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Sony back in the high end audio game!

Flint

Flint

Prodigal Son
Superstar
http://www.engadget.com/2013/10/13/sony ... ereo-amps/

Okay... call me weird, but I had a feeling good audio was going to come back. Sony set the standard for affordability and performance with their ES line back in the 80s, and now they are re-entering the market with their High Resolution Audio products.

I cannot wait to see and hear what they are doing in this space. I hope they haven't jumped the shark.
 
I'll call you weird (just because you are). :teasing-neener:

I agree that this is a great intent but I'm fearful of its outcome because it is the market that ultimately determines the fate of that intent. I'm not convinced that the market has enough people interested in quality over convenience.
 
I've been in a life-long abusive relationship with Sony.

I've bought a ton of their products because, upon purchase, they've been what I wanted, for a price I wanted to pay.

But then, inevitably, something goes wrong with that product (always after warranty) and I can never ever ever get satisfactory support from them.

No replacement parts. No firmware updates. No help whatsoever from their customer support. Oh they're always nice and polite and try to be helpful. But I've never had them actually resolve the problem that had me contacting them in the first place - ever!

Then their next product that I want comes out, for a price I'm willing to pay, and the cycle starts all over again.
 
Zing said:
I'll call you weird (just because you are). :teasing-neener:

I agree that this is a great intent but I'm fearful of its outcome because it is the market that ultimately determines the fate of that intent. I'm not convinced that the market has enough people interested in quality over convenience.
Click to expand...
I'm not convinced at all that the masses associate Sony with a higher pedigree of products along with the likes of Dynaudio, Parasound, Focal, etc. I recently saw an ad for a Sony speaker package in the $20k range. There are, to me, just too many other options when I associate products with that type of price tag. No matter how good a product may be, in today's world, it doesn't seem like wise business to wander too far from your wheelhouse. While on the flipside I wouldn't think twice about considering dropping serious $ on a Sony display. Certain products come to mind when I hear certain brand names. Maybe I'm naive...
 
I'm the same way. Denon's uber expensive pre-pros amps come to mind. I love Denon, but if I had 20k to plunk down on a pre-pro and amp, I'm not looking at Denon.
 
I think you guys are all wrong.

Sony, Yamaha, Denon, Integra, etc. have all mastered the design and production of very high quality gear at extremely affordable prices (great values). The designers of those products can do much better if they had a higher budget to work with. Unlike the traditional high end audio designs which are made by people who have less experience with making the decisions necessary to lower the cost by 50% while maintaining the highest performance and reliability possible in the budget range, the Sony, Yamaha, Denon and Integra guys know all too well what an added amount of copper shielding (Sony ES uses that) or just enough larger power transformers, or larger power capacitors can do. When given a virtually unlimited budget, they can do miracles.

However, they don't always look cooler because a $250 faceplate machined by the best machinist in Detroit from the most pure Aluminum billet known to man may look cool, but it won't make anything sound better.
 
The new S&V reviews a new Sony SS-NA5ES speaker system, 4 satellites, a CC and a subwoofer, $19,000! :scared-yipes:

Sony_ES_speakers_group_med.jpg
 
Zing said:
I agree that this is a great intent but I'm fearful of its outcome because it is the market that ultimately determines the fate of that intent. I'm not convinced that the market has enough people interested in quality over convenience.
Click to expand...

I think it's great that companies keep trying to introduce higher quality hear and recordings, even if only a few of y'all are interested in such things. Is the market big enough to keep some of these products around? Beats me. But these things keep popping up more frequently than acid wash jeans, which is good---on a couple of levels, to boot.

But I'm probably with the mass market right now.

Lately, I've become fascinated with convenience products. I keep thinking that I could probably feel OK with a tabletop Airplay speaker (and iTunes Radio) if only it contained a small sub to get the bass down to a true 32Hz (or maybe even a true 38-42Hz). Unfortunately for me, I suspect many folks would be OK with the Airplay speaker that starts pooping out at 70Hz; so I'll probably not see anything like this outside of a lame soundbar for TV.

