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I've worked in the HighEnd Audio Industry and the Automotive Industry.
People, by and large, strongly prefer the non-intrusive character of MP3 ( Car audio ) type Music Playback Systems to our ( my ) HighEnd Audio Systems . The difference in popularity is probably 99.98% vs .02% annnnnnndddd I can prove it! ( but all of us already know it fully well )
There certainly are people that like Big Sound from time to time ( swimming pool parties ) but it's an exception. People will actually shun an Audio System owner playing ( showing-off ) the Audiophile System, it's part of the reason that Magnepans are more accepted in the main living spaces of a home ( rather than powerfully dynamic Klisphorns )
We dedicated Audiophiles can find ourselves banished to the Basement. ( like Analog Turntable people with giant Amplifiers, giant Imposing colossus Loudspeakers, multi-thousand 33.3 musty record collections and all the exaggerated paraphernalia we are so fond of discovering )
Sensible families might tolerate a elegantly simple all inclusive Linn 530 System that plays any source of music ever devised yet is carefully engineered for anyone to easily access.
People CAN tell the difference between MP3, they've learned that they prefer it, they will actually spend BIG money making it tiny and invisible so that they can live with it being non-invasive & non-impactful in their lives.
Dammit, I'm still a Koetsu Lover, they can't take that away from me!
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Quad 405
Egads,
Years ago, I was rather shocked to read the JA confession of owning the 405. I owned one too, because of it's striking front heatsink appearance, dam good price from the UK distributor, nice color chassis, multi-power supply ability and mostly because I was selling two to three pairs of Quad 63's per week. The little Amp worked and sold. I then thought that our JA was an Organization Man not an articulate HighEnd Audiophile. I still admired JA because HFN&RR was so dam Good! Then JA purchased Krell and all was forgiven. phew, close one. I'd like to suggest that every one of us have purchased a goodly bit of rubbish product...
which is why...
We need and love Stereophile.
Which is why we desperately need accurate reviewing instead of Company's Advocate's recommended Opinions.
I'll contend that we are only partly to blame for buying the wrong gear when we read over-reaching statements about marginal products reviewed for large advertisers. ( General Motors for example )
When I was B&K Importing UK gear, Manufacturing Audio Bits, Retailing HighEnd Audio at Esoteric Audio and doing our own Jury testing of Product for Sale on our Sales Floor, we were disappointed by some/much Manufactured Product being sent to us for Retail Sales, gear that was "properly" reviewed by credentialed reviewers ! Gordon Holt's criticism of the reviewing industry was accurate.
Kathy at Thiel & Quincy Jones recommended Electrocompaniet from Karen Sumner --- Superb Product.
John Atkinson recommended Koetsu --- Greatness
Enid Lundley recommended Monster Cable --- best product Line we had
Tony Cordesman recommended Conrad-Johnson --- we bought in deep, it was horrible
Karen Sumner ( now Transparent ) brought us Bruce Brisson --- Best Cable ever!!
England brought us Linn, Rogers, Pro-Ac, scads of Turntables --- all the Brit. stuff sold & performed well
the Absolute Sound recommended EAR 509 Amps which were horrible. --- Phew.
So, when reviewers resort to one of those standard closing cliches like : "should be on the short list" or "I highly recommend" or "if budget permits" ....
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Psychoacoustics
I went to a Headphone Meet at Overture Audio in Ann Arbor ( 2015 ) and there learned :
1.) that my 7 Decade old hearing tapers off above 8k which makes auditioning DACs difficult to impossible.
2.) Tubes are lovely singers , Solid State can be nice too but not glorious like tubes can be.
I sought Professional help at University of Michigan's Audiology's department. I learned more than I'd hoped to :
No.1) Music creates dopamine in our nervous system
No.2) Our personal nervous system ( ears, all connecting nerves and brain ) has been in a constant state of self tuning and adjusting ( since birth ). It can compensate for missing bits of data. It can extrapolate.
No.3) My personal hearing system prefers dynamic drivers ( sennheiser HD headphone drivers ), class A amplification and is addicted to the dopamine that tube gear triggers in my brain.
So, our psychoacoustics profile is a factor in our choosing gear, we should rely on our listening experience. ( not reviewers )
Of course, I love reading the interesting stories that other Audiophiles tell about their Adventures, it's probably all that Stereophile Writers need do well is tell fascinating stories. That Quad 405/EL34 Story is a great example!
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I'm moving to Florida and disconnecting from all Internet.
I'm off-the-air for the rest of the year, probably.
There are wonderful things happening here at Stereophile , it's a great place and has been a lovely hibernation companion. I continue my Print Subscription and will contribute my previously loved issues to my local Barber Shop!!!
I'm also continuing Patreon for Steve G. ( what would this World be like without Steve G & HR ? )
Tony heading to Venice Florida, the Tropics, "God's waiting Room"