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It was about two weeks ago.
A few close audio buddies & I were observing what is becoming more & more an endangered species, one which previously appeared abundantly throughout communities from East coast to West. Born domesticated & exceedingly friendly to humans, at times more cultivated than the average man & predictably loyal as your best dawg, we found ourselves fortunate to be in the presence of what used to be known as a local audio shop.
However, even this rare current example did not fit the quintessential pureblood pedigree, or resemble those of my fast faded youth in that visitation apears allowed only as a privilege, with the impulse eradicating, entry & mid-level discouraging, “By Appointment Only” caveat.
I do not know about you, but when I hear this phrase, my mind instantly translates it into:
“NO! We do NOT allow for browsing, loitering the afternoon away, or letting anybody interested in music casually ‘dropping by’. Nor are we willing to invest time to develop relationships with our clients in order to discover the genuine concern of their likes, dislikes & philosophies relative to the personal experience each one of them has with music. & we absolutely, positively, have no time whatsoever for nurturing potential new audiophiles in the joys of high-fidelity reproduction done right, done well, or done on a budget. We most certainly are not here to cultivate a hobby, a passion, or a love for music. We- my dear potential next boat payment, driving that leased Lexus customer- we are here for one thing & one thing only. We are here to make a profit. So do not waste our time, move along now please, thank you V much.”
The appearance from my standpoint, though I can quote no verified research to substantiate such conjecture, is most so called ‘audio shops’ today subsidize their high-end audio products via substantial profit margins reaped from installation of such things as home alarms, low fidelity wireless intercoms (aka Sonos), whole-house integrated HVAC environmental-security-lighting-video-entertainment-Ipad iPhone controlled- smart learning artificial intelligence- NSA accessible, new-blue-cumulous cloud based customization with expandable (optional $$$) drone control packages & of course along with the all too familiar & pervasive Home Theater sporting ten 16” subwoofers & accelerometers attached to your furniture to shake, not stir, your world better than a gallon of 007’s best made vodka martinis on an empty stomach. The reality is, in today’s market we (the so-called, often scorned, continually misunderstood & woe unto us ‘audiophile’) are the ‘one percenters’. There is just not many of us out there perusing high-fidelity two-channel these days. Technology has brought with it just too many other distractions. So for me it is easily seen as a difficult proposition to unearth sustainable profit in such a meager market given the slim margin available & high overhead for brick & mortar retailers.
It can get more complex the deeper we look, too. But do not jump to conclusion that being the old curmudgeon that I am, I will now spend the next two paragraphs bemoaning the consequence of the internet & direct sales. Far from it. I see this aspect of today’s audio market providing some of the best value our hobby has sorely been missing for decades. My worry is more over who is minding the kids. The kids, like the ones who over 45 years ago would just hang out in the local audio shop every other weekend or so. & what of the guys working in the shops who actually were excited to show us, teach us, make it possible for us to learn about the pure emotional joy we could receive from any number of mind-expanding musical performances from Blue Oyster Cult to Rachmaninoff?
My hat is off, my eyes cast downward, my pride humbled to these mentors of the fledglings, curators of the concertos, keepers of the consonant resonance, custodians of the first pressing collectable. These same stewards who took time to show a 13 year old how a Transcriptor Vestigial tone-arm actually tracked an entire 33 1/3 rpm record at a near-perfect 90 degree tangent & thusly limiting distortion caused from tracking angle error, or explain just exactly why these Dahlquist DQ-10’s sound better than the Wharfedale, but not near as good the Quad ELS 63’s, & reveal why a Linn turntable imparts less noise with more constant speed control than the Pioneer. The mentors who taught appreciation of Be Bop, Mahler & Mahavishnu Orchestra when the only other influences available were AM top forty & routine FM Rock. & years later, after that kid had saved up the money of summer-jobs to buy an entry level system made up of Advent receiver, cassette deck & loudspeakers to take to college, just where could he go for this relatively significant purchase? This question being one of a rhetorical nature, obviously, as the adolescent here described making the journey to manhood is none other than yours truly.
So anyway, let us lament no longer here, as the old fashioned audio store has morphed into what we currently see before us: contractors paid by the customer’s home equity financing; a few of which whom still carry honest to goodness high-fidelity -two channel gear.
Now, getting back to our little fieldtrip…..
