Can anyone explain the VU Meter renaissance?

[fpitas]

Whilst owning a turntable, amp, DAC, streamer, CD player, speakers doesnt?

I'm not sure how to answer that. I use my disc player, for example. It's hardly a useless frill.

 

[computer-audiophile]

Why do you need to ask..? I never stopped liking VU meters..so maybe that is why I bought this ,.. measures well too.
View attachment 334503

And the peak function tells me my power margin( voltage actually) is sufficient, normal listening is at -30 to -10dB

In any case, a very nice amplifier. And because it's Class A, you can also use it as an additional heater in winter.

 

[Matias]

I rather have a display like RME ADI-2 DAC and choose between FFT, big numbers or switched off.

 

[SimpleTheater]

Why is appearance so important in audio, even for objectivists.

It's not about appearance, it's about sound quality. Without VU meters there's no way of knowing how good the sound is.

 

[fpitas]

It's not about appearance, it's about sound quality. Without VU meters there's no way of knowing how good the sound is.

The larger the meter, the better the SINAD!

 

[Blumlein 88]

Beats me I never liked them.

 

[Petevid]

I'm not sure how to answer that. I use my disc player, for example. It's hardly a useless frill.

Sorry , was pulling your leg a bit. I think non hifi folk , ie normal people , would look upon VU Meters no differently to the other components.

 

[fpitas]

Beats me I never liked them.

My trusty old Technics SU-7300 has them. Little ones by modern standards. I didn't really care why they were there when I bought it, and I'd sometimes watch them wiggle, but had no idea what information they were imparting to me. Maybe if they're giant-sized they're more useful

 

[boxerfan88]

Dancing needles to the music is quite captivating.

 

[levimax]

VU meters were usually found on high end gear linke McIntosh or Accuphase or high power gear like Phase Linear. Looking at the big heavy boxes with the big meters barely moving with the music playing you just knew you were looking at a serious amp with serious power. Just like a "real" Alps Blue Velvet volume control compared to a "disconnected free spinning digital volume control" we live in the physical world and playing music is a physical experience so many enjoy watching physical meters or the physical feel of a real potentiometer. Not efficient or practical and certainly not necessary but kind of fun.

 

[Blumlein 88]

VU meters were usually found on high end gear linke McIntosh or Accuphase or high power gear like Phase Linear. Looking at the big heavy boxes with the big meters barely moving with the music playing you just knew you were looking at a serious amp with serious power. Just like a "real" Alps Blue Velvet volume control compared to a "disconnected free spinning digital volume control" we live in the physical world and playing music is a physical experience so many enjoy watching physical meters or the physical feel of a real potentiometer. Not efficient or practical and certainly not necessary but kind of fun.

Earlier McIntosh gear didn't have them. It was big, heavy and just looking you had the impression you didn't need a meter, there was plenty of amp just sitting over there. It was enough amp you didn't want to think about lifting it. Same for lots of dreadnought amps. Meters would have been tacky. Like Phase Linear amps, pretty good amps, but trying too hard to convince you that it was a serious amp.

 

[notsodeadlizard]

It's not a renaissance but a cargo-cult.
Because high-class equipment often uses VU meters, using a VU meter gives the feeling of high-class equipment.
Kind of cheap satisfaction of vanity.

 

[Cooper]

It's not a renaissance but a cargo-cult.
Because high-class equipment often uses VU meters, using a VU meter gives the feeling of high-class equipment.
Kind of cheap satisfaction of vanity.

Ummm, i clicked on Like by mistake. If nothing else i think meters look cool.

 

[DSJR]

Oh come on fellas, get a little romance in your jaded audio souls

I was a dedicated follower of Naim fashion for years - no controls on the preamp, plain black dinky boxes, no front panel tone controls (we ignored the fixed band limiting filters we couldn't see) and ABSOLUTELY NO meters, especially on some of the far eastern amps coming out on the late 1970's (I was far too snooty for that back then in my youthful ignorance). Needle meters on tape/cassette decks weren't always very accurate and the new led peak lights and then fast bar type metering I judged far better, but that's using level indication for a proper purpose

Meter boxes such as Amir's just tested are FUN and don't get in the way it seems. Boxes like that are NOT objective precision tools as other devices referred to with accurate bar-type displays are, but for some, old fashioned needle meters can look cool (rather like filament lamps with sexy orange glow).

You know, the old rebel in me actually wouldn't mind a needle meter box on show as I ignored the fashion first time round Of course these things are useless when far better things/tools are available these days, but they can be FUN for some.

 

[MattHooper]

Why is appearance so important in audio, even for objectivists.

That seems a different question than the one in your thread title.

Why in the world wouldn't aesthetics count in audio products, as with any other objects that will be placed in a home?

I know there are some audiophiles who say "I don't care how it looks"...and, yeah, you can tell when you see photos of the rooms.

 

[kemmler3D]

Why is appearance so important in audio, even for objectivists.

Objectivist (in audio) doesn't mean utilitarian or minimalist. It just means you aren't impressed by talk about performance, only real performance.

Almost everyone has preferences for aesthetics in almost every sphere of life, even "numbers obsessed" folks.

Nostalgia also comes for us all to steal our dignity at some point.

 

[Dimitri]

Why is appearance so important in audio, even for objectivists

It's a sensory stimulation synergy "thing". Like taking the grills off, or keeping the lights on

 

[amirm]

When I got into audio in 1970s, the bigger the VU meter, the more expensive and "high-end" the gear. And one without was decidedly pedestrian. As a kid with little money, I never graduated to owning gear with those massive VU meters because the equipment was so expensive.

We also used meters to calibrate recoding level and measure the same during playback on tape decks. VU meters were also used on tuners to indicate strength of station and accuracy of tuning. Today we don't need these but we still miss that feedback from the system.

In these days when they are almost disappeared, for a little bit of money we can have VU meters again so we indulge and want to have some.

Finally, there is a critical use: knowing something is playing or not. I am not getting any sound but my display on my RME is showing dancing spectrum of music playing, I know the entire chain up to that is working. Without it, it is hard. This also avoids being startled by turning on an amp when the source is playing (potentially at high levels).

 

[Prana Ferox]

Equipment looks cooler if it has interactive visual effects. Look on the bright side (no pun intended), this hobby has largely avoided the plague of cycling RGB LED ambient lighting

 

[DonR]

I like them as they remind me of lab equipment meters. On my pro amp, if you can see the meter LEDs it means you are already deaf.