Hifi in the Future.

I think digital amplification is the wave of the future and Naim could be taking a bottom up approach to this with introduction of the Muso and Qb.

Features readily incorporated into digital amps - high power output, Bluetooth, room correction, reduced box size and count, less shelving, fewer power cords and ICs are practical and very marketable. The traditional Naim system with its attention to PSUs, ICs, and cabling seems poised to become an extraneous artifact of a bygone hi-fi age that will die with the baby boomers. Consider the sound quality of music produced since year 2000 and the buying habits and attention span of Millenials and the attributes digital amplification make a plausible economic model.

That said, my thought for Naim's current course would be why the investment in Statement and SL cables? An attempt to bleed a dying market? I think the boys with the kilts could be vanguards. Time will tell.

TOBYJUG posted:

looking back 30 years on the surface it would appear that hifi hasn't changed much, hifi is still in big boxes and with big knobs. Under the surface of course much has changed with evolution and revolutions in technology.

But where in the next 30 years will hifi take us ?

My rough guess is that big expensive hifi will get even bigger and more expensive, but the consumer electronics will see the first change.    What with all in one discrete systems being presently popular, I can see some breakthrough with digital power supplies and with the very greater capacity of battery power with some form of remote wireless charging. In a box you would buy a small server box, a small wireless power supply sender and small satellite speakers. All you would need to do is put up the small speakers on the walls and that's it , no wires everywhere - and who knows surround sound could really see its potential without having to have a custom home cinema installation.

Of course the middling and audiophile market would have this with bigger wireless power supply senders and with bigger more capable speakers - but cables ( apart from the important feed from the grid ) will be mostly obsolete. Those who still subscribe to the cable approach will have to pay immensely for it no doubt after most cable manufacturers disappear.

This could be the start of a great thread TOBYJUG.

I think Naim have already made their statement, about Hifi in the future, by introducing the Mu-So's. Get the young on board, and later, they may buy more esoteric gear.

And, as for the Skottish play(ers), they do make exceedingly good record players.

As for my idea re the future, it involves Flac streaming and cochlear implants (Ouch!)

We seem to be heading away from black boxes for every function and heading towards more room friendly several function devices that appeal to families and to the young.  The Muso and QB will have gained followers for Naim  that the black boxes would never have tempted, I've introduced a couple myself, and we have the beautiful (or chrome scales depending on your point of view) Deviolet.  We have also recently seen speakers with hideous, sorry, decorative colour schemes and long established companies moving to digital preamps etc.

I would expect that we would see more room friendly devices and smaller devices that include many/all functions required and the eventual death of the traditional separates except, perhaps, as niche products.  I'd also expect to see advances in cable less speakers as Bluetooth and wireless communication technology advances possibly driven by Apples perverse decision to do away with the long standing 3.5mm jack.  I wouldn't expect to see CDs or any other moving media with the possible, and the jury is still out for mainstream use for me, use of vinyl.

I am inclined to think that amplification has largely matured, and what we have been seei g for a number of years now is manufacturers triningbto,steal a march on comperitors by forever announcing something new, even when differences may be negligible.

regarding sources, vinyl is an anachronism, no longer relevant in terms of absolute sound quality, but forever of i terest to diehard fans. CD has had its day, and whilst capable of good thingds is norf eclipsed by streaming sources - where improvements in DAC technology and rendering capability, with increasing awareness of and defeat of RF interference , rule the roost. 

As for speakers, mostly it is a mature technology, as always a challenging balance between cost of complexity of design for decent bass response vs cost and (often) size, though some manufacturers  such as  PMC seem to forever be developing and producing new , better, solutions.

Innocent Bystander posted:

I

regarding sources, vinyl is an anachronism, no longer relevant in terms of absolute sound quality.....

 

Utter rubbish!

Innocent Bystander posted:

I am inclined to think that amplification has largely matured, and what we have been seei g for a number of years now is manufacturers triningbto,steal a march on comperitors by forever announcing something new, even when differences may be negligible.

regarding sources, vinyl is an anachronism, no longer relevant in terms of absolute sound quality, but forever of i terest to diehard fans. CD has had its day, and whilst capable of good thingds is norf eclipsed by streaming sources - where improvements in DAC technology and rendering capability, with increasing awareness of and defeat of RF interference , rule the roost. 

As for speakers, mostly it is a mature technology, as always a challenging balance between cost of complexity of design for decent bass response vs cost and (often) size, though some manufacturers  such as  PMC seem to forever be developing and producing new , better, solutions.

Sometimes taking a side step to HiFi.  I have audiotioned AVI DM10 active system which consists of a DAC, preamp and power amps.  It only has two digital connections and an analogue connection.  This system is seriously capable in the sonic qualities that puts more expensive passive systems to shame.  Its only £1,500 (maybe not cheap) it also has all the PRAT you want in the sound - not bad for two blokes in a shed industry!

Good thread.  I think the future may most likely involve a more direct input to the brain, bypassing the ears - which lose ability to pick up nuances as one progresses in life...

I would say the future is wireless – something like this

although somehow the power cords still needs to be eliminated …