I was inspired by a visit toAudio Show 2024. As I have been working intensively in this hobby for almost 10 years … I have already seen a lot, I have been to many stores and have tried hundreds of configurations.
I went, I listened … Unfortunately, the picture is not very optimistic, but again it is not that there is nothing good new.
It is, but it is usually very expensive.
We have many brands available today from all over the world, sales are crumbling, so manufacturers have to do more and more expensive, because they sell less and less.
Unfortunately, the quality, as in other industries, is lowered from year to year.There are gems, companies that use new technologies wisely and offer very interesting equipment.
So new or vintage?
The barrier to entry into new equipment is currently very high.
It has never been profitable to buy used or vintage equipment like today. The production costs have never been as high as it is today. Manufacturers must sell at very high margins due to high competition. After COVID, some of the average models that were already then increased almost twice!
For example, let’s take the Unitra system for the catalog fee of PLN 80,000. It offers a sound that can be obtained on equipment from the 90s in the amount of several or several thousand zlotys – if we know what we are doing. It looks nice, neat, but not so much to spend such money on it – of course in my opinion.
PylonandFezz AudioIt’s a cool Entry Level brand to the audio world (Diamond 28They were my first speakers), but apart from the interesting design, their sound is not outstanding again. They defend themselves with a nice appearance and a wide distribution network. Colloquially speaking – you can easily listen to them and feel them in most larger cities.
It’s hard to fall in love with this sound, but you have to start somewhere. This is enough for many.
Most of the systems that sounded promising are about PLN 100,000 – if we take into account loudspeakers, cables, conditioners or the speakers themselves.
Similar sound level for hardwareVintage (I already include the equipment from the 90s or 00s) can be achieved by spending 10,000 to 30,000 PLN.
For example, a system that played well and finds itself in normal rooms – e.g. Tannoy Super Gold Monitor with Octave costs nearly PLN 100,000. A similar level of sound (and in my opinion actually higher) can be obtained from, for example, this combinationTannoy Glenair + Tube Amplifier.
I wrote about the columns here:Tannoy Glenair.
I could multiply such examples in bunches.
Summation
The price-quality ratio in the case of new equipment, unfortunately, is not impressive today. When looking for a good sound, it is also worth considering a mixture of new and used devices.
Choose low-failure models, simple and recognized, the owners of which went higher at a time when audio was not so absurdly expensive.
The biggest problem with vintage or used equipment is that, having no knowledge, we have to search often all over Poland and it is not possible to listen to the entire system.
Often, the buyer is so grounded with reviews and opinions that he has no idea what to grab, how to check the equipment he is buying.
And the system is playing. A mix of 3 high-end devices is a recipe for a catastrophe for a music lover / amateur, not a good game …
I try to solve this problem here:
If the content of this place inspires your trust. I invite you.
