I believe its time to start thinking about "high end audio" a little differently and get back to what made us love the hobby in the first place. The Music!! I recently purchased a Long Range Bluetooth Receiver (Aircable Audio XR) from www.aircable.net and I gotta tell you, this thing sounds GREAT!! I know most audiophiles frown on Bluetooth enabled devices for streaming audio but the convenience and functionality of this little device makes it well worth the slight difference in resolution. Its simple to hook up and pair with cell phones and tablets which makes it easy for my 20 year old daughter to enjoy her music on a truly high end system. If we want new blood in this hobby then giving the kids an opportunity to stream their content over a Bluetooth device like the Aircable Audio XR will make it that much easier to convince them of the difference a hi end audio rig can make. I have a $5k BAT preamp, a $6K PS AUDIO Perfect Wave DAC, PASS Labs SS amps as well as BAT REX tube mono blocks so I totally understand hi-res audio and the snobbery sometimes associated with it. The cool thing is for around $100 bucks you can just plug the Aircable Audio XR directly into one of the coaxial inputs of a DAC and let the kids stream their music then simply switch inputs when youre ready to do some critical listening to your hi-res files or analog rig etc. The other nice thing about the Aircable Bluetooth receiver is that it works at a much longer range than most of the other products out there. It allows streaming from anywhere in the house and also from outside on the deck without any noticeable degradation in the sound!! I know this sounds like an advertisement for Aircable but I just felt the need to post a quick review of this device especially when so many feel the "high end is dying or already dead" I say its time to start thinking outside of the box and give the convenience and popularity of Bluetooth a chance! You may be surprised at the response you get from the kids and possibly start to put a halt to the death spiral of high-end audio...
Is high-end audio dying, if not dead already???
Without sounding like the mad prophet of the airwaves, I think high-end audio is in its death throes. I would like to hear other opinions on this issue, but I think it is time to raise the question and also some hell as to what is happening to the high end audio and audio in general.
Here's why: Most of the major audio publications spend a great deal of time on romancing the "absolute" fidelity of computer audio and music that is digitally processed. On the other hand, you have critics, reviewers, celebrating the comeback of vinyl, analog, and turntables. The mantra goes: "it really does sound better, like real music", so chuck out your CD player, and buy a $5000 analog rig, and have fun again cleaning, preserving (a medium) searching record huts worldwide for pristine vinyl gems. Maybe, there are some shellac gems out there also
It seems the CD format has "OUTLIVED" its usefulness in the pursuit of the absolute sound because its technology and soft ware has never convincingly improved. It is like the BB King tune "the thrill is gone" or saying kids let's just change the channel for something more exciting and new.
High-end audio seems to now ( as the old joke goes)require a degree in engineering or rocket science to understand the circuitous (bad pun) route to audio nirvana. Equipment has gotten more expensive over the last 15 years, under the pretext that the electronic functions have increased and become more complicated. Take a look at the back of a 5 channel receiver or amp, or home theater receiver, a digital processor, etc. and you will see the future of audio. It might be easier to hook up a heart and lung machine.
Ironically, as high end audio and audio in general evolves, the music industry delivers more shit to the public's ears, Geez, I never knew that in order to really enjoy Shakira, JZ, Pharell, and the rest of the talentless trash discovered and pushed by American Idol, The Voice,and the popular Mega media, would require hearing it in absolute sound.
Here's why: Most of the major audio publications spend a great deal of time on romancing the "absolute" fidelity of computer audio and music that is digitally processed. On the other hand, you have critics, reviewers, celebrating the comeback of vinyl, analog, and turntables. The mantra goes: "it really does sound better, like real music", so chuck out your CD player, and buy a $5000 analog rig, and have fun again cleaning, preserving (a medium) searching record huts worldwide for pristine vinyl gems. Maybe, there are some shellac gems out there also
It seems the CD format has "OUTLIVED" its usefulness in the pursuit of the absolute sound because its technology and soft ware has never convincingly improved. It is like the BB King tune "the thrill is gone" or saying kids let's just change the channel for something more exciting and new.
High-end audio seems to now ( as the old joke goes)require a degree in engineering or rocket science to understand the circuitous (bad pun) route to audio nirvana. Equipment has gotten more expensive over the last 15 years, under the pretext that the electronic functions have increased and become more complicated. Take a look at the back of a 5 channel receiver or amp, or home theater receiver, a digital processor, etc. and you will see the future of audio. It might be easier to hook up a heart and lung machine.
Ironically, as high end audio and audio in general evolves, the music industry delivers more shit to the public's ears, Geez, I never knew that in order to really enjoy Shakira, JZ, Pharell, and the rest of the talentless trash discovered and pushed by American Idol, The Voice,and the popular Mega media, would require hearing it in absolute sound.