the best of times

ipod integration to hi-fi is key

while persuading cheeky yong, the intellectual hifi reviewer for the once-famous and once-indispensable perfect pitch publication (a pull-out of the sun newspaper) to come out from "retirement" to write for av xpress, we discussed many issues concerning the fall of hifi (and high-end audio) and the rise of the ipod generation.

cheeky said if he was to write, he would concentrate on thought-provoking issues such as "is it possible to make ipod, MP3, MP4 high-fidelity?", "for hi-fi to revive and survive, it must cater to the needs of the ipod generation" etc etc.

thought-provoking indeed. many of you would have realized that people who play high-end audio are mostly financially stable men over 40 years-old and frankly with most of them above 50 years-old. it is an ageing community and a miserably tiny one no less. practically, no 30 year-olds or under 30 year-olds today can afford high-end, save for a few blessed ones like my fellow blogger here. which means, there won't be newcomers to this hobby in the near future. can you imagine what would happen in 20 years' time? we dare not even look into our crystal ball and predict what would happen but some things are for sure - the ipods would stay and probably evolve into a high-res media; that music lovers would go for convenience, portability and volume of songs one can carry; that music lovers would look for integration of their ipods with analog devices such as tube amps.... the future is indeed colourful!

the worst of times is also the best of times. the faster the audio industry embrace this eventual outcome the better. what would happen to high-end audio then? i think high-end audio would be so niche and exclusive that that it would remain the purview of the rich and famous, more for the reason of status symbol than anything else.

with that exciting outlook, i am awaiting the return of cheeky yong with bated breath.