Columns Retired Columns & Blogs |
An affordable price tag. Not all of us have incomes in the mid six figures, or are Stereophile contributors who get stuff for free.
Reader Mike Agee wonders why displays on disc players don't default to "time remaining" or why more power amps don't come with attenuators. What features do you think are missing from high-end audio components?
I think cable connections on components should be positioned for easy cable dressing. Some are quite good in this respect, others require that small signal and power cables be parallel and very near each other. If a special fuse, bit of damping, or footer makes a positive change in a component's sound, it should be mentioned in the product literature. A design is truly mature when accessory footers do no good.
Preamps should all have remote control standard. The oscillating fan I use in my den does, and it cost less than $100. There is no reason to have to get up for a minor volume control adjustment. Phono stages should either have adjustable resistance, or external receptacles. Ditto for capacitance for MM stages.
I would like fewer features. I would like a one-box system like the Linn Classik or Arcam Solo. But for CD only. No radio. No inputs. No interconnects or terminals. No source selection. No remote. No bi-wire or multiroom. No programming. Strip out all the non-essentials, and beef up the power (150Wpc or more, instead of the typical 50-75Wpc).
A non-encrypted, industry standard, hi-rez digital interface is the elephant in the room for this question. The recording industry seems to think the suppression of this technology, eagerly desired by its most ardent and well-heeled friends and followers, will help prevent the spread of pirated lo-rez MP3 files. Wow.