Things I hate about Hifi

[GSV Ethics Gradient]

Legendary audio manufacturers, like Bowers & Wilkins, don't sell such complete systems currently.

What you would like isn't really an answer to the OP's question!

 

[Geoff P.]

Question - given the thread title, does all this count as a hate crime ? !!!

The day we all "hate" inanimate objects, the human race is in trouble !

 

[Kenneth Fernandes]

Where's the fun and experimentation in buying a pre-built system? It would be like buying a pre-assembled Lego set.

Leave it to the manufacturer, they obviously have state of the art facilities to research, test and validate products.

 

[RTHerringbone]

Leave it to the manufacturer, they obviously have state of the art facilities to research, test and validate products.

But what type of sound will this pre-built system have? What if it doesn't suit your preferences?

I hate analogies but it's like saying we should do away with car manufacturers because a car is a car and we should just trust any manufacturer to make a good one.

 

[GroeneLeeuw]

The only thing I hate about Hi-Fi is the pricing sometimes which are absurd.
50k+ for an amplifier? 150k+ for speakers??
Are you people nuts?

 

[Kenneth Fernandes]

But what type of sound will this pre-built system have? What if it doesn't suit your preferences?

I hate analogies but it's like saying we should do away with car manufacturers because a car is a car and we should just trust any manufacturer to make a good one.

The type of sound will define various other premium audio brands offerings and there will be lots of selections to choose from.

Just like car manufacturers already do and people pay a premium price to get those chosen features in their selected car brand.

 

[Stuart83]

Components that are now more clever than necessary.
My current amplifier has software that is updateable (via a mini USB socket).
It's an amplifier - and amplifying is all it needs to do.
My previous amp (from the same manufacturer) did perfectly well without software for decades.

Well said.

It's an excuse to release things unfinished or in gathering cases plain faulty always with that promise

"Oh there will be an update for this or that"

Ive had a few things with the update blues and even a cd player on demo without a search function or gapless playback to be told
"errrrr there would be an update for that but they didn't know when"
which was about as useful a statement as the functions being missing in the place

 

[Jasonovich]

The only thing I hate about Hi-Fi is the pricing sometimes which are absurd.
50k+ for an amplifier? 150k+ for speakers??
Are you people nuts?

I think these exotica products are big pat on the back marketing exercise but also targeted for the very rich.
Aim to attract the Sheiks, the chosen few or shallow minded celebrities who feel this heightens their exclusivity. Ownership of expensive artefact that farts out noise, is seen by them as a measure of their own uniqueness.

Is this something I hate? Not really, life is sometimes a circus and I think we've all experienced our fair share of the Clowns! 🙂

 

[Kenneth Fernandes]

@Jasonovich You should definitely consider adding a subwoofer to your system.

 

[RTHerringbone]

The type of sound will define various other premium audio brands offerings and there will be lots of selections to choose from.

Just like car manufacturers already do and people pay a premium price to get those chosen features in their selected car brand.

I think maybe this would be helpful in areas where the ability to audition components is limited, but in areas where it isn't then I really don't like the idea.

Lots of the fun and discovery in Hi-Fi is cross-brand synergies. What about those brands (and there are many) who don't make speakers, or don't make turntables etc.? You then need partnerships between brands to make complete systems and then the number of combinations of components means you more or less end up where we are now.

Choice is good.

 

[Kenneth Fernandes]

I think maybe this would be helpful in areas where the ability to audition components is limited, but in areas where it isn't then I really don't like the idea.

Lots of the fun and discovery in Hi-Fi is cross-brand synergies. What about those brands (and there are many) who don't make speakers, or don't make turntables etc.? You then need partnerships between brands to make complete systems and then the number of combinations of components means you more or less end up where we are now.

Choice is good.

We are now in the digital era and not in the turntable era, so auditioning audio components before purchasing is history, if audio manufacturers now begin to sell a complete Hi-Fi digital system in a single box package that’s already tested and validated with all the components in use at the factory.

The companies manufacturing only separate components have definitely stemmed from the turntable era that are still in business today. That’s why there exists those specific brands.

So, there could be various lengedary audio manufacturers, of different geographies, selling a complete digital Hi-Fi system in a box to customers to choose from.

 

[RTHerringbone]

So, there could be various lengedary audio manufacturers, spanning across geographies, selling a complete digital Hi-Fi system in a box to customers to choose from.

Ah OK. I fundamentally disagree with you on many levels so won't draw this out.

What I would say is that if we're now in a digital era then why aren't these legendary manufacturers already doing this? After all "they obviously have state of the art facilities to research, test and validate products". It should just be possible to do it right now, surely?

