Retail Audio Disapointment

[J. PUPSTER]

At the godawful snail's pace they're releasing UHD 4K titles .... and a lot of them are of questionable ilk.....doubtful the majors will even bother to release in 8K. And as far as streaming goes, the bandwidth would have to vastly improve to even consider streaming in that resolution.

Progress marches on - 8K is coming (and going out of your bank account) soon

 

[4-earredwonder]

Progress marches on - 8K is coming (and going out of your bank account) soon

There's even talk the Japanese are working on 16K ...........OVERKILL for sure ....... but in the words of Confucius....

Where there's a WILL ..... There's 16K

 

[J. PUPSTER]

There's even talk the Japanese on working on 16K ...........OVERKILL for sure ....... but in the words of Confucius....where there's a will ........

I don't think Confucius was a Capitalist - it's more like - where there's a will... there's money to be made!

 

[4-earredwonder]

I don't think Confucius was a Capitalist - it's more like - where there's a will... there's money to be made!

So start saving up your hard~earned yen, JP.........the transition from 1080p to 16K will be quite a shock.....even for hardened capitalists!

 

[milt]

Progress marches on - 8K is coming (and going out of your bank account) soon

You go first.
Software always trumps hardware.
Sales of 4k panels have taken off this last Christmas season due to content, price & a robust economy.

At my age, there's no way I'm investing in 8k anything.

 

[musicmemorabiliashoppellc]

You go first.
Software always trumps hardware.
Sales of 4k panels have taken off this last Christmas season due to content, price & a robust economy.

At my age, there's no way I'm investing in 8k anything.

There is little to no product available to watch....so at this point there is no point.... Other than showing off (bragging rights) your 88" or larger screen....

Nobody likes a bragger

 

[musicmemorabiliashoppellc]

https://stores.bestbuy.com/ks/overland-park/9301-quivira-rd-39.html
^^^
"Magnolia Home Theater" section, they have several demo rooms.

(I usually buy Sony, Pioneer, Polk and Funai A/V products, so a regular
Best Buy is fine for me).

Kirk Bayne

The Magnolia store in Clearwater FLA. refuses me to audition anything using my own officially manufactured discs even box sets that haven't even been opened!!! They SUCK BIG TIME

 

[mandrix]

Dinosaur? You be the judge. I have never even been in a Best Buy.
Not much in my area, thank the stars for the internet.
(deleted long ramble)

I bought mostly everything pretty much in my HT online after reading reviews. Best tip? OPPO, of course! (3 times now)

 

[mandrix]

The Magnolia store in Clearwater FLA. refuses me to audition anything using my own officially manufactured discs even box sets that haven't even been opened!!! They SUCK BIG TIME

That's a shame. When I lived down that way there used to be soooo many places in the TB area and up in Orlando.

 

[J. PUPSTER]

The Magnolia store in Clearwater FLA. refuses me to audition anything using my own officially manufactured discs even box sets that haven't even been opened!!! They SUCK BIG TIME

The one I went to a couple years ago, let me play CD, SACD, DVD-A; but don't remember the Universal Player they used.

 

[musicmemorabiliashoppellc]

The one I went to a couple years ago, let me play CD, SACD, DVD-A; but don't remember the Universal Player they used.

They used to let me DEMO my own music.... no more...they will only demo using their own discs

 

[markshan]

Even "back in the day" it was always best to bring along tunes that you knew intimately for a demo. You want high res files, put a few on your phone. Sorry, no sympathy.

 

[LuvMyQuad]

Best Buy isn't currently stocking Pioneer receivers (I try to support
Pioneer since they carried the LaserDisc system for many, many years),
although I did recently buy 8 Polk T15s from them.

I bought 4 T15s and a matching Center for my son for Christmas. Couldn't beat the price at BB of $58/pair. Its a lot of bang for the buck with those Polks.

 

[Quad Linda]

Not even sure I can express my feelings adequately. Here goes:

Hi-Fi or A/V stores, what the hell are those? Aren't those stone age things like record (CD) stores? "Showrooming" hastened the demise of a/v stores.

