The Ugly Truth Behind Hi-Fi's Growing Infatuation For Nostalgia

[microstrip]

That is right. This image does belong in Playboy or GQ or the Rob report. Those publications have male readers looking for idea, ideas about style and how to live. Well the Playboy of old from what I remember from the 70s. This is about aspiration and lifestyle. The target audience is greater than merely audio files.

Here is another British loudspeaker from the 50s in the living room. Music listening as part of daily life.

View attachment 142987

Peter,

Should we assume that vintage magazines advertisement in the US were much more boring than that of European ones? As far as I remember advertisement in the UK and french vintage audio magazines included beautiful, well dressed women, not fireplaces!

If I was not afraid of hurting our senior readers susceptibility I would post the famous photo of the french ESL 57 advertisement (not so well dressed as usually ... ) , I will just post an UK photo ...

 

[ChasFreeland]

Peter,

Should we assume that vintage magazines advertisement in the US were much more boring than that of European ones? As far as I remember advertisement in the UK and french vintage audio magazines included beautiful, well dressed women, not fireplaces!

If I was not afraid of hurting our senior readers susceptibility I would post the famous photo of the french ESL 57 advertisement (not so well dressed as usually ... ) , I will just post an UK photo ...

View attachment 142988

The ESL57 looks like, a space heater, or a radiator in the drawing. "Honey," the woman sitting next to him says, "this speaker just doesn't have any hump hump." Note the 50s styled abstract art on the wall. Ah, the modern Western home. The pic below, by Richard Hamilton, is in this groove: "Just what is it that makes today's homes so different, so appealing?" Why, it's hi fi, of course, or a TV SET.

 

[Argonaut]

Nice to see you posting again @microstrip .

 

[PYP]

That is right. This image does belong in Playboy or GQ or the Rob report. Those publications have male readers looking for ideas about style and how to live. Well the Playboy of old from what I remember from the 70s. This is about aspiration and lifestyle. The target audience is greater than merely audio files.

Here is another British loudspeaker from the 50s in the living room. Music listening as part of daily life.

View attachment 142987

s'mores (American confection) + wine and eaten indoors by British folk? Is this an image created by AI?

But to your real point, yes music as part of daily life is a good image and example.

 

[DasguteOhr]

The prices you paid are just your own private deals - I will not ask you to disclose prices. I report on public data - I bought three SME 3012R from eBay and audiomarkt when I got the EMT927 in 2018 and I know how hard they were to sell and what I lost in the deal. Anyone can see the currently advertised prices.



Yes, IMO the interesting thing is nominating the coveted items and with specific knowledge them debating and finding why they are now so expensive. I can't see why Nakamichi Dragon's really sell for over 3000 euros and some people pay the same for a refurbished Revox PR99.

The dragon is a myth, everyone wanted one back then to record their music. Every hifi magazine says the dragon rules the world.
Nakamichi has the best sounding tape decks and Revox had the most reliable tape decks. The Revox H1 is a wonderful machine. Some people want to fulfill a dream, demand is high, it's as simple as that.

 

[microstrip]

(...) Nakamichi has the best sounding tape decks and Revox had the most reliable tape decks. The Revox H1 is a wonderful machine. Some people want to fulfill a dream, demand is high, it's as simple as that.

Yes, but in reality the expected reliability of these cassette machines is poor and maintenance is expensive and in the medium term, impossible to carry, as they use custom ICs and displays. I own two Nakamichi's (CR7A and 670Zx) with little use and both now need repairs. I put them on sale as they are, I am not spending money and time on them.

Fortunately we can easily expect to have spares (common discrete electronic and mechanical components) for Studer A80 for some decades.

 

[PeterA]

Westminster uses a backloaded horn, which when well designed, gives some of the best bass.

I was referring to the Vitavox CN-191, not the Westminster. I correctly described the WM in other posts.

This illustration is similar to my Vitavox CN-191. It appears that the woofer is in a sealed chamber and the horn is loaded from the front firing woofer. The difference between the CN-191 and Klipschorn is that the back of the former speaker is open to the corner walls of the room.

