State of the industry - Roy Gregory Editorial

[microstrip]

Francisco, You’re very fond of saying the hobby is about personal preference and taste and it all depends.

Your post above is full of declarative statements and assumptions. You present them as fact when each is open to debate and is opinion.

Surely they are my opinion. I cant't write IMHO in every sentence. Please debate them.

Expensive does not necessarily mean state of the art. Sound quality and presentation seems to change over time, but I’m not convinced absolute sound quality has improved in terms of what is possible and in terms of getting close to the experience of live unamplified music. My opinion of course based on my preference and taste.

No, but IMHO there is a some correlation between them As I often say , wisely spent more money results in better sound quality. Your expensive system is an excellent examplie of it.

 

[Gregadd]

I am reminded again, as we discuss what influences the hobby, what Camille Paglia (feminist and social critic) said about Hugh Hefner—that what he tried to bring to american men was some sense of style and refinement to the art of seduction. I recall specifically she mentioned, at that time, it would include getting a woman back home and dropping the needle on “a fine stereo system”, mixing a cocktail, etc.

So there was, at the time a general sense that having a nice stereo was somehow “sophisticated”. here and there in television you still see it, the hotshot lawyer in “suits” had a turntable and record collection in his spanky office. Harry “Bosch“ in that tv series was a jazz lover and spin vinyl. (Perhaps an effort by the writers to give his personality a deeper, sophisticated layer?)

Has hookup culture, Wokeness, and radical feminism killed the stereo? emphasis supplied

Really?

 

[microstrip]

Peter's horns are corner speakers (...)

An important aspect, often forgotten. Corner speakers are a separate class by themselves.

 

[Al M.]

Sure. But based on your experience stated in the earlier post so far you haven't heard any proper horn but you have made a few comments on this thread about horns and vintage experience.

Listening to Peter's system and a volti at shows is like a non audiophile listening to one or two standamounts and generalizing on all speakers. most of the horn lovers I know dislike a large number of horns and love certain ones, plus many are more different from each other then they are from cones

For your own benefit try to hear them for your own self. The posts will automatically follow. Right now you are not interested in listening just in posting.

Why this unnecessary rant, Ked?

I have already said that I may not have heard the real deal when it comes to dynamics, and plan to listen. What more do you want?

As others have noted, you are becoming unnecessarily negative. It doesn't help your case at all, and even can backfire among some (don't worry, not me).

***

And since when are Peter's speakers not proper horns? The bass is horn loaded as well.

 

[bonzo75]

Why this unnecessary rant, Ked?

I have already said that I may not have heard the real deal when it comes to dynamics, and plan to listen. What more do you want?

As others have noted, you are becoming unnecessarily negative. It doesn't help your case at all, and even can backfire among some (don't worry, not me).

***

And since when are Peter's speakers not proper horns? The bass is horn loaded as well.

You keep claiming experience on vintage and horns when you have none. That is just dishonest.

You keep attacking videos after repeated warnings. And I am negative?

You don't even know what a horn speaker is

 

[Al M.]

You keep claiming experience on vintage and horns when you have none. That is just dishonest.

You keep attacking videos after repeated warnings. And I am negative?

You don't even know what a horn speaker is

No comment needed on your horn rant. Everybody can be their own judge of your post, based on my previous statements of what I actually claimed contra your accusations.

 

[rbbert]

Bosch’s stereo was so exciting to see as a jazz and vinyl fan. Harry was a complex character. It made being a jazz lover and audiophile cool. We need more of this.

It's worth pointing that Harry Bosch in the long-running book series used to make a point about how wonderful CD's were (are) for the jazz lover; expanding the size of the repertoire by a large multiple, re-releases with extra tracks, anthologies including many out-of-print albums, longer playing times to allow a better listening experience for live concert releases - of which the CD era resulted in far more releases. It was the writers and producers of the TV series who apparently thought it would be trendy, hip or something to give him an LP setup; somewhat contradictory considering how generally "unhip" the character is and is supposed to be.

