Happy 2017 to all. What’s new in the world of component stereo? Not much as far as the eye can see. It’s a new tech. age, people’s lives are on a little dainty, feminine thing called a cell phone in their pocket. Music, business, romance, mostly stupidity, and everything else is contained on this little thing called an IPhone or Android. Music, sure whip out the headphones plug it right into your little life toy and mosey on down to one of the sites for pay/free music.

Most music and audio equipment lovers grew up in a different age. Remember vinyl records lasted almost 100 years before being replaced. Now every time we look there is a new way of listening to your favorite tunes. Records, Eight Tracks, Cassettes, CDs are pretty much done deal ready for the scrap pile.

Why does anyone need quality music reproduction or listening gear anymore. There is NO need for it since there is little real music being produced. Do we need a system with Krell  Mono Blocks with a McIntosh Pre-Amp and B&W Nautilus speakers to listen to one of our modern day female vocalists lip sync. Or maybe some modern hip hop or some gangsta rap? Yeah, yeah I know all about the garage band going to make it big playing in a garage in Helsinki Finland, lol. It ain’t happening.

Am I down about the whole thing? Not really, I wish new music that I could enjoy was still being produced on a commercial scale. I find some new stuff here and there even though newly pressed albums cost $30.00 +. I still have equipment I fix up and use on a daily basis so I am good to go. I have a vast album collection acquired from thirty years of the yard-sale scene.

So it is doubtful that receivers, amplifiers, pre-amps, etc. will ever make a comeback. We live in a new world where the powers that be want you working until your last heartbeat. Nice middle class things such as pensions, health insurance, saving a few bucks in the bank, security and stability,(most of all privacy), decent living space, are not on the table for the next generation. What does this have to do with stereo equipment? Where are you going to listen to it? In your condo/town home barracks environment where if you turn up the volume everyone living in the separated warehouse hears your music. Most new homes in city and even in rural areas don’t allow for hobby’s or interests. They are simply places to eat, sleep, watch TV, repeat. In fact the HOA in your new neighborhood is on the prowl telling you they are making your life better, with their rules and restrictions, lol.  When this big boat anchor stereo stuff was made whether you were rich, poor, or middle of the road you had some space and privacy and could make some noise. Basically, as previously stated in most areas of the country homes are being built on top of one another even if they are single family. You can’t make much noise. You don’t miss what you never had, so many millennials know little about rights or privacy and could care less. A new IPhone is coming out in two weeks, life is good.

The only place there has been advancements in audio equipment are in automobiles. Sadly, it fits the pattern in our new tech. world. You NEVER can get good quality sound out of an automobile due to space limitations. Car audio is much better then it used to be but it can’t compare to fine hi fi equipment in a home setting. Plus, playing it loud in your vehicle will ultimately lead to hearing loss. End of story.

Sadly to say, there is no future in (NEW) home stereo equipment. Some discount electronics stores still carry home theater and surround sound equipment. That is pretty much losing steam to sound bars and other devices for audio/video. Some esoteric companies such as McIntosh, Krell, etc. still make fabulous stereo components. They are cost prohibitive to 99.9% of the population. Houses are smaller(for most,) plus stereo equipment always had a low wife approval rating(mostly due to selfish reasoning.) Funny, you go into single, educated, modern, working women’s homes today and they have decent stereo equipment. I was buying equipment from a lady in Manhattan recently and she had B&O contemporary equipment in the living room and a vintage Marantz receiver with JBL speakers in the computer room. She was moving and just didn’t want to pay the high cost to move the equipment out West.
She was a girlee girl and knew a lot about the equipment. I was impressed.

Anyway, that’s the dealeo. The massive receivers / amplifiers of yesteryear are not making a comeback anytime soon. Just like that whole nonsensical vinyl record resurgence comeback movement that was supposed to take place a few years ago. Of course it never happened. Once it’s gone, it’s gone. As for me, I am stuck in the past,  I love this old stuff, and am going to attempt to restore this vintage Fisher tube X-101-C as a belated Christmas gift to a friend. First the power supply. Happy New Year to all!