@devinplombier wrote:
Mindsets and beliefs related to audio and gear are cyclical. For instance, 50 years ago lamp cord was considered just fine, so fine indeed that power cords were permanently attached to components. Now the pendulum has swung all the way the other way, but as more and more folks realize the absurdity of spending as much money on a power cord as on the component it’s attached to, attitudes will continue to evolve and the zeitgeist revert to the mean.
You wonder why there isn’t more of a middle ground with power cords - maybe when the pendulum is one its way back we can experience the path in between on its way back to the other extreme.
I get the feeling that just because people don’t pay thousands of dollars for power cords it must follow they don’t care at all and that lamp cords is all it takes. [...] I’ve used my own low price DIY power cords for over a decade now, behind which there are conscious design decisions, and while I wouldn’t claim there aren’t better alternatives out there they just get out of the way not feeling like a bottleneck. Very well then, now let’s move on with the other, more important stuff.
It’s doubly interesting what you say, because 50 years ago pro and "audiophile" gear coexisted and were often interchangeable. McIntosh made both the pro MC2200 and hifi MC2205 - different face plates, same exact amp; it was OK to have a Crown amp powering your living room system; and so on.
Many audiophiles seem oblivious of the high level of engineering capacity and skill the pro sector really holds. Pro amps aren’t made to deliberately sound bad, for those who might believe that, but to be reliable, well cooled (actively with fans), powerful and with no fuss sonics that reflect good designs.
PA amps nowadays are very much about efficiency, very high power and cutting down weight (so, class D variations), but that doesn’t make them bad designs or necessarily "incompatible" sound-wise with home audio reproduction. Fixed installation studio amps (my preferred pro amp segment) have some manufacturers stick with class A/B topology for the best possible sound and where higher weight isn’t an issue.
I’ve heard older Crown amps like the Macro Tech 1200 which, apart from their cooling fans that produce noise akin to an angle grinder, were very well sounding. As is the Amcron DC300 series II and Crown Studio Reference I and II, as well as and not least my own MC² Audio S800 amps that won’t lose face against amps costing tens of thousands of dollars (which, like your example with the McIntosh amp, has a hi-fi sibling costing a lot more).
The high-end sector of hi-fi by comparison is a more or less boutique and highly idiosyncratic product segment that often tries to distinguish itself with a sonic "flavor" and fancy (i.e.: expensive) looks.
Even today, gear closely related to pro audio is actually sought after by audiophiles, as long as it presents in appropriate audiophile clothes. JBL Summit series, Bricasti, Bryston, Yamaha 5000 series, etc. Can the days be far ahead when things go full circle and pro gear is widely embraced by audiophiles? As always, education will help sort things out.
I believe that would take a paradigm shift that isn’t likely to happen unless the world at large would face a severe and long lasting recession. Even then I doubt audiophiles in general would be willing to accept pro segment products in "working clothes" and a large size factor with speakers; they still need the nice wrappings and glimmer that exudes exclusivity and that particular hi-fi/high-end scent.
In a way I prefer things a they are as it makes it easier to come by the interesting products of the pro arena without having to pay a fortune because the demand is skyhigh.
@invalid wrote:
I also like what Bob Carver said about pro audio equipment, "it’s made to play loud and not break".
While true it’s what isn’t said that’s interesting: it’s also how the majority of audiophiles view pro audio equipment, but importantly with the implicit extension to "It’s made to play loud and not break" with "... and nothing more." However the level of design pedigree and sonic potential to be found here is plentiful - for those willing to let loose preconceptions and look a little closer.
