Mom, Dad, and listening to records – Part 2
Coming around full circle.
When I started to think about what to write for part two of our series on vinyl records and turntables, it occurred to me that as nostalgic as this may be for me, this is a new world of discovery for many of you!!
Being in the technology business, I have been an early adopter of many new technologies. Yes, I owned a Walkman. There, I said it.
I was so excited that I could take a cassette tape with me and, as the name implies, go for a walk and listen to my music on headphones. I upgraded to the Discman (the single CD version of the Walkman) but it was not well suited for vibration and it was big so it was impractical for anything other than car/air travel. Next came the iPod. Now THAT was revolutionary!! I could carry so much of my music with me in a device that fit into the palm of my hand. I had choices galore whether I was working out, or flying somewhere.
Today, with phone technology and streaming music, literally, the entire world of music is in the palm of your hand. We are no longer limited to what we owned. I can stream something different all day, every day, for the rest of my life and not hear the same song twice!! So what does that have to do with vinyl?
It’s my opinion that the resurgence in vinyl sales is partly due to people who are discovering the bandwidth that exists on this medium over the compressed sound that comes from streaming or stored mp3 files. That’s not to say that high-res audio files aren’t available digitally and via streaming because they are, but for someone that’s never heard a vinyl on a nice system, you’re in for a real treat. To many, this is opening up a whole new world and I, for one, am thrilled!
If you missed part 1 of this series, it’s available here.
Over the last (almost) 20 years, I have watched the business model for The Audio Guy change considerably. We started out as a small operation, mostly doing surround sound installs and some home theaters. For the first five years, the home theater market was really going strong and we were right there in the mix. It comprised a huge portion of our business. We’ve grown with the latest digital technologies, home automation, networks, commercial a/v, and we still do surround sound systems. Over the last few years, we have been focusing on adding more dedicated two channel products and as this and the last newsletter indicate, vinyl. There are many fine manufacturers of turntables out there and we currently represent two outstanding lines – VPI and Pro-Ject. They make products that start at $399 (Pro-Ject Debut) up to $40,000 for a VPI Titan.
Setting up a turntable properly is a painstaking process and essential to realizing the best performance from your table. We’ll address that in more detail in the next newsletter.
WELCOME VPI!!
If you’re not familiar with VPI Industries, let me introduce you. VPI Industries Inc. is a family owned high-end audio manufacturer that was started by Sheila and Harry Weisfeld, the founders of VPI. 35 years later the company is still family owned and run by Harry and son Mathew Weisfeld. Located in Cliffwood, NJ, about an hour drive outside of New York City, the VPI family builds its products here in the US. VPI has been recognized in the industry as a premier maker of fine tables and electronics, from the entry level Scout to the mighty Titan.
Check them out at www.vpiindustries.com and then give us a call to come in and take one out for a spin!
For insights into adding music, video or smart tech to any space, visit audioguydfw.com or contact us for a free home consultation.