 

[rbbert]

...You don't even know what a horn speaker is

We could all go to bonzo's house to hear his system. No, wait...

 

[Bobvin]

Really?

In the context of Camille Paglia’s take on Hugh Hefner, yeah, a thoughtful person could make an argument that feminism and wokeness have done major damage to a cultural sense of sophisticated masculinity. Instead we have toxic masculinity, and the general feminization of men. I am sure on college campuses any idea of “seduction“ would be highly problematic. (And of course the argument of the pros and cons of that are another discussion.) Everything in the culture is now scrutinized in some context of “social justice“, so where a “fine stereo system“ was some thing a successful “gentleman“ might have in his home or apartment, the idea of a sophisticated gentleman is no longer part of the culture. And the beads and baubbles that went along with that are also absent, save perhaps for watches and automobiles. Men are constantly portrayed now as absent minded schlubs incapable of fixing a leaky faucet. Take for example “pajama boy” sitting around drinking his cocoa and contemplating what policy of Obamacare he was qualified for. Long gone are the Lee Marvin‘s, the Burt Lancaster‘s, and the John Wayne’s of yesterday.

For sure, 007 would have had a nice stereo.

 

[Mike Lavigne]

In the context of Camille Paglia’s take on Hugh Hefner, yeah, a thoughtful person could make an argument that feminism and wokeness have done major damage to a cultural sense of sophisticated masculinity. Instead we have toxic masculinity, and the general feminization of men. I am sure on college campuses any idea of “seduction“ would be highly problematic. (And of course the argument of the pros and cons of that are another discussion.) Everything in the culture is now scrutinized in some context of “social justice“, so where a “fine stereo system“ was some thing a successful “gentleman“ might have in his home or apartment, the idea of a sophisticated gentleman is no longer part of the culture. And the beads and baubbles that went along with that are also absent, save perhaps for watches and automobiles. Men are constantly portrayed now as absent minded schlubs incapable of fixing a leaky faucet. Take for example “pajama boy” sitting around drinking his cocoa and contemplating what policy of Obamacare he was qualified for. Long gone are the Lee Marvin‘s, the Burt Lancaster‘s, and the John Wayne’s of yesterday.

too true.

now your 'real man' quotient is determined by the year the wood, that made the paper in your speaker drivers, was harvested in.

 

[Gregadd]

In the context of Camille Paglia’s take on Hugh Hefner, yeah, a thoughtful person could make an argument that feminism and wokeness have done major damage to a cultural sense of sophisticated masculinity. Instead we have toxic masculinity, and the general feminization of men. I am sure on college campuses any idea of “seduction“ would be highly problematic. emphasis supplied(And of course the argument of the pros and cons of that are another discussion.) Everything in the culture is now scrutinized in some context of “social justice“, so where a “fine stereo system“ was some thing a successful “gentleman“ might have in his home or apartment, the idea of a sophisticated gentleman is no longer part of the culture. And the beads and baubbles that went along with that are also absent, save perhaps for watches and automobiles. Men are constantly portrayed now as absent minded schlubs incapable of fixing a leaky faucet. Take for example “pajama boy” sitting around drinking his cocoa and contemplating what policy of Obamacare he was qualified for. Long gone are the Lee Marvin‘s, the Burt Lancaster‘s, and the John Wayne’s of yesterday.

For sure, 007 would have had a nice stereo.

Sigh.. I had hoped you weould take the hint. Predictably you chose to double down,

 

[rando]

For sure, 007 would have had a nice stereo.

Moneypenney certainly would've.

Chemical neutering or a better life through chemistry had a well established impact on the sexes. Nothing to do with a woman who enjoys taking her own balls out a purse when the situation calls for it. Or a man who finds knitting relieves previous generations evolution present in his hands.

 

[Bobvin]

Sigh.. I had hoped you weould take the hint. Predictably you chose to double down,

I am not exactly clear what point you are making?

This thread is about the state of the industry/hobby. I was just trying to throw out, as a thought experiment, ways in which cultural changes may impact the perception of what it is to own a stereo system.