IMHO, Best Buy (even w/Magnolia inside) is a farce. Likely the grocery store clerk knows more about great a/v sound and/or picture than these Bozos know. (Apologies to Bozo.)

Having worked in the A/V business since the early 70's, I've tended to be at the cutting edge. Now, I'm not always sure that I want to be.

I also believe in spending more money for value added. I so prefer the ability to demo A/V gear before buying. It's so much easier to go to a store where I can try on a dress, feel the texture of the material, etc. It's so much easier to return something in person than pack it up, send it back, etc. I'll pay more for all those things.

Better performance isn't always achieved simply because something is "next gen," hardware or software. Sometimes it's a quantum leap forward, sometimes it's a step backward or standing still.

Clouds, streaming and downloading don't appeal to me for security and value issues. Can I (legally) sell a downloaded file as I can with an LP, Blu-Ray or any physical technology in between? No. Sure, I have rooms with nothing but software. For every album I own that's worth virtually nothing, there are others that are worth hundreds more than I paid. Short of taking a blow torch to them, my LP's CD's, etc. aren't corruptable or unsecure files.

Newer technology isn't always better. If it's significantly cheaper, the performance is likely to be worse. Then there's build quality. I was looking for another TV several years ago. It was before 4K. Not a one set came close in performance to my 2 Panasonic 1080P plasmas. Panasonic's best models looked good in the store, but looked like shit in my house, even the 3D version. IMHO, the only better plasma (Pioneer ELITE) wasn't made anymore at that time.

We watch lots of sports and freeze many other programs, as well. I'll gladly pay more for a sharper, brighter, faster screen.

I've de-commissioned or tossed gear that performed far better than a lot of the crap being sold today, some selling for big $$$.

Caveat Emptor!!

 

[musicmemorabiliashoppellc]

Well.....I was at BEST BUY in St. Pete Fla yesterday in the ZMAGNOLIA section ....and was trying to audition my MULTI CHANNEL discs and it’s IMPOSSABLE to do cause all their surrounds are in the ceiling and lousy separation ..... then when I tried playing my SHM-SACD’s the BLU-RAY players they had don’t play even SACD period....

What a waste of time and gas $$$

Wish I knew someone that had a nice home theater set up that would like to meet up and see if we could become friends.

 

[leevitalone1]

Heck, I did all of the above. Bought the high priced VHS tapes. Remember around 1980 when they decided that they were no longer going to sell tapes, they would only rent them? That didn't last long, however it did spur me on to buy a few in a hurry that I did not want to get right away.

Then those tapes had to be replaced with HiFi Audio VHS tapes, along with the player.
Then those VHS HiFi tapes had to be replaced with LaserDiscs
Then those LaserDiscs had to be replaced with the WIDESCREEN LaserDiscs
Then those LaserDiscs had to be replaced with Criterions and Deluxe Issue LD's, many at $100+
Then those LaserDiscs had to be replaced with AC-3 LaserDiscs, along with the player and the receiver
Then those LaserDiscs had to be replaced with DTS LaserDiscs, along with the player and the receiver
Then those LaserDiscs had to be replaced with DVD's
Then those DVD's had to be replaced with upgraded DVD's with better sound and bonus shit
Then those DVD's had to be replaced with BluRays

At this point, who needs the damn UHD 4K's!

and what about equipment? Every time a new format came up, you had to get the correct equipment to play it,
LP
tape- reel to reel or cassette and 8 trks I used to salivate over tape machines
VHS
CD DVD
then the HR offerings
now what? all digital,
the proof is the Star Wars genius of the makers: They sold the dam movies how many times? In every format available.
And the costs: My AVR is like 9 yrs old, new it sold at $1000.00 now sold for $100.00! (still new -old stock) My 1st AVR with DD was like $800.00 open box- now sells for next to nothing.
Yet Marantz and other good name stereo receivers selling for 10 times what it sold for new! Re-furb are more! My rant is done!

 

[leevitalone1]

Well.....I was at BEST BUY in St. Pete Fla yesterday in the ZMAGNOLIA section ....and was trying to audition my MULTI CHANNEL discs and it’s IMPOSSABLE to do cause all their surrounds are in the ceiling and lousy separation ..... then when I tried playing my SHM-SACD’s the BLU-RAY players they had don’t play even SACD period....

