Old tech outlast new?

[Cricketbat70]

I have mentioned on a number of threads that to help me sleep I listen to music at night (Spotify on my phone and one Bluetooth earbud) For the last few nights I have been using a 20+year old Sony NW-S703F atrac music player and a pair of bose triport earphones with insulation tape round the cable near the 3.5mm jack as the outer sheath has split. Last night the battery was showing 1bar. I expected it to die part way through the night. My alarm went off at 6:00 and it was still going strong OK the one battery bar now flashing. The battery in that little device is better than the batteries in my newer Sony MP3 players and I still maintain that sony's atrac format is better than MP3. As for the bose earphones I'm just hoping the cable never splits completely. I have been watching a few pairs of bose soundsport wired earphones on ebay in case it does finslly give up the ghost. I tried do get some heat shrink plastic tube from work to cover that split but the stupid shaped jack on those earphones means you can't get heat shrink tubing onto the cable.
So yeah old tech still going strong. Picture of a NW-S703F with official sony earphones from the Internet.

 

[Gray]

Know what you mean about heat shrink - I've often wanted to put it where it won't go.
Might soon be necessary for you to cut the earplugs wire and fit a new plug.
Though that's not going to be the easiest job - thanks to the type of cable they always use on ear/headphones 🤨.

I hate to see anything get thrown away.
Always like a challenge to prevent things getting binned.
(It's a family joke that I'm attracted to the cage full of electrical items at the council dump. I can't believe what some people chuck).

 

[Angle Poise-Lamp]

"Old tech outlast new"?

The problem with new things is manufacturers falling over themselves to add more bells, whistles and pointless doobries, then having to cut back on quality to reduce costs. Is the same with cars now and, many other things.

 

[DCarmi]

I recently charged up 2 Sandisk Clip+ from 2013 (one mine and one belonged to one of the kids), that had been lying in a drawer for yonks.
The only problem is I can't read such a small screen now, without some strong reading glasses!

Some tech lasts better than me!

 

[Cricketbat70]

I recently charged up 2 Sandisk Clip+ from 2013 (one mine and one belonged to one of the kids), that had been lying in a drawer for yonks.
The only problem is I can't read such a small screen now, without some strong reading glasses!

Some tech lasts better than me!

Oh yeah I was mortified when I hit 49 and was told I needed varifocals. I was like no I'll have a pair of distance vision glasses and a pair of reading glasses, yeah bad move. Next time I went for the varifocals. On my third pair now. I've got to the stage where I need to photograph cooking instructions on food with my phone and zoom in to be able to read them.

 

[The_Lecht_Rocks]

I got rid of an EVO150 for another NAIM NAIT50.
They are chalk and cheese in functionality and the wee NAIT outstrips every amp I demoed over a 2 year period due to its stripped back simplicity

 

[DCarmi]

Oh yeah I was mortified when I hit 49 and was told I needed varifocals.

Yup! Apparently the most common age for blokes to need specs is 43 . The most common age for blokes to get specs is 45. I was 45 when I got my readers. 🙂

 

[Angle Poise-Lamp]

Yup! Apparently the most common age for blokes to need specs is 43 . The most common age for blokes to get specs is 45. I was 45 when I got my readers. 🙂

I got my eyes tested and, my first glasses at 25, I was very surprised at the strong prescription I needed. Deterioration of eyesight creeps up on you, until you suddenly realise you can't see as well as you perhaps should. I have been using varifocals for about 15 to 20 years, plus a single vision pair for using the computer.

 

[Entrigo]

New tech isn't built to last. It is built to fail in the medium term (if you are lucky) so you buy again... Not just in Hi-Fi but across all consumer sectors.

 

[Cricketbat70]

Yup! Apparently the most common age for blokes to need specs is 43 . The most common age for blokes to get specs is 45. I was 45 when I got my readers. 🙂

I started wearing specs when I was 11 but my prescription remained the same for years then bang I hit 49 "oh you need varifocals"....."Nooooooooo!!!!"🤣

 

[Cricketbat70]

I got my eyes tested and, my first glasses at 25, I was very surprised at the strong prescription I needed. Deterioration of eyesight creeps up on you, until you suddenly realise you can't see as well as you perhaps should. I have been using varifocals for about 15 to 20 years, plus a single vision pair for using the computer.

I think I might need a single vision pair for computer work the reading part of the lens is so small when I turn or lift my head ever so slightly I'm looking through the distance part of the lens and everything is blurry.

 

[Angle Poise-Lamp]

I think I might need a single vision pair for computer work the reading part of the lens is so small when I turn or lift my head ever so slightly I'm looking through the distance part of the lens and everything is blurry.