 

[Rensselaer]

That is right. This image does belong in Playboy or GQ or the Rob report. Those publications have male readers looking for ideas about style and how to live. Well the Playboy of old from what I remember from the 70s. This is about aspiration and lifestyle. The target audience is greater than merely audio files.

Here is another British loudspeaker from the 50s in the living room. Music listening as part of daily life.

View attachment 142987

So Graham crackers (Grahams flour, honey, cinnamon) still exist!

Living outside of the USA since 1985 I hadn’t seen them for many a year. The other day I reminisced biting the corners off of chocolate-covered Grahams and dipping them milk till mushy in the centre. I begged my sister in California to send me some, she did, but though written up as chocolate covered Grahams, they were not. Just plain white cookie in chocolate.

Like chicken from Colonel Sanders. It used to taste good. But, after his passing the company was bought by several different conglomerates, had it’s name changed and, unfortunately, it’s recipe. Corporation executives earn larger pay-checks by saving the company money. That might be through restructuring, automation and trimming employee numbers, or it might be by cutting one or more of the most expensive original “11 herbs and spices”. Not sure? Have you tasted KFC lately?

Now, relating to this thread, have you seen that SME bought Garrard. Instead of doing as CTC does (addressing the shortcomings of that classic turntable to make it competitive today) they instead took the cheaper path, put together turntables with leftover parts without addressing chassis flex and sloppy bearings, attached one of their newer tonearms and then market it as what they believe everyone who upgrades a 301 wants, and charges over £20,000.00 for it.

I believe that if you opened up all the new high-end gear at hi fi shows, much of it would consist of long-established designs put together with inexpensive off-the-shelf parts but housed in heavy chassis with a thick highly-polished slab of stainless steel faceplate adding 30-40 lbs and giving the impression of quality, that illusion further enforced by an outrageous sticker price.

Perhaps that is why many stopped buying new and improved and returned to vintage products (making their own improvements as and where useful). And perhaps the industry took note, now making new retro-styled rubbish with outrageous prices in hopes of capturing our money.

 

[microstrip]

Nice to see you posting again @microstip .

I will try to balance the intrinsic pessimism of some of our nostalgic members.

In fact reports show that the number of audiophiles seems to be increasing. I quote from https://jazzhipster.com/future-ready-sound-has-arrived/ I do not know about the situation in the US, but 2024 was a very good business year to high-end distributors in my country.

QUOTE
Current Market Size and Growth Projections

The global Hi-Res Audio market was valued at approximately $32.8 billion in 2023 and is projected to reach $78 billion by 2030, growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 12.3% during this period.(verifiedmarketresearch)
The premium audio market, which includes Hi-Res Audio products, is also on an upward trajectory, with expectations to grow from $9.8 billion in 2024 to about $21 billion by 2032, reflecting a CAGR of 9.9%.(globalgrowthinsights)
Key Drivers of Demand
Consumer Demand for Superior Quality: There is a growing appetite among consumers for enhanced audio experiences across music, movies, and gaming. This trend is particularly strong among audiophiles and those investing in home entertainment systems.(markwideresearch)(verifiedmarketresearch)
Technological Advancements: Innovations in audio technology, such as improved digital signal processing and high-quality digital-to-analog converters (DACs), have made Hi-Res Audio more accessible and affordable. These advancements enable better sound reproduction, further enticing consumers.
Streaming Services Adoption: The increasing availability of Hi-Res Audio on popular streaming platforms has significantly contributed to its market growth. Services that offer high-quality audio options encourage consumers to invest in compatible devices.(gminsights)
Integration with Smart Devices: The proliferation of smart devices that support Hi-Res Audio formats has expanded the market reach. Consumers are more inclined to purchase high-quality audio equipment that integrates seamlessly with their existing smart home setups.
Emerging Markets: Regions such as Asia-Pacific and Latin America are showing considerable potential for growth due to rising disposable incomes and a burgeoning interest in premium audio experiences. END OF QUOTE

Surely people who renounce to music produced after 1990 because bits cause headaches will have a different view.

