Do You Miss Knobs and Dials and Switches?

[Mart68]

it’s totally fine to admit that you like quality / designs or Brands. After all it’s most likely for a good reason.

Some designs are just iconic and timeless. It’s no suprise every TV show uses Vintage Gear to set the mood.

I’m sure a Alexa wouldn’t have the same impact on TV

Same goes for brands. It just means something when a brand is around for 50-70+ years and invented stuff.

And it’s obvious that more and more people are tired of touch screens and tiny invisible buttons