I don’t get on with varifocals at all well when using the/ computer, single vision is far better. Before you get them, measure how far your face is from the monitor, and be sure to tell the optometrist or ophthalmologist testing your eye;s.

 

[DougK1]

I don't get on with varifocals at all so I've got two sets of specs. Wanted to get some cheap readers to scatter around the house, receptionist at my independent opticians said I wouldn't be able to get them in the strength I needed, +4.5. Went to Boots and picked up two pairs of +3.5, still too strong because I sit about two feet from my PC screen, they're even too strong for reading my tablet 🤦‍♂️

Opticians are full of scaremongering, eg, you'll get headaches without prescription lenses. I've had none whatsoever with the cheap readers I've bought for years. I do own one pair of prescription specs though.

 

[Al ears]

Am I the only one wondering what this is doing in the HiFi forum??

 

[Angle Poise-Lamp]

Am I the only one wondering what this is doing in the HiFi forum??

What use is a Hi-Fi, if you can't see where it is?

 

[Cricketbat70]

What use is a Hi-Fi, if you can't see where it is?

🤣🤣

 

[Revolutions]

I’m dreading the day I need glasses.

Modern hifi… most of it will last a long time. Circuit boards are a problem as you can’t really repair them, but I doubt the elements fall into the world of planned obsolescence. Bigger issue is software. Not only do units have a bit of an issue with old hard drives- think that’s fixable- but one thing we can’t escape is no more software support = redundant amp.

I do love 70s amps & speakers largely cos they look awesome. I’ve used some 90s hifi in the last few years & it sounded just as good as a modern amp.

 

[daytona600]

Am I the only one wondering what this is doing in the HiFi forum??

Long gone are the days when Hifi gear 50-70 years old is still working today
Garrard 301/401 , Thorens TD124 , Technics SP10 etc

Most modern stuff is soon to be landfill & some will never get out of warranty

 

[Cricketbat70]

Bigger issue is software. Not only do units have a bit of an issue with old hard drives- think that’s fixable- but one thing we can’t escape is no more software support = redundant amp.

Like my seagate NAS drive. Still works on my network for streaming my music but a number of years ago Seagate withdraw the Web interface for remote access and access to secure folder etc. The public folder where my music is stored fine but my private folder I can't even access it anymore as I need to log in with that withdrawn Web interface.

 

[abacus]

Like my seagate NAS drive. Still works on my network for streaming my music but a number of years ago Seagate withdraw the Web interface for remote access and access to secure folder etc. The public folder where my music is stored fine but my private folder I can't even access it anymore as I need to log in with that withdrawn Web interface.

You should still have access to all your files on your local network, make sure you are the administrator and allow access to all files.

Bill

 

[DCarmi]

It is not just the physical features of equipment that affect longevity. AS Cricketbat70 indicated, software/firmware support is one of the main drivers for obsolescence .

• If you are lucky your shiny new phone will have 7 years of upgrades but many have much less, potentially leaving you vulnerable
• Recently many functional PCs were left with no upgrade route for Windows
• Smart devices suddenly become dumb because software is no longer supported e.g. Netflix is no longer supported on some older TVs. My BluRay devices are now both dumb but will happily play discs.
• Logitech Harmony remotes were rendered inoperable
• Older FireTV sticks may still work but software bloat makes then virtually unusable
• etc etc

On the plus side, my:

• Sony BluRay from 2016 still plays discs, if no smarts
• Rega Planar 3 from 1986 still plays Vinyl
• Mission Speakers from 2000 still produce audio
• Cassette Deck from 1990 can still play the tape (occasional use)

 

[Al ears]

It is not just the physical features of equipment that affect longevity. AS Cricketbat70 indicated, software/firmware support is one of the main drivers for obsolescence .

• If you are lucky your shiny new phone will have 7 years of upgrades but many have much less, potentially leaving you vulnerable
• Recently many functional PCs were left with no upgrade route for Windows
• Smart devices suddenly become dumb because software is no longer supported e.g. Netflix is no longer supported on some older TVs. My BluRay devices are now both dumb but will happily play discs.
• Logitech Harmony remotes were rendered inoperable
• Older FireTV sticks may still work but software bloat makes then virtually unusable
• etc etc

On the plus side, my:

• Sony BluRay from 2016 still plays discs, if no smarts
• Rega Planar 3 from 1986 still plays Vinyl
• Mission Speakers from 2000 still produce audio
• Cassette Deck from 1990 can still play the tape (occasional use)

I think you have hit the nail on the head. The need for equipment that does everything, as opposed to just one job well, and the need for software to operate said equipment is the best way to damn it to the scrapheap early.
Fortunately most of my hifi does not require software updates.....