 

[Kenneth Fernandes]

@RTHerringbone Also, that’s bankruptcy and lifetime custodial enquiry for those brands who still sell audio components that require auditioning in current times, till a fully factory tuned digital Hi-Fi system in a box is launched.

 

[Kenneth Fernandes]

Ah OK. I fundamentally disagree with you on many levels so won't draw this out.

What I would say is that if we're now in a digital era then why aren't these legendary manufacturers already doing this? After all "they obviously have state of the art facilities to research, test and validate products". It should just be possible to do it right now, surely?

I edited the previous post.

Lol! That’s interesting
That surely means that Bowers & Wilkins are set to launch a complete digital Hi-Fi system in a box that comes with a pair of floor standing loudspeakers, digital media centre amplifier, cables, connectors and a subwoofer perfectly packaged in one large box which has already been tested and tuned to work in unison with all those components to the company’s sound at the factory.

 

[Friesiansam]

Also, that’s permanent bankruptcy and lifetime custodial enquiry for those brands who still sell audio components that require auditioning in current times.

That’s just silly. There will always be variation between products and brands, everybody’s lustening room is different, everybody’s ears are different and, we all have different preferences when it comes to exactly how we want our gear to sound. Auditioning is the only way to make sure new gear is right for us.

The only way to end auditioning, is for all HiFi to be identical, nobody is going to want that.

 

[Al ears]

@RTHerringbone Also, that’s permanent bankruptcy and lifetime custodial enquiry for those brands who still sell audio components that require auditioning in current times.

All components require auditioning at all times, unfortunately.

 

[RTHerringbone]

This discourse is the thing I hate about Hi-Fi 😆

 

[Entrigo]

Many, it's almost an endless list but up there is when folks show their system/s and state it is humble when really, it costs an arm and a leg.

I know, humble means different things to different people but compared to what ... Absolute Sound's listening rooms?

Yeah humble brags aren't cool...

 

[Entrigo]

It's a little harsh? 🤣
I think most people are just happy to share.

There's a natural equilibrium about it because, there's always someone who has something more grand but who cares, it isn't a competition, it's about the passion.

From my perspective, the real value is not what you own but what is inside you. Yep basically I'm from TEMU 🤣

Yeah absolutely, but absolutey no need to say "my modest setup" when it cost £10/20k...

 

[Entrigo]

Where's the fun and experimentation in buying a pre-built system? It would be like buying a pre-assembled Lego set.

Yup. When I first approached the Hi-Fi world in the mid 90s, there was this rumour/belief/urban myth that a proper set up had to be made up of separates from different brands, let alone "all in one" or pre-built systems...

I actually still follow that - though I recently started "Rega-fying" my setup.

 

[Entrigo]

The only thing I hate about Hi-Fi is the pricing sometimes which are absurd.
50k+ for an amplifier? 150k+ for speakers??
Are you people nuts?

Yes but... £10k for a cable? 🤣🤦‍♂️

 

[Kenneth Fernandes]

All components require auditioning at all times, unfortunately.

I edited my previous post,

Yes, in the state of the art testing facility at the factory, before selling the complete system, with all the components, to customers.

 

[Kenneth Fernandes]

That’s just silly. There will always be variation between products and brands, everybody’s lustening room is different, everybody’s ears are different and, we all have different preferences when it comes to exactly how we want our gear to sound. Auditioning is the only way to make sure new gear is right for us.

The only way to end auditioning, is for all HiFi to be identical, nobody is going to want that.

I did edit my previous post.

It would be great to have a different system in a box from a different manufacturer and country placed in separate rooms. Who would not want to listen to those setups? Everybody will.

 

[Al ears]

I edited my previous post,

Yes, in the state of the art testing facility at the factory, before selling the complete system, with all the components, to customers.

State of the art or not it depends on who's auditioning....
Nobody can ever put forward a complete system that will sound good to everyone in everyone's own listening room so why bother?
Or have I completely missed your point?

 

[RTHerringbone]

I can see an appeal to consumers who aren't particular about the type of sound they want. It's a quick and easy solution that gets you a "proper" looking system from one vendor. But there are so many pitfalls and concessions to a one-size-fits-all approach that a good proportion of the population would steer clear.

My recent example is the speaker audition I did last week. Four sets of speakers from four different manufacturers, all of which sounded different when auditioned through the same amp and the same streamer, using the same tracks in the same room. A one-box solution denies you appreciation of that nuance, and denies you the opportunity to build a system that sounds how you want.