This post is not to give ready-made answers as a picture of the situation. Audio is a hobby that can consume the equivalent of a good car over the years. Does it have to? It doesn’t have to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Is it worth entering? Well, the most important thing is to be aware that the audio industry has hit the same as any other – a large increase in the price of components after COVID, inflation, high market competition – as a result … for years we have been observing a decline in quality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Technological progress is … but the highest quality sound is still guaranteed by the oldest carriers such as vinyl or reel-to-reel or tube amplifiers – so inventions that are well over 50 years old.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I wrote more about the source here:What source? Vinyl, CD, streamer, or maybe a spool?<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Therefore, as never before, it is profitable to buy a used or vintage stereo. Regardless of whether we choose vinyl and lamp, or a transistor amplifier and streamer.Reasonably selected equipment used from the 90s or 00 can be 4-5-6x cheaper, offering very similar quality.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n I wrote more about it here:New vs. vintage<\/a>.<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n Therefore, the high entry barrier makes the audio a very elite hobby, which few can afford. Since the new system for 100-200,000 often sounds at the level of that from previous years for PLN 30,000.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Manufacturers are releasing new models every now and then, the Chinese have also entered the game – unfortunately due to the very high prices of components – even lowering production costs, it is difficult to catch up with this sound from years ago.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We are tempted by convenience – like Bluetooth, small speaker size, or high power amplifiers. Unfortunately, this is usually a compromise that deprives the music of its essence – naturalness, color, organic, emotional message.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Ultimately, therefore, many relatively expensive systems are not much more fun in the long run than a soundbar or multiroom.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n As such equipment dominates mainly in stores – new people – having no comparison, decide to use such devices and hardly anyone goes into it deeper. And when it goes straight intoDIY<\/a>, or he wanders for years like me orJack<\/a>discouraging further fun.<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, they are such that there is a lot of new good-class equipment – e.g. in manufactories. Not all of them, but they are.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The secondary market has never been as rich as it is today. Virtually all devices that have been created are compatible with each other.<\/p>\n\n\n\n With the help of someone who knows, you can sometimes even choose great devices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Oh yes!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nThe high prices are influenced by:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\n
\n
Good news<\/h2>\n\n\n\n