We all arrive within seconds of each other at the shop’s parking lot, our timing by chance choreographed like a scene from some ‘B’ rated action flick where the entire gang arrive simultaneously at the hideout to prepare for the climatic showdown.
We enter the store displaying our usual natural grace & charm, extending warm regards & appreciation to the owner - incessantly shadowed by his neonate, tagalong ‘sales associate’, himself relentless in his less than insidious sophomoric repetition of every pronouncement uttered by his sovereign - for taking time from what must be his insanely busy schedule (which is to be assumed I suppose since one is required to first make an appointment?). Well-seasoned audiophile veterans that we see ourselves as, we make sure to look pleased, but not too excited – never wanting to act like rookies - as we get the initial ten-cent tour of the showrooms.
Eventually, we settle into the main room & its premiere system where yet once again we must suffer the inevitable waterboarding session as the host bombards you at deafening level with their favorite ‘audiophile grade’ recording chosen specifically to demonstrate the astonishing, mind-boggling & unmatched capabilities of their equipment. & pray tell, just who among us is not guilty of same said sin? But once, just one time, I wish someone, anyone, would simply put on a good piece of music at a normal listening volume, shut up, & then leave the room. Hey, I can have dreams too, ya-know. (OK, I must be honest with you all. This exact scenario actually once took place. Law of averages I suppose if you visit enough shops. It was a few years back at a shop near Cleveland. Actually it is the same store where Dan [PewterTA] eventually bought his 802di’s. Coincidence?)
With all rituals, rights, sacraments & ceremonies duly performed to the host’s satisfaction were we ultimately then permitted opportunity to a more personal & meaningful evaluation as the volume knob was attenuated & we drew out our own select reference SeeDee’s with pent up vigor at speed comparable to any accomplished gun slinger producing the sight ball of a holstered Colt 45 between your eyes.
Throughout the remainder of the audition one disc in particular was receiving the overwhelming majority of play time. This glorious, live performance of musicianship was captured by some of the finest audio engineers & technicians at work today at a venue well suited for such undertakings. A snippet of time impeccably plucked & conserved, available to be effortlessly re-lived with miraculous truth & authenticity when ever such desire should strike one’s fancy. I wonder sometimes if we give deserving contemplation to how utterly fantastic such a notion we now take wholly for granted truly is? Grasping a slice of time, gone & never to be again, then recreated in god-like intent & ease with slightly more effort than a thought. Through technology, we have ourselves become gods of a bumbling sort, without even self-awareness of the event’s arrival.
Then it happened. One of our group pulls out a recently encountered favorite & has our host load the disc. Immediately brows buckled, foreheads furled, eyes widened & glared. The look on the faces of all who were within earshot was of pure horror. The sound emanating from what previously was akin to angel’s voices became grating, aggravating, tortuous, even terrifying. The amount of distortion we were experiencing was so obviously exaggerated it had to be dangerous. A mad dash was made to snuff the volume. You could read the caption floating ominously above everyone’s head, “Protect the Speakers! Protect the System!” All were terror-struck as if a sundry, well armed insurgency had launched Jihad directly at our most cherished religious idol. I stood steady all the while. Panic gradually subsided as objective reasoning assumed its normal state as befitted our small drove of audio techno-nerds. Like clockwork, the calls went out as grey matter calculated, logic & deduction churned out multiple, domino –like scenarios of mathematical cause & effect theories…..”Someone check the I/C connections!” “Did anyone verify the speakers are in phase?” “Is the polarity correct on all the cables?” “Is there a power issue?” “What about that transport? Is it set right?” “Where did that SeeDee come from?” “What software was used to burn it?” “It is lossless, obviously…..right?”
Ironic to me that such a recent, well known & well reviewed album so highly touted, awarded & discussed often & everywhere should reveal such blatantly poor recording engineering. Had no one else noticed previously? Though having heard of it, this was my first time to hear the music, despite its ubiquitous popularity. Not fooled by such obsessive compression I could tell straight away there was no equipment fault at issue. Tout au contraire, in fact part of the issue was the equipment’s ability to resolve with great authenticity the compressed, distorted character of the recording. Especially noticeable after only moments earlier hearing one of the best examples of what is actually achievable in the 16/44 format.
So it is, just as with fond memories of spending afternoons learning the basics of a lifelong & immensely rewarding hobby at Opus One Hi-Fi back in the early 70’s, finding newly produced music made with care & passion that evokes emotion is like searching out the last rare remaining examples of a dying species.
