Old Fart Syndrome, iPods, and JBLs
As evidenced by the photos of the SoCal Taco Surf Ten
http://audioheritage.org/vbulletin/s...3&postcount=81
many of us are getting along in years, but it looks like there's still some rebel in some of us despite our ages.
So then I see this:
http://www.audioholics.com/news/edit...gDownAudio.php
:rotfl: :applaud: :rotfl:
As I'm sitting here streaming 4 Strings, Dyce, M.Y.C., Ashley Jade and others wirelessly through iTunes into an Airport Express to the FAPT1+, the FAA1000.5s, and out the Performance Series, I'm amused and bemused by the old fartiness of this op-ed piece.
When I got my first NEC five transistor radio, with real leather case, from The Andersons in Maumee, OH for $8.76 in 1958, it was a musical revelation to me. Yeah, it only tuned AM, and when I turned it up real loud through the built in speaker, it distorted like crazy and it annoyed adults wherever I went. :D "You're going to ruin your hearing!"
I took that thing everywhere, and even listened through the single earphone in bed at night until the 9V battery would give up. My love affair with music came first through that obnoxious little device. Sure, later, I played the trumpet and the bass guitar and sang in choir and did vocal gigs with garage bands, but it all came after.
Now I read in this article all of the old, tired, pointless, complaining, griping points of the old fart school of thought. Is it inevitable that we all become these old, whining, hissy-fitting, dogma-spouting douche bags? Gosh, I hope not.
Love of music is love of music, whatever form it takes. Just because it's not MY preferred form, or preferred genre, or preferred playback system does not make it any less real than my own. The arrogant, condescending, know-it-all posturing of pedantic hacks posing as audiophiles (audiophile, n.--lover of music) is burdensome and offensive to me.
Okay, so the five tranistor NEC eventually became an Allied Electronics AM/FM, which became a Heathkit AM/FM/SW, which became a Radio Shack radio/cassette, which became an Electrophonic three-piece stereo (in real wood, mind you) which became a Kenwood KR6160, Dual 1219, JBL L100 Century honest to goodness stereo.
So now I've got 64 JBLs (consumer, pro, multimedia, and auto), a season's subscription to 14 live music events, and three iPods full of music.
My use of iPods apparently means I've really dumbed down. It apparently means my musical tastes and appreciations have been vandalized and usurped by brilliant marketers who have fooled me into thinking I'm enjoying music more than ever when in fact I'm apparently too stupid to know what I'm doing sucks. I wish I could be as intelligent as Mr. DellaSala, who knows what's right not only for himself but for an entire generation. It must be amazing to be so perceptive and constructively critical of so many people, so many products, and so many preferences. It's a shame he can't just think and choose for us all. (Note: This paragraph is sarcasm.)
Oh wait, wait! I know. How about if we accept the musical choices that people make without putting them down or unnecessarily criticizing them, or assuming we always know better? How about if we let the old fart syndrome die with our generation? How about we just accept that people make the choices they make and if they develop a love for music in any form, it's a step in the right direction.
From that initial love it's easy to bring them along, as long as we don't insult them or their choices in the process. (Yes, we've teased each other about things like me liking Ti radiators and someone else liking horns, etc., but I don't recall any of us ever saying the others were "gullible," judgmentally impaired," people who "don't know any better," or members "of a generation of ignorance." We've never marked it up to anything more than a difference in taste, a good tease, and an excuse to have a beer. :cheers: )
With my two ears I can love my iPods and my JBLs both. Unfortunately, I really need three hands: One to hold onto my iPods, one to hold onto my JBLs, and one to hold onto the gun that you will have to pry from my cold, dead hand to get the other two. :die: (OK, I would not actually shoot anyone over this. Relax.)
Thanks, it's been fun sharing this with you, and thanks for the inspiration Gene. (Incidentally, there was a lot of great info packed into the article, but IMO it was used for the wrong purpose.)
iPod dock with audio out and remote for cheap $$.
Now that you all have solved all the problems of the universe, those of you who were lucky enough to have chosen Apple over all others are probably overwhelmed by the plethora of accessories available for the iPod. I don't even own one but my daughter does. In anticipation of the other two daughters having an iPod some day, I'm proactively purchasing this little toy:
http://images10.newegg.com/NeweggIma...996-602-01.JPG
It's the Kensington Stereo iPod Dock with remote, regularly about $89 or better but now only $27.99 after rebate here. Free shipping, too. I just thought the deal was too good not to share. This site will show you pics of the unit and all that comes with it, and go here to read some reviews. It has A/V as well as S-video output as well as a bunch of cables and adapters included so you can even charge your iPod while playing video through your home theater and/or audio files through your JBLs. All normal disclaimers apply and I've not yet received mine to tell you any more. It just seemed like a great way to play your iPod through your stereo. Let me know what you think. $10 mail-in rebate set to expire 5/14/06, not that it's not a good deal even without the hassle of mailing the rebate!
Edit: Sorry, I've confused two different units since the seller's information is so sparse. Here's the manufacturer's site. This is the unit on sale (the Stereo Dock) and it does not have a video connection (probably why it's on sale! The other is the Entertainment Dock) but does do all the other audio stuff as described above including the remote. I've left the above post intact thinking it would make more sense than to just correct it. I did change the image and link to the correct product, so now go here for more photos, specs, and other information. My apologies for any confusion. :banghead:
-Phil