BAASnotes.com – Bay Area Audiophile Society

Yikes! iPod sales down and music follows

As reported in theAge, iPod sales have been on the decline. This is known.

But did you know that sales if (compressed) music downloads parallel that trend?

It turns out that this is no small matter:

The music industry had looked to the iPod to drive people to buy music in download form, whether from Apple’s iTunes music store or from newer competitors such as Amazon. The problem for them is that digital music sales are only growing as fast as those of Apple’s devices.

”At a time where we’re asking if digital is a replacement for the CD, as the CD was for vinyl, we should be starting to see a hockey-stick growth in download sales,” says Mark Mulligan, an analyst at Forrester Research who specialises in music and digital media.

”Instead, we’re seeing a curve resembling that of a niche technology.”

Can Apple’s announcement this week reverse the trend?

Is high-end affected? How?

Home Audio Market Forecast Raised – Really!

As documented in an interesting article published by the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA, think CES), sales forecasts for home audio over the next decade have been raised. Wow.

Basically, folks have all bought their flat-screen TV’s and iPods and such, and now industry analysts think they’ll turn to audio. Nice.

Of course, what this means to the ‘high end’ market remains to be seen. But I doubt if it’s bad.

Quotables:

A few years ago, most everyone seemed excited about the the iPod. Everyone, that is, except the majority home audio manufacturers. Their reluctance was somewhat understandable. For a while, it seemed as though the increasingly old-fashioned concept of listening to music through a set of speakers on a system powered by an amplified receiver was going the way of the raptor.

and

A resurgence of LPs-fueled by nostalgia as well as a reaction to the often atrocious sound quality of audio files – kept the old-fashioned fire burning….

and the punchline:

CEA’s Industry Forecast anticipates home audio revenues of $915 million by the end of this year, a 4 percent year-over-year increase and a refreshing jump from the $863 million we forecasted in January.

Great news…

Bob

Recovering Old Vinyl – Is This the Way? (Video)

This NYtimes article and video document a historic jazz music find and recovery.

The handling of these treasured disks may make some vinyl purists (the triple-distilled water set) wince….

(Thanks, Jeffrey!)

Jimi Hendrix: He REALLY was that good!

It’s been 40 years since Jimi left us.

Understandably, the anniversary caused a bunch of press.

Click here for the best that I’ve seen.

[Thanks, Aaron!]

Bob

My Impressions of the California Audio Show

Overall

• Smashing success
• Advanced audio awareness in Bay Area
• Well-organized; friendly environment

My Favorite Rooms

• TONIAN – Nothing better for small-scale music, and can stretch to bigger things
• EFICION – “Classic” high-end formula: great drivers, inert cab, and smart design (new F250 is great)
• MAGICO/KINGSOUND – My fav Magico (V-2) sung; Kings needed bigger room and amps
• GRADIENT – Innovation in loudspeakers lives…rejoice!
• SONIST/deHavilland – Tapes! Tubes! Good economics!
• TERESONIC – BAAS member MZ has broken the code on Lowthers (Step 1 Horns, Step 2 SET,…)
• Trenner & Friedl – Amazing sound from small things
• BLUE COAST – Live music, neat tech, and smart (nice) people who just want to deliver fidelity in music. Whats not to love?

Disclaimer: I own Tonian and eFicion speakers.

Best Bargain

The $4000 system by GRANT FIDELITY. Yes, it’s Chinese. So what?

Conclusion

I had a great time. I have also lined up six new events to round out the year.

Many thanks and congratulations to Constantine Soo and Dagogo for a temendous debut!

Interested in more?

For the most complete coverage on the web, check out Jason’s Stereophile blog.

How about you?

About 120 BAAS members attended. If you were one of them, what did you think of the show?

Just comment and let us know…

by Bob Walters

A Touch of (Audiophile) Class

I received an interesting email today from the founder of CDbaby. It’s worth sharing.

Enjoy:

———————-

Hi Bob -

Way back in 2006-2008, you bought some CDs from my store, CD Baby. (SERENITY OF LIFE: Absolution, E.S. POSTHUMUS: Unearthed, and 13 others.  Remember?)

So you might be interested in my new free projects to help musicians:

MusicThoughts: inspiring quotes about music
http://musicthoughts.com/c/QiPaA

MuckWork: assistants to do your dirty work
http://muckwork.com/c/QiPaA

Derek Sivers: my personal site, with articles
http://sivers.org/c/QiPaA

SongTest: a free, open song contest
http://songtest.com/c/QiPaA

They're all free, open-source, and non-commercial (except MuckWork), so I'm not emailing you for any business reason.

But since we've emailed in the past, I thought I should let you know what's new.

I sold CD Baby two years ago, so this is the last time you'll hear from me, unless you reply back or click those links.

Though if you do reply, please let me know what's going on with you (really!), in case I can help in any way, and to keep this from being a one-sided conversation.    

