling of a clue about life yet and think that loading up things with bells and whistles is great -- the more the better. I did write a *very* angry email to BMW at the time.

It doesn't have to be that way. There were other rental cars that were completely intuitive in their controls.

 

[ssfas]

You are correct, unfortunately, in my opinion. I find this trend most annoying in automobiles.

One of my personal pet peeves is the replacement in automobiles of buttons, switches and knobs with touch screens, menus and trackpads.*

We are renting temporarily a Mercedes-Benz GLC 300. I drove it for the first time yesterday.

It has the most annoying complement of control devices I have ever seen. On a small section on each side of the steering wheel at the 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock positions sits a 3/8" square trackpad. One must land one's finger precisely on this little piece of plastic to scroll among most major dashboard functions. I found it super-annoying!

Also, I think the flat digital displays for speed and RPM look cheap and chintzy compared to traditional analog gauges.

(I got a low mileage copy of the last generation of two-seat/retractable hard-top Mercedes SL550 partly because the new SL was dispensing with most of the traditional buttons, switches and knobs, and analog gauges I personally prefer.)

* Who at automobile manufacturers thought this was a good idea? Is this simply because it is cheaper for a dealer to replace an entire LCD panel if anything goes wrong than it is to replace a particular analog gauge?

We have a Hyundai Kona 2022 (our Nissan got stolen a few months ago) and it has a nice complement of buttons and a big multi-functional screen. The biggest issue is the woman in the dashboard screaming at you or ringing bells with a million and one warnings. It even randomly tells you to stop for coffee. We have disabled all these systems.

The Kona 2023 is all flat screen. Looks a nightmare.

Hopefully no one will do hifi that tells you it's 2am and time to go to bed.

 

[Robh3606]

Who at automobile manufacturers thought this was a good idea? Is this simply because it is cheaper for a dealer to replace an entire LCD panel if anything goes wrong than it is to replace a particular analog gauge?

It's not loose a switch or gauge OK. If you loose the panel can you still drive??? If not "Brilliant"!!! I have a lot of small switches that are easy to accidentally hit. Example window lock! Wondering why I can't get the passenger window up??? Realized I hit the switch!

Rob

 

[Yeti]

My amps stay on but the turntable goes off overnight and gets covered. For digital it’s all controlled from the ipad, except the volume, that would need another cable from streamer to pre and I haven’t bothered, nothing to switch on though.

 

[Solypsa]

You are correct, unfortunately, in my opinion. I find this trend most annoying in automobiles.

One of my personal pet peeves is the replacement in automobiles of buttons, switches and knobs with touch screens, menus and trackpads.*

We are renting temporarily a Mercedes-Benz GLC 300. I drove it for the first time yesterday.

It has the most annoying complement of control devices I have ever seen. On a small section on each side of the steering wheel at the 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock positions sits a 3/8" square trackpad. One must land one's finger precisely on this little piece of plastic to scroll among most major dashboard functions. I found it super-annoying!

Also, I think the flat digital displays for speed and RPM look cheap and chintzy compared to traditional analog gauges.

(I got a low mileage copy of the last generation of two-seat/retractable hard-top Mercedes SL550 partly because the new SL was dispensing with most of the traditional buttons, switches and knobs, and analog gauges I personally prefer.)

* Who at automobile manufacturers thought this was a good idea? Is this simply because it is cheaper for a dealer to replace an entire LCD panel if anything goes wrong than it is to replace a particular analog gauge?

Agreed. I like direct control switches. I also have never once considered turning on my stereo a burden. But I also manually grind my coffee.

 

[chuck]

. . . do you have to throw and buttons do you have to push and knobs do you have to twist before music comes out of your loudspeakers?

2. Push the button on the amp to turn it on from standby mode, tap the tablet to play Qobuz -- music is playing in seconds. The preamp and DAC are on 24/7 -- gotta love solid state gear.

 

[Johan K]

my sub tower amps, both digital chassis, 4 Taiko Tana anti-resonance devices, and NVS tt power are always on unless i'm out of town---11 buttons.

so in addition to those 11.......

for digital listening only; 3 buttons plus select a track---preamp on, amp 1, amp 2.

for NVS listening only vinyl---6 buttons---tt light, preamp on, move selector to proper phono input for arm, hit play on tt, amp 1, amp 2.

tape listening only----10 buttons----both decks, all 4 preamps, preamp, switch for 1/4" or 1/2", preamp, amp 1, amp 2.

using all tt's vinyl only-----13 buttons---turn on CS Port and T1, DaVa PS, FCL PS, 5th Taiko Tana anti-resonance, 2 power supplies of the EMIA, preamp, amp 1, amp 2. plus each of three anti-static device as i use it.

i do leave the CS Port and T1 spinning while doing a vinyl session more than just with the NVS.

lots of buttons. turning things off is something i pay close attention to, then check my work.

Like controling the space shuttle, Mike.. haha. I love it? !

/ Jk

 

[christoph]

3 - Sever, integrated Amp and DAC

 

[Another Johnson]

Vinyl:
Turn on tube phono preamp with remote
Turn on preamp with remote. Amp is coupled. Set volume.
Clean record
Apply Lyra stylus treatment to stylus
Set record on platter
Start TT
Turn off phono preamp mute
Cue tonearm and drop needle
Flip record in 15 to 20 minutes, etc

Seems like a lot.

CD/SACD:
Turn on Transport and DAC, and load disc
Turn on preamp and coupled amp and set volume
Hit play
Change disc in about an hour

Stream:
Turn on preamp and coupled amp and set volume
Turn on DAC
Choose program on tablet
Hit play
Never rise from chair again, as queue is lengthened via tablet

Best exercise is obviously vinyl.
Lazy man’s dream is streaming.

I think many of us choose vinyl because we are stubborn and would be lost without our ritual. And many of us choose streaming for the access to an incredible library and virtually infinite queue.

 

[christensenleif@msn.com]

another meaningless wanker thread IMO

 

[Johan K]

If my big system is completely shut off and I’m about to fire it up… From the time I enter my audioroom, -depending on what source I decide to use, it’s EASY -without any doubt at least 30 buttons and knobs to push and twist, before the music starts playing…

But lets say the power is on, and the gear is in standby mode, then it is:

- for streaming:
6 buttons to ON position
a couple of tab on the iphone
1 volyme control.

for turntable:
3 buttons to On position
1 to start TT
1 to choose speed
1 to choose input on phonostage
1 to choose input on main pre amp
1 volyme control

Similar for CD/SACD.

Similar for Cassette.

If I decide to engage the 7.4 surround sound it is 4 - 6 more steps to take, but that’s basically it.

To enter the movie section on this system, and turn the audioroom into a cinema, -it is even 7-10 more steps to take !

Normally the system is always in standby mode, so its always hot and easy for me to start playing music. If I decide to completely shut off the system, I usually leave it off for some time, untill my abstinens gets to strong, which usually not takes more than a week or two, if it’s more then three weeks I’m starting having seizures… Then I better turning it back on!

That’s the way it goes folks, on a big manual system, with some years to it. But as it is my beloved hobby, I like very much to handle it manually, and sort of ”care” for every single component in the system. It will never feel like a burden to, but just the opposite.

/ Jk

 

[Another Johnson]

The ritual is a security measure against curious children or significant others. No one can mess with it if the path to music is suitably obfuscated.

I put a Denon Home 350 in the kitchen and my wife loves it. One touch (or phone tap) and the music is underway.