 

[Al M.]

In the context of Camille Paglia’s take on Hugh Hefner, yeah, a thoughtful person could make an argument that feminism and wokeness have done major damage to a cultural sense of sophisticated masculinity. Instead we have toxic masculinity, and the general feminization of men. I am sure on college campuses any idea of “seduction“ would be highly problematic. (And of course the argument of the pros and cons of that are another discussion.) Everything in the culture is now scrutinized in some context of “social justice“, so where a “fine stereo system“ was some thing a successful “gentleman“ might have in his home or apartment, the idea of a sophisticated gentleman is no longer part of the culture. And the beads and baubbles that went along with that are also absent, save perhaps for watches and automobiles. Men are constantly portrayed now as absent minded schlubs incapable of fixing a leaky faucet. Take for example “pajama boy” sitting around drinking his cocoa and contemplating what policy of Obamacare he was qualified for. Long gone are the Lee Marvin‘s, the Burt Lancaster‘s, and the John Wayne’s of yesterday.

For sure, 007 would have had a nice stereo.

Oh dear, you have a sad view of the world. I have a positive, forward looking view of the world, and the last thing I would do is yearn for the "good old days". Old yes, good, not so much. No, times are getting better and better.

As for the rants against today's youth in another post by someone else, that is a hopeless caricature as well. In our biotech company we have brilliant, very hard working, ambitious young scientists, quite the opposite of the portrayals of lazy youth that feels privileged and doesn't want to anything. My 10 year old godson is smart, and knows much more about life and the world than I did at his age. Good for him, I'm proud.

And it seems to me that all the complaints about young people seeking "safe spaces" come from grumpy old men who are the most into their own type of gigantic (media) "safe spaces" themselves. Pathetic, if you think about it.

 

[Bobvin]

Oh dear, you have a sad view of the world. I have a positive, forward looking view of the world, and the last thing I would do is yearn for the "good old days". Old yes, good, not so much. No, times are getting better and better.

As for the rants against today's youth in another post by someone else, that is a hopeless caricature as well. In our biotech company we have brilliant, very hard working, ambitious young scientists, quite the opposite of the portrayals of lazy youth that feels privileged and doesn't want to anything. My 10 year old godson is smart, and knows much more about life and the world than I did at his age. Good for him, I'm proud.

And it seems to me that all the complaints about young people seeking "safe spaces" come from grumpy old men who are the most into their own type of gigantic (media) "safe spaces" themselves. Pathetic, if you think about it.

Not so sad, Al. I‘m a happy fella, blessed beyond what I deserve. That I have some nostalgia for the past not such a bad thing. Times change, surely not all for the better. How have those changes impacted the audio hobby -- I’m just tossing out some ideas is all.

 

[Al M.]

Not so sad, Al. I‘m a happy fella, blessed beyond what I deserve. That I have some nostalgia for the past not such a bad thing. Times change, surely not all for the better. How have those changes impacted the audio hobby -- I’m just tossing out some ideas is all.

That's fair, Bob. Glad we both are happy fellas!

 

[Gregadd]

Surely you are aware political discussions are forbidden.

 

[Al M.]

Surely you are aware political discussions are forbidden.

But societal ones aren't, are they? It seems obvious that this is part of the thread topic, and of how the discussion evolved.

 

[Gregadd]

But societal ones aren't, are they? It seems obvious that this is part of the thread topic, and of how the discussion evolved.

You'd think.

 

[Al M.]

In the context of Camille Paglia’s take on Hugh Hefner, yeah, a thoughtful person could make an argument that feminism and wokeness have done major damage to a cultural sense of sophisticated masculinity. Instead we have toxic masculinity, and the general feminization of men.

You're romanticizing the past, I'm afraid. When I was in my teens and twenties there was tons of toxic masculinity around. Glad that some of the cultural expressions of that time are gone, or at least diminished. Society has made progress, for sure.

As for "general feminization of men", I don't even know what that means -- in real life that is, as opposed to caricature media portrayals.