OPINION : I ’ve mark in previousSound & Vision columnsthat hi - fi needs to appeal to a vernal , broader interview ; and while it ’s beginning to plough its electronic messaging around , in this current climate , it still feel like an expensive hobby .
howdy - fi has appealed to a certain audience , and arguably it ’s in need of a reformation of sort . Smartphones swooped in and have stolen much of hello - fi ’s thunder , the digital rotation if you could call it that has swing the industry and put cyclosis at the forefront of products because it is a concept that ’s easy to sympathise than matching hi - fi separates and understanding what a preamplifier is or figuring out what a phono stage is .
product aredesigned with streaming in intellect , and this was a feature I acknowledge a lot at CES 2024 . New kit such as the FiiO R9 ( £ 1399 / $ 1499 ) has an regalia of physical outputs , but the direction it want you to interact with it is through all the cyclosis services it supports .
I ’ve noticed in recent times that the likes of CD player and stereo system amplifiers are n’t as common as they used to be . euphony streamers , Bluetooth turntables , and all - in - one system are becoming more and more democratic . You ’re even baffle hybridization pollination with hi - fi and home movie theatre as the late promulgation of the Audio Pro C20 indicate – a wireless speaker that you could stream medicine to ( naturally ) , as well as connect to a turntable and even utilize it as a speaker for your telecasting .
We ’re increasingly moving to an experience with fewer boxwood ( or hi - fi separates ) , to products that can serve many purposes ; their flexibility is a strength not a wishy - washy motivation of appealing to everyone and no - one at the same time . And it ’s the smartphone that ’s leading this charge . It ’s likely everyone that I or you bang has one in their pocket , a Trojan Horse to get connect to any gadget at house with a tap of a button .
But I ’ve been thinking recently about the pricing of such products . I ’ve been reviewing the PSB Alpha intelligence quotient recently , apparently one of the later breeds of product that ’s putting the emphasis on hybrid connectivity with its cyclosis features and ability to be connected to television , game console , and computers . But it currently costs £ 1099 , and I would say that for many , that ’s a immense expense .
TheKEF LSX II LTtakes a alike approaching , and it costs £ 899 / $ 999 . All - in - one Cartesian product like the Ruark R410,Sonus faber Omnia , and theQ Acoustics Q Active 200cost £ 1299 , £ 1599 , and £ 1499 severally . Considering the younger audience these speaker system are presumptively aiming towards , do they have enough garbage disposal hard cash to pay for it . I ’m not too sure .
That ’s not to say that there are n’t low-cost product available . The said C20 wireless speaker is £ 450 . TheTechnics Ottava f SC - C70MK2is high at £ 799 , and a loudspeaker system system such as theQ Acoustics M20 HD(£399 / $ 599),Sonos geological era 300(£449 / $ 449 ) andBluesound Pulse M(£449 / $ 449 ) are even cheaper , though I still feel hoi polloi would baulk at those prices .
Hi - fi is buzz off smaller , smart , and better plug in but there is a premium damage to pay for this convenience . I would say the price is deserving pay , especially if they ’re of high-pitched - quality operation , but it ’s a in high spirits barrier to entrance if we ’re talking about the mass marketplace .
From the short thing I ’ve picked up at recent events , where I see the entry point is through sept . There ’s still room for that high - fidelity audiophile experience , but I also see hi - fi move from the man cave into the living room , a wireless speaker that anyone can pluck up their phone and connect to . That ’s the futurity that ’s on the horizon , though in my idea I sense reluctance to fully embrace if you ’re dropping over four figures for it .