A few close audio buddies & I were observing what is becoming more & more an endangered species, one which previously appeared abundantly throughout communities from East coast to West. Born domesticated & exceedingly friendly to humans, at times more cultivated than the average man & predictably loyal as your best dawg, we found ourselves fortunate to be in the presence of what used to be known as a local audio shop.
However, even this rare current example did not fit the quintessential pureblood pedigree, or resemble those of my fast faded youth in that visitation apears allowed only as a privilege, with the impulse eradicating, entry & mid-level discouraging, “By Appointment Only” caveat.
I do not know about you, but when I hear this phrase, my mind instantly translates it into:
“NO! We do NOT allow for browsing, loitering the afternoon away, or letting anybody interested in music casually ‘dropping by’. Nor are we willing to invest time to develop relationships with our clients in order to discover the genuine concern of their likes, dislikes & philosophies relative to the personal experience each one of them has with music. & we absolutely, positively, have no time whatsoever for nurturing potential new audiophiles in the joys of high-fidelity reproduction done right, done well, or done on a budget. We most certainly are not here to cultivate a hobby, a passion, or a love for music. We- my dear potential next boat payment, driving that leased Lexus customer- we are here for one thing & one thing only. We are here to make a profit. So do not waste our time, move along now please, thank you V much.”
The appearance from my standpoint, though I can quote no verified research to substantiate such conjecture, is most so called ‘audio shops’ today subsidize their high-end audio products via substantial profit margins reaped from installation of such things as home alarms, low fidelity wireless intercoms (aka Sonos), whole-house integrated HVAC environmental-security-lighting-video-entertainment-Ipad iPhone controlled- smart learning artificial intelligence- NSA accessible, new-blue-cumulous cloud based customization with expandable (optional $$$) drone control packages & of course along with the all too familiar & pervasive Home Theater sporting ten 16” subwoofers & accelerometers attached to your furniture to shake, not stir, your world better than a gallon of 007’s best made vodka martinis on an empty stomach. The reality is, in today’s market we (the so-called, often scorned, continually misunderstood & woe unto us ‘audiophile’) are the ‘one percenters’. There is just not many of us out there perusing high-fidelity two-channel these days. Technology has brought with it just too many other distractions. So for me it is easily seen as a difficult proposition to unearth sustainable profit in such a meager market given the slim margin available & high overhead for brick & mortar retailers.
It can get more complex the deeper we look, too. But do not jump to conclusion that being the old curmudgeon that I am, I will now spend the next two paragraphs bemoaning the consequence of the internet & direct sales. Far from it. I see this aspect of today’s audio market providing some of the best value our hobby has sorely been missing for decades. My worry is more over who is minding the kids. The kids, like the ones who over 45 years ago would just hang out in the local audio shop every other weekend or so. & what of the guys working in the shops who actually were excited to show us, teach us, make it possible for us to learn about the pure emotional joy we could receive from any number of mind-expanding musical performances from Blue Oyster Cult to Rachmaninoff?
My hat is off, my eyes cast downward, my pride humbled to these mentors of the fledglings, curators of the concertos, keepers of the consonant resonance, custodians of the first pressing collectable. These same stewards who took time to show a 13 year old how a Transcriptor Vestigial tone-arm actually tracked an entire 33 1/3 rpm record at a near-perfect 90 degree tangent & thusly limiting distortion caused from tracking angle error, or explain just exactly why these Dahlquist DQ-10’s sound better than the Wharfedale, but not near as good the Quad ELS 63’s, & reveal why a Linn turntable imparts less noise with more constant speed control than the Pioneer. The mentors who taught appreciation of Be Bop, Mahler & Mahavishnu Orchestra when the only other influences available were AM top forty & routine FM Rock. & years later, after that kid had saved up the money of summer-jobs to buy an entry level system made up of Advent receiver, cassette deck & loudspeakers to take to college, just where could he go for this relatively significant purchase? This question being one of a rhetorical nature, obviously, as the adolescent here described making the journey to manhood is none other than yours truly.
So anyway, let us lament no longer here, as the old fashioned audio store has morphed into what we currently see before us: contractors paid by the customer’s home equity financing; a few of which whom still carry honest to goodness high-fidelity -two channel gear.
Now, getting back to our little fieldtrip…..
