The last odd end for now…
The venerable IEEE Spectrum has an article last November on advanced work on Vacuum Tubes, but for traveling-wave-tube amplifiers that still dominate satellite communication.
Hopefully there will be some trickle down effects for vacuum tubes used here on Earth 🙂
More odds. More ends.
This article, on Engadget, seems to fly in the face of our expectations…
But maybe the younger set, the ‘spotify’ generation, has found a way to get their music free? Usually Japan is ahead of us in these teen media consumption trends, but maybe the article is right and it is the music regulatory environment in Japan keeping CDs alive a few more years.
More odds and ends…
The thing I like about this chart, on LastChart.com is not just watching the bubble chart re-adjust itself when I mess with it [and I do like THAT!], but that I have heard nothing about most of these bands… and yet… there is Jethro Tull and The Dave Mathews Band right there in among them.
A lot of odds and ends have been piling up here…
I thought this was really interesting, as we seem to run into weird plugs every so often but, sometimes, in the strangest places, we run into our old familiar U.S. style plugs too. 🙂
Found on Cool Infographics
We have very fond memories of Montreal, which we attended and photographed in 2006, when it was called Festival Son et Image: https://audiofederation.com/hifiing/2006/FSI2006/index.htm
A few years ago, the founders of this show transferred ownership to the Chester Group, an organization that puts on several hifi shows around the world.
10 days prior to this year’s exhibition, we received an email stating that it’s been “deferred”:
https://www.chestergroup.org/news/2016/03/08/ssi-breaking-news-salon-son-image-2016-deferred
I mean, wowee. If we were exhibiting, I would be having a fit.
But now, the original founders, Michel Plante and Sarah Tremblay, have picked up the ball and rescued the situation and the Show Will Go On.
Given the 11th hour announcements here, they’ve got all the pertinent info up on Facebook (search for Montreal Salon Audio):
https://www.facebook.com/mtlsalonaudio
Montreal is a truly beautiful city, and this is a wonderful show that deserves support. If you are anywhere in the region, I would suggest you go.
Audio Note will be there, with cellist Vincent Belanger, accompanied by an Audio Note system. If another reason to go was even needed, this is not to be missed.
Kanye album launch pushes Tidal to the top US app
[Hi-res streaming just needed a celebrity endorsement… as potentially will high-end audio when there is a product worth endorsing [with wide appeal, of course, plus a manufacturer that can handle the ramp up to a billion dollar business (when currently many cannot handle a $100K+ sale without trashing their dealer network). ].
Also from TheNextWeb:
In an increasingly crowded space, and with the noted absence of Taylor and Adele, Spotify has been named the global leader in music streaming across both iOS and Android. It knocked Pandora off the top spot among Apple users as of September.
Pandora is still the most used service in the US but comes in at number three worldwide, according to App Annie’s music streaming report, with SoundCloud just pipping it to the post.
China’s QQMusic comes in fourth, with Japan’s LINE Music soaring to fifth place, despite only launching in June.
Revenues from music streaming apps have doubled in the past year and Spotify tops the chart here too, yet again at the expense of Pandora. This was boosted by an increasing number of people opting to make premium in-app upgrades.
Making people pay is an art that’s proving successful for other streaming services too, like Jay Z’s Tidal. Since launching back in March, it’s already become the fifth highest-grossing streaming app in the world.
Beats Music, meanwhile, which was acquired by Apple last year, has been discontinued as of 30 November, with paying subscribers merged into Apple Music since it launched in June. Beats was actually a rather lucrative service too, reaching number four in terms of revenue just months before being shut down.
and…
Mobile music streaming is booming, creating huge opportunities for app publishers and marketers. The top streaming1 apps worldwide saw data consumption per active Android phone user grow by about 25% year-on-year while downloads increased by around 15% and revenue from in-app purchases more than doubled.
• Spotify leads the way worldwide in active users, downloads and revenue. However, new opportunities are growing and being served by other players, particularly in APAC markets where local content puts regional players ahead of global giants. LINE MUSIC and AWA Music have shown enormous potential in Japan while Saavn and Gaana grow rapidly in India.
• Europe is home to three of the world’s biggest streaming apps (Spotify, SoundCloud and Deezer) that dominate the region’s landscape. Traditional FM radio networks are also finding some traction with apps, potentially providing a model that networks in other markets can replicate.
• Pandora Radio still takes the top spot in the US with its interactive radio service. Mixtape streaming apps are also on the rise, highlighting the value users place in new music discovery, and the potential for genre-specific streaming apps.
Full App Annie report
[So streaming has some decent yoy growth as they pivot their business models (in-app purchases) to find ways to actually make money at it.
Music, like Games, will be free for most people, and the quality (fidelity) will be an add-on purchase]
AÂ petition for Amazon to offer digital music in lossless FLAC as an alternative to lossy MP3 has been posted on change.org
https://www.change.org/p/amazon-amazon-com-amazon-offer-lossless-digital-music-flac
Seems like a good thing to us. Change.org wants you to register, like most sites these days, but … this would be a great thing.
Hey, Amazon, get with the program! 🙂
[thanks ‘Bright Eyes’]
A new high-end audio forum: Audio Nirvana, at http://audionirvana.org, has very recently been founded by Myles Astor.
Every forum has a different energy, largely determined by the founder and early, prolific posters.
People will often find they feel much more comfortable at one forum than others. Kind of like a favorite bar [I am thinking ‘Cheers’, the TV show, the early days]
There are only 82 members on this, I think the 4th day.
You still have a chance to help make this forum something that *you* feel part of and feel comfortable at.
One doesn’t get many chances like this to really participate in the hobby and help it grow.
So sign up and start posting, already!  🙂
Audiophile Music – Music that always sounds good, is different from audiophile pressings, or audiophile recordings, which is music that is recorded and/or manufactured much better than average.
Here is an example…
This is an *awesome* version of Neil Young’s Only Love can Break your Heart. Covers are hardly ever as good as the original, but as a Neil Young fan, this one is up there].
But it sounds good on Neli’s little computer speakers, my $500 Yamaha active computer speakers, on everything.
And this is the thing.
People play this kind of music at shows, and many audiophiles play this at home, but it does not tell you hardly anything at all about the quality of the stereo system. It does not put the $$$ in the system to good use. It does not exercise the qualities of the system.
Many audiophiles play only music like this, thinking that it sounds good so they must have a good sounding system.
And many rooms play this kind of music at shows.
But, who cares, right?
You should just be aware that when people or businesses want to show off their system and they put on music like this, and they are trying to convince you that their system sounds good, that they are being somewhat misleading, if not just a teensy weensy bit dishonest.
What looks like a nice speaker for people who enjoy an active life, now on Kickstarter.
[We are going to try to be more supportive of crowd-funded audio gear, from new and/or small companies, by posting about them here]
