Post by Deleted on Mar 29, 2018 9:43:03 GMT
Vinyl:
I'm still very surprised at the vinyl revival and I wonder just how long it will be before it wanes. I get that small numbers of Audiophile pressings may continue, but is the really going to be a market beyond that going forward? I still think it offers the best sound but it takes lots of storage space and is really high maintenance in terms of the hardware and software. It also requires a bit of knowledge. It's nowhere near as "plug and play" as CD. I can't see the younger generation being tolerant of any of these factors.
CD:
Plenty people have already written an epitaph for CD. The high-street sellers are disappearing and there is always talk of laser mechs failing. I don't agree with this pessimistic outlook. There are billions of used CDs out there and many are under a pound. Lasers generally don't die as easily as people think either. It's usually not the laser that's failed. Even then, there are lots of mechs out there both new and used. You may struggle to buy new titles in future but that won't affect me and many others. There are thousands of unexplored artists out there and I never buy new releases these days.
Other Physical Media
I don't see any of the other media surviving very long. SACD and DVD Audio don't seem to have a future to me and I'm not aware of anything else likley to appear or grow. Am I missing something?
Streaming:
I have zero interest in any non-physical formats and I will NEVER use a computer or anything remotely resembling one to play music. I would also never pay a subscription: I want to own the music I play. I want to hold it in my hands and I want to read the cover notes or booklet.
I'm still interested to know if streaming is more likely to be subscription or purchase based. Also what will happen with quality? Will streaming be the death of hifi? I think it probably will, but not right away. To me, it's only a short leap from doing away with physical software to doing the same with the hardware. Are we headed for tiny Chinese-made class D amp/DAC modules and multi room wireless speakers. Will we end up with something like the Muso?
In the end, I guess it won't matter hugely to me because I will always have used vinyl and CDs to seek out and I will ensure I have enough hardware spares to last me a lifetime. I will miss hifi forums though. I have no interest in reading or discussing computer audio and streaming, beyond how it will impact conventional hifi and physical media. The drift towards more of these threads and less about physical media and conventional hifi is already there to see. I reckon it will only increase to the point where I will feel out of place and not bother with forums.
Thoughts anyone?
I'm still very surprised at the vinyl revival and I wonder just how long it will be before it wanes. I get that small numbers of Audiophile pressings may continue, but is the really going to be a market beyond that going forward? I still think it offers the best sound but it takes lots of storage space and is really high maintenance in terms of the hardware and software. It also requires a bit of knowledge. It's nowhere near as "plug and play" as CD. I can't see the younger generation being tolerant of any of these factors.
CD:
Plenty people have already written an epitaph for CD. The high-street sellers are disappearing and there is always talk of laser mechs failing. I don't agree with this pessimistic outlook. There are billions of used CDs out there and many are under a pound. Lasers generally don't die as easily as people think either. It's usually not the laser that's failed. Even then, there are lots of mechs out there both new and used. You may struggle to buy new titles in future but that won't affect me and many others. There are thousands of unexplored artists out there and I never buy new releases these days.
Other Physical Media
I don't see any of the other media surviving very long. SACD and DVD Audio don't seem to have a future to me and I'm not aware of anything else likley to appear or grow. Am I missing something?
Streaming:
I have zero interest in any non-physical formats and I will NEVER use a computer or anything remotely resembling one to play music. I would also never pay a subscription: I want to own the music I play. I want to hold it in my hands and I want to read the cover notes or booklet.
I'm still interested to know if streaming is more likely to be subscription or purchase based. Also what will happen with quality? Will streaming be the death of hifi? I think it probably will, but not right away. To me, it's only a short leap from doing away with physical software to doing the same with the hardware. Are we headed for tiny Chinese-made class D amp/DAC modules and multi room wireless speakers. Will we end up with something like the Muso?
In the end, I guess it won't matter hugely to me because I will always have used vinyl and CDs to seek out and I will ensure I have enough hardware spares to last me a lifetime. I will miss hifi forums though. I have no interest in reading or discussing computer audio and streaming, beyond how it will impact conventional hifi and physical media. The drift towards more of these threads and less about physical media and conventional hifi is already there to see. I reckon it will only increase to the point where I will feel out of place and not bother with forums.
Thoughts anyone?