We all arrive within seconds of each other at the shop’s parking lot, our timing by chance choreographed like a scene from some ‘B’ rated action flick where the entire gang arrive simultaneously at the hideout to prepare for the climatic showdown.
We enter the store displaying our usual natural grace & charm, extending warm regards & appreciation to the owner - incessantly shadowed by his neonate, tagalong ‘sales associate’, himself relentless in his less than insidious sophomoric repetition of every pronouncement uttered by his sovereign - for taking time from what must be his insanely busy schedule (which is to be assumed I suppose since one is required to first make an appointment?). Well-seasoned audiophile veterans that we see ourselves as, we make sure to look pleased, but not too excited – never wanting to act like rookies - as we get the initial ten-cent tour of the showrooms.
Eventually, we settle into the main room & its premiere system where yet once again we must suffer the inevitable waterboarding session as the host bombards you at deafening level with their favorite ‘audiophile grade’ recording chosen specifically to demonstrate the astonishing, mind-boggling & unmatched capabilities of their equipment. & pray tell, just who among us is not guilty of same said sin? But once, just one time, I wish someone, anyone, would simply put on a good piece of music at a normal listening volume, shut up, & then leave the room. Hey, I can have dreams too, ya-know. (OK, I must be honest with you all. This exact scenario actually once took place. Law of averages I suppose if you visit enough shops. It was a few years back at a shop near Cleveland. Actually it is the same store where Dan [PewterTA] eventually bought his 802di’s. Coincidence?)
With all rituals, rights, sacraments & ceremonies duly performed to the host’s satisfaction were we ultimately then permitted opportunity to a more personal & meaningful evaluation as the volume knob was attenuated & we drew out our own select reference SeeDee’s with pent up vigor at speed comparable to any accomplished gun slinger producing the sight ball of a holstered Colt 45 between your eyes.
Throughout the remainder of the audition one disc in particular was receiving the overwhelming majority of play time. This glorious, live performance of musicianship was captured by some of the finest audio engineers & technicians at work today at a venue well suited for such undertakings. A snippet of time impeccably plucked & conserved, available to be effortlessly re-lived with miraculous truth & authenticity when ever such desire should strike one’s fancy. I wonder sometimes if we give deserving contemplation to how utterly fantastic such a notion we now take wholly for granted truly is? Grasping a slice of time, gone & never to be again, then recreated in god-like intent & ease with slightly more effort than a thought. Through technology, we have ourselves become gods of a bumbling sort, without even self-awareness of the event’s arrival.
Then it happened. One of our group pulls out a recently encountered favorite & has our host load the disc. Immediately brows buckled, foreheads furled, eyes widened & glared. The look on the faces of all who were within earshot was of pure horror. The sound emanating from what previously was akin to angel’s voices became grating, aggravating, tortuous, even terrifying. The amount of distortion we were experiencing was so obviously exaggerated it had to be dangerous. A mad dash was made to snuff the volume. You could read the caption floating ominously above everyone’s head, “Protect the Speakers! Protect the System!” All were terror-struck as if a sundry, well armed insurgency had launched Jihad directly at our most cherished religious idol. I stood steady all the while. Panic gradually subsided as objective reasoning assumed its normal state as befitted our small drove of audio techno-nerds. Like clockwork, the calls went out as grey matter calculated, logic & deduction churned out multiple, domino –like scenarios of mathematical cause & effect theories…..”Someone check the I/C connections!” “Did anyone verify the speakers are in phase?” “Is the polarity correct on all the cables?” “Is there a power issue?” “What about that transport? Is it set right?” “Where did that SeeDee come from?” “What software was used to burn it?” “It is lossless, obviously…..right?”
Ironic to me that such a recent, well known & well reviewed album so highly touted, awarded & discussed often & everywhere should reveal such blatantly poor recording engineering. Had no one else noticed previously? Though having heard of it, this was my first time to hear the music, despite its ubiquitous popularity. Not fooled by such obsessive compression I could tell straight away there was no equipment fault at issue. Tout au contraire, in fact part of the issue was the equipment’s ability to resolve with great authenticity the compressed, distorted character of the recording. Especially noticeable after only moments earlier hearing one of the best examples of what is actually achievable in the 16/44 format.
So it is, just as with fond memories of spending afternoons learning the basics of a lifelong & immensely rewarding hobby at Opus One Hi-Fi back in the early 70’s, finding newly produced music made with care & passion that evokes emotion is like searching out the last rare remaining examples of a dying species.
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