It's just that the entire Industry was based on the Source, still is.
I can agree and also disagree with this statement. On one hand you are correct. It went from 78s, to vinyl, to CDs, to mp3s and portable devices, to now a mixture of portable devices and streaming (not counting the small resurgence in retro vinyl), as well as a mix from sources like YouTube and still a few CDs. Thus why media centers, USB DACs, multi-source DACs, and things like integrated AppleAudio or Bluetooth can be welcome for some consumers. Either way...all digital.
However, you forget that to reproduce sound no matter what your source, you need two elements - speakers or transducers (to move air), and an amplifier (to move the speakers). As well as probably a source switcher and volume control.
Same with recording...you still need microphones to pick up the moving air, a microphone preamplifier to boost the signal to a nominal level for recording. Those things, as well as speakers and amplifiers will never, I mean never, go out of style. There might be more innovations, greater efficiency, better specifications, specialty applications, and a host of other reasons to improve upon any sort of transducer and amplifier, but those two principles are the most basic and essence of audio reproduction.
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Originally Posted by tonykaz /img/forum/go_quote.gif
we never felt that we were Audio Industry people. We were Scientists working in Industry, it made no difference which Industry we were in.
Now-a-days we rarely talk about those years which started off being a thrill like a very tall RollerCoaster, which got faster and seemed Scary, it picked up more velocity and became terrifying, we were accelerating to infinity ( it seemed ).
These other two things you said rang out to me as the most important. You began to dabble, you hit on something big, and it avalanched, but that was never quite your initial intention and something that you felt controlled you rather than the other way around. I think this happens mostly when something is not quite your full passion and why it was easy to drop. Meaning, you were passionate about audio, but not so much growing a retail empire that kept building nearly beyond your limits - that was not your initial intention, but I am sure that roller coaster was fun while it lasted.
You went out on top in and industry that you only bargained for a smaller piece of the pie, but rather cash out rather than drain it slowly over time and fight it. I get it. And I don't think anyone faults you for it. Certainly not me. And I appreciate your explanation.
I will say that I don't think it was CD, but that is something that scared you out of it - like a wake up call. Looking back it seems like the right decision, but CDs did not kill the hi-fi business. It collapsed under its own weight. You got in when it was getting hot, and got out before the bottom started to fall out. Places like Circuit City and host of others had to learn the hard way.
And the bit about bank loans, credit cards, etc. is likely the reason why Jason does not want to grow too fast. That gets you into trouble. I don't agree with Dave Ramsey's politics, but the only real sustainable way to grow is by your bootstraps. You just gotta know where that breaking point is and where to reinvest. Grow smarter, not harder.
Thanks for your story Tony. Good to know you.