And I kind of want to get a Cambridge Audio Minx Go bluetooth speaker just to have a small, portable, and battery-powered speaker to stream music to. But I'm not sure if I can get down with Bluetooth if the device only transcodes to SBC, though, and not the higher-quality AptX codec. But convenience, right?
 
When was the last time you sat and "listened" as in critical? Me, its been a long time. I'm talking album, turntable, serious music appreciation. Today, it's fast , easy and multi-task. I really enjoy my system, but for 5.1 1080p blowem' up entertainment. I think Sony is top notch and I had 2 of their receivers prior to my current Pioneer. I have my Dual 510 table driven by a 2 channel Yammy. It is a rareity that I use it. When I do its brief. Who wants to get up every 20/30 minutes to flip an album. It is the times and the culture today.
 
hawk52 said:
I have my Dual 510 table driven by a 2 channel Yammy.
Click to expand...

*gets up and checks audio system to see if it is still there*
I also have a Dual 510 connected to a Yamaha 2ch receiver. Good setup for sure.
 
hawk52 said:
Who wants to get up every 20/30 minutes to flip an album.
Click to expand...

Not me, if I had a wench to get me a beer. :teasing-tease:

The way my small listening area is set up, I do my "multitasking" listening (also on the computer, or reading, etc) I'm off-center to my system. When I'm concentrating on music, or a movie, I have to move to the sofa where everything's set up symmetrically and the EQs are set. I still do this at least once a day (last night it was Dream Theater's new DVD-A).
There are some "modern conveniences" that I still shun; I don't have a smart phone, wash dishes by hand, use plastic ice-cube trays, and prefer handplanes and wood chisels to power routers and planers. And the only time I've used any kind of earbuds "on the go" was the 2 years I commuted 90 minutes in a vanpool to Thiokol (a genuine Sony Walkman with cassettes!!)
 
Botch said:
hawk52 said:
There are some "modern conveniences" that I still shun; I don't have a smart phone, wash dishes by hand, use plastic ice-cube trays, and prefer handplanes and wood chisels to power routers and planers. And the only time I've used any kind of earbuds "on the go" was the 2 years I commuted 90 minutes in a vanpool to Thiokol (a genuine Sony Walkman with cassettes!!)
Click to expand...
Click to expand...

Two things:

Off topic, but...

1. Tracfone now has a couple of low-end Android smartphones. Just released in the last couple of weeks. With triple minutes to boot. (Saw this ZTE over at Best Buy). They still seem to be advertising them as being as low as $7.00 a month. But I'm guessing that's only so long as you very rarely turn on the 3G data, since I'm guessing data is probaby fairly spendy. But these phones might work OK as a low-quality MP3 player and quick email checker or web browser via Wi-Fi when on the go.

and

Back on topic somewhat...

2. A cassette player? and only 2 years ago? What??!!! Did you flip the collar up on your acid wash jean jacket, too? Anyway... I'm wondering... Were you just taking the opportunity to dig up some old cassette tapes that you hadn't listened to in years since you don't have 'em on vinyl or CD? If so, then that's actually kind of cool. (Doesn't make up for the acid wash jeans, though.)
 
1: I am aware that Tracfone is coming out with limited smartphones, and if I'm ever in a job where I'm traveleing a lot again I'll definitely be checking them out. Right now, however, I already know where the best restaurants in utard are, I have no girlfriend, local friends or family, band, or church, so a smartphone just is no use to me.

2: You mis-read my post, I worked at Thiokol for two years, 1997-1999. ;)
 
hawk52 said:
When was the last time you sat and "listened" as in critical?
Click to expand...

Ummm... this afternoon. :eusa-whistle: But it wasn't a turntable, I admit.
 
Botch said:
2: You mis-read my post, I worked at Thiokol for two years, 1997-1999. ;)
Click to expand...

Maybe I was just seeing what I wanted to see. Next thing you're gonna tell me is that it wasn't you, who I saw the other day, breakdancing on the sidewalk next to that boom box???
 
hawk52 said:
Hey Kazaam, I do not live in the flip phone era. It was Botch not I. :teasing-neener:
Click to expand...

You'd think I'd figure out how to properly quote someone. My brain is just completely off today!!! :happy-smileygiantred:
 
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