 

[PeterA]

I will try to balance the intrinsic pessimism of some of our nostalgic members.

I am not pessimistic at all. One can find what he wants today in the market to satisfy most audio wishes. Also, nostalgia has nothing to do with my choices. I am not old enough to be nostalgic about this stuff. I own some vintage gear because of the sound and value, meaning price for enjoyment quality, nothing else.

Giggling from the usual expected.

 

[tima]

That is right. This image does belong in Playboy or GQ or the Rob report. Those publications have male readers looking for ideas about style and how to live. Well the Playboy of old from what I remember from the 70s. This is about aspiration and lifestyle. The target audience is greater than merely audio files.

Here is another British loudspeaker from the 50s in the living room. Music listening as part of daily life.

View attachment 142987

Great photo !

 

[disc-continued]

Hello Chat,

Clickbait? If anyone received a warning that their computer was infected with dangerous malware after reading that, remain skeptical!

Are some criticisms of the article genetic fallacy?

Does the article assume that all progress is good?

 

[microstrip]

So Graham crackers (Grahams flour, honey, cinnamon) still exist!

Living outside of the USA since 1985 I hadn’t seen them for many a year. The other day I reminisced biting the corners off of chocolate-covered Grahams and dipping them milk till mushy in the centre. I begged my sister in California to send me some, she did, but though written up as chocolate covered Grahams, they were not. Just plain white cookie in chocolate.

Like chicken from Colonel Sanders. It used to taste good. But, after his passing the company was bought by several different conglomerates, had it’s name changed and, unfortunately, it’s recipe. Corporation executives earn larger pay-checks by saving the company money. That might be through restructuring, automation and trimming employee numbers, or it might be by cutting one or more of the most expensive original “11 herbs and spices”. Not sure? Have you tasted KFC lately?

Now, relating to this thread, have you seen that SME bought Garrard. Instead of doing as CTC does (addressing the shortcomings of that classic turntable to make it competitive today) they instead took the cheaper path, put together turntables with leftover parts without addressing chassis flex and sloppy bearings, attached one of their newer tonearms and then market it as what they believe everyone who upgrades a 301 wants, and charges over £20,000.00 for it.

I believe that if you opened up all the new high-end gear at hi fi shows, much of it would consist of long-established designs put together with inexpensive off-the-shelf parts but housed in heavy chassis with a thick highly-polished slab of stainless steel faceplate adding 30-40 lbs and giving the impression of quality, that illusion further enforced by an outrageous sticker price.

Perhaps that is why many stopped buying new and improved and returned to vintage products (making their own improvements as and where useful). And perhaps the industry took note, now making new retro-styled rubbish with outrageous prices in hopes of capturing our money.

Surely you are right about what I also consider excessive price for performance of the new Garrard 301, but why focusing in a single case and ignoring the many excellent modern turntables at more accessive prices that have been developed and perfected during the last ten years? For example, we have great value for money turntables of brands such as Clearaudio, Scheu, EAT or Kuzma.

Fortunately we have specific sites and reviews that show us the inside of hifi equipment. IMO all we need is educating consumers to be sensitive to aspects such as built quality and objective aspects, not just to looks and subjective reviews.

As I own a nice collection of old Quad gear, including 33, 303, 34, 44, 405 and 66/606 my first instinctive reaction when I read about the new Quad 33/303 was of horror and sacrilege. But as soon as my blood cooled a bit I researched about them and decided that I must listen to them, just in case a friend asks for a recommendation.

I assume that I am many times guilty of enlightened nostalgia and collecting.

 

[PYP]

I will try to balance the intrinsic pessimism of some of our nostalgic members.

Emerging Markets: Regions such as Asia-Pacific and Latin America are showing considerable potential for growth due to rising disposable incomes and a burgeoning interest in premium audio experiences. END OF QUOTE

Would be interesting to know what sells well in the emerging markets.

 

[JackD201]

All markets are down