What a waste of time and gas $$$

Wish I knew someone that had a nice home theater set up that would like to meet up and see if we could become friends.

No one is interested in good sound, they want it sounds good, that means like Bose sound good, where you can't listen too long without the headache because all you get is up and down. Tweeters with bass blockers no crossovers-
Even when 5.1 , HR audio was new the displays were all little itty bitty titty speakers and I do rentals, how many times have I walked into an apt, and all the speakers are piled up in the front around the tv?
When Don Fagen was asked about the new album in 5.1 he answered "why" no one bothers with big speakers anymore, they all listen on phones now or small speakers. How sad!!!
But if one considers the state of society today, and that people are mosly

Well.....I was at BEST BUY in St. Pete Fla yesterday in the ZMAGNOLIA section ....and was trying to audition my MULTI CHANNEL discs and it’s IMPOSSABLE to do cause all their surrounds are in the ceiling and lousy separation ..... then when I tried playing my SHM-SACD’s the BLU-RAY players they had don’t play even SACD period....

What a waste of time and gas $$$

Wish I knew someone that had a nice home theater set up that would like to meet up and see if we could become friends.

I know just what you mean!
Well as for a good home set up- we have a choice, depending on where you live, I know what you mean, no one to compare systems no one to discuss and borrow stuff from, I try to start getting people at least interested and all I get is this blank stare, like WTF are you talking about?
I had one buddy who actually turned me on to DVD audio. But we no longer talk. I love showing system off, but who cares anymore? All my audio buds are spread out around the world.

 

[sjcorne]

Well.....I was at BEST BUY in St. Pete Fla yesterday in the ZMAGNOLIA section ....and was trying to audition my MULTI CHANNEL discs and it’s IMPOSSABLE to do cause all their surrounds are in the ceiling and lousy separation ..... then when I tried playing my SHM-SACD’s the BLU-RAY players they had don’t play even SACD period....

At my local store they have an X800 set up, but the SACD compatibility was set to stereo-only. And yes, if you're trying to demo surround those Magnolia rooms are useless. The receivers are stuck on some sort of demo mode that sends everything to the latest and greatest DSP (DTS-X, Auro-3D, etc). I've watching people drop thousands on electrostatic speakers after playing a few songs off their phone.

I can't believe that place used to have an SACD/DVD-A section. I wish I got to see that...

 

[The56Kid]

Well as for a good home set up- we have a choice, depending on where you live, I know what you mean, no one to compare systems no one to discuss and borrow stuff from, I try to start getting people at least interested and all I get is this blank stare, like WTF are you talking about?
I had one buddy who actually turned me on to DVD audio. But we no longer talk. I love showing system off, but who cares anymore? All my audio buds are spread out around the world.

You nailed it. Ironically, I'm no longer friends with the one local guy that exposed me to the whole surround sound MC game in 2004. I literally have one friend that I can share my system with and we don't get together that often. I keep trying to think of other friends who might appreciate what we here have come to love and I can't think of any. It's really pretty sad. Whatever. I'm digging it as are my fellow QQers, so it's all good!

 

[leevitalone1]

You nailed it. Ironically, I'm no longer friends with the one local guy that exposed me to the whole surround sound MC game in 2004. I literally have one friend that I can share my system with and we don't get together that often. I keep trying to think of other friends who might appreciate what we here have come to love and I can't think of any. It's really pretty sad. Whatever. I'm digging it as are my fellow QQers, so it's all good!

ya the day I got an email telling me to check the QQ site out, was a great day indeed. I used to sit here having cleaned out what CC and BB had for selections, knew there was more out there and I would sit here hours on end searching for titles. ( not titties). I learned more by my visits here just lurking about like the troll under the stairs. Well TG for QQ ha? We all gotta be on good boy behavior to make it easy on pappa Jon.
If e act what we are- adults, we can continue to enjoy the wealth of knowledge the site.
And don't forget if you are new here to look back at older posts. there still is the treasure trove of information.