Our industry was never smart.

It was founded on music. Adding music in multiple rooms, and controlling it. Amps, speakers, wiring, there was an art and science.

The day it started to collapse was the introduction of the iPod. We had better music servers then, granted they were costly, but they sounded good. The iPod infected our industry with cheap and convenient. And the industry latched on like a newborn, docks for everyone!

I can learn about DIY shit all over the internet. I’d rather have a publication dedicated to pros write about pro products.

Who "made" Sonos?

The same guys that at one time installed quality, great sounding, expensive, audio systems in order to pick up some of that low margin, low profit, average sounding, in and out junk.

Who "made" Nest? Same guys wanting easy money.


The list goes on.

This did not start at the iPod.

People have never been all about great sound, good has always been fine, except for a segment who either know about or have been taught (by us or others) that better is available.

Records gave us music, but with skips, pops and clicks. It didn't sound like live music unless you had upper level turntable, cartridge, amp, speakers.

8 Track tapes gave us convenience, but still lacking. Cassette tapes improved that, with the addition of Dolby, but still not there.

The Sony Elcaset (1/4", 3-3/4 ips in a cassette like shell) and DCC (Digital Compact Cassette were supposed to make cassettes sound like being in the studio. The public decided that the standard compact cassette was OK. These were still tape formats and didn't wow people.

The CD was revolutionary, because you could get studio quality in your living room. Early issues with masters that were made for LPs, digital filtering that needed time to get better, and such notwithstanding, CDs were a new super cool looking format (half the sell job) plus really high quality sound, and they took off.

Next was DVD Audio and Super Audio CDs, and once again, like a refinement for the lowly cassette, the public said, "Nah, the regular CDs sound pretty good to us."

You can talk about Beta, VHS, DVD (revolutionary like the CD), Blu-Ray, and UHD Players, but at a certain point, people are no longer impressed and are happy with Good Enough.

Ipods were revolutionary for the convenience factor and the storage was amazing. Those were more important to people than the sound quality, which depending on the bit rate, could be pretty good.

Their convenience factor, plus the huge price differential between them and music servers, again caused people to say again, Good Enough.

HD, 4k, 8k... At some point, they will say, Good Enough.

A lot of what you say is true. In n out junk, probably an exaggeration.

Today I am installing more stuff that just works, on purpose. Stuff that doesn't necessarily let you talk to something and your entire house does whatever.

I am happier with things that I know will just work, and for a long time. Some of those are on your list of junk. But I don't keep going back to peoples' homes to fix it, replace it, reboot it multiple times, update it and have something else break, and so on. I made a conscious decision not to use the stuff that has that potential. I'll leave it to others.

In the meantime, I get a steady list of referrals and don't need to advertise. To each his own.

RIGHT leaning Democrat? Unfriends anyone more left leaning?

Then she and Fins should get along just fine! I wonder why they don't?

Fins and I are polar opposites on the political spectrum - so much so that I think Fins might be On the Spectrum! But we both agree that the magazine CEPro is erroneously titled.

I can never keep the left right thing straight, since I tend to be more middle of the road.

Although I am a President Trump supporter. Not for the reasons most are, but for my own particular reasons, one of which is his standing up for the military, and secondly his stand on illegal immigration.

+1000

+1000

So you tend to be more middle of the road? That's rich. When did it become a middle of the road thing to think it's okay to snatch small children away from their mothers' arms?

And standing up for the military? That's even richer! This dolt hasn't once gone to visit the troops in Afghanistan or in Iraq. Bone spurs, I guess.

Ever read the law?

Nah, I guess not.

In this case, there isn't one. Do you know the difference between a law and a policy? And you avoided my comment about Trump and the troops. Oh well, the fool will be in prison soon enough. Two more years and it's handcuffs for him. Probably sooner for dumb, dumber and daughter/incest.

You think the only way to support the troops os to fly over to Afghanistan? How utterly clueless. Obviously you have never served.


RIGHT. Just like all those before him did. I don't recall Bill or Hillary going to prison, nor so many other politicians that have availed themselves of the slush fund used to pay off those they've done things to.

The blind hatred for Trump is indicative of brainwashing. You've been led down a path, and cannot see the forest for the trees.

Lmfao. Boy this thread really got off track hahahaha

I guess you haven't seen the news this week. Well, other than the Sean Hannity and Michael Savage news maybe.