Thanks!

--
Derek Sivers  derek@sivers.org  http://sivers.org/c/QiPaA

P.S.  Why I sold CD Baby and where the money went: http://sivers.org/trust

World’s Best Audiophile Video – from Greece, of course

If you haven’t seen this, now’s the time:

New Audiophile Web Site Launches

There’s yet-another-audiophile-website up and running – the e-zine HIFI ZINE.

And the first issue looks good: an interview with the colorful Albert Von Schweickert, a DSP article, DIY stuff, reviews, and more.

A pretty impressive debut IMO…enjoy!

Loudspeaker Burn-in: Fact or Fiction?

Our audiophile colleagues in Spain have taken an interesting approach to the question – they asked the manufacturers.

Here’s what top builders said.

Punch line: about 100 hours…give or take 100 hours!

(Check out Audioholics for another viewpoint.)

Fremer Laments HiFi as ‘Object of Scorn’

Today’s NY Times features a survey piece on the state of high fidelity.

Centerstage is the market movement from high-fidelity home systems to mobile lofi devices.

Key stat: The hifi market, now $1B annually, has shrunk to half of where it was 10 years ago.

Michael Fremer offers some insights as well.

Colors of Noise: Visualizing Electronica

Beautiful, evocative, and trippy, this vid takes you on an entertaining journey rendered by two German artists.

If you can’t take electronica, try this one instead. Far more sedate.

Or this one for something in between.

Cool stuff.

Downloads available here.

(Lehmann’s other videos are also notable, for reasons other than music.)

Music@Menlo to Kick Off 2010 Summer Festival

If you love chamber music, let me recommend a local festival put on by Music@Menlo in – where else – Atherton (near Menlo Park!). This Merc article provides a nice preview.

Great music, performed well. And sometimes much better than “well.”

If you don’t believe me, try a couple of their well-produced CD’s (available on the web site).

Good listening!

Lang Lang Plays iPad at SF Davies Hall

Virtuoso pianist Lang Lang stunned SF’s Davies by whipping out an iPad and playing “Flight of the Bumblebees.” Video here.

The software powering the performance was Magic Piano from Smule.

I wish I had been there…makes me want an iPad too!

Bob

Must-see Movie for Vinyl-lovers

“To Have and to Hold” – as in LP (not book) – is an upcoming documentary film about the hold that vinyl has over music-lovers everywhere.

The film is still in production, but you can get a taste of it from this “teaser” video.

Great stuff. This film should build on Fremer’s work, raising awareness and entertaining all at once.

Keith Richard’s Exile

An engaging Guardian article provides the backstory on the Stones masterpiece – “Exile on Main Street.”

The self-imposed exile to France, conducted to evade Britain’s putative 93% income tax, provided the backdrop for drunken debauchery, in-fighting, and raw rock & roll.

The article presages an upcoming re-release of “Exile.”

{Thanks, Aaron}

Nature’s Well-tempered Joke on Music

Ever wondered what “well-tempered” – as in claviers and turntables, not steel – really means?

This lengthy but well-written Slate article takes you through it.

In the process, you’ll learn about Bach’s motives and methods for WTC, instrument tuners’ dilemmas, and a special musical construct named “the wolf.” Music excerpts help motivate the text.

A little geeky, but fun nonetheless.

More album cover art doings

Two new developments in the world of album cover art, both from the UK:

• About a successful album cover artist
• Album art on postal stamps

(Thanks to Aaron K for pointing these out.)

Bob

You’ve heard of audiophile cable break-in devices…

…how about automated violin break-in devices?

Who will be the first audiophile to apply this gear to a speaker cabinet?

(Cable break-in cookers are, of course, still available – starting at $800.)

Bob

Many (remote) voices singing

While not in 24/192, I think you’ll agree with me that the final product – ‘Lux Aurumque’ – of composer/conductor Eric Whitacre’s epic choral experiment is stunning, captivating, and just plain cool.

Using the web, Eric recorded 250 performers in 25 countries, each singing a part of the song. Then, in what must of been one heck of a mixing session, he combined the tracks.

Check out his blog to hear more singing and learn more about how it was done.

Enjoy!

Is old audio science best?

As many of you know, I’m in the midst of a personal ‘analog renewal.’

In fact, I haven’t played a digital song on my system this year. None! It’s been quite an interesting experience.

What does this have to do with today’s post?

Well, one could argue that the vast majority of what’s needed for quality audio reproduction was known by 1960. The breadth of knowledge was amazing, and the research topics in audio were vibrant.

Well, led by a post on AA, I discovered a terrific source of ‘old knowledge’ – and it’s free!

There’s something here for most every audiophile, but the site is especially rich in Macintosh, tubes, radios, and basic science.

New is great, but I find odd comfort in ‘old science.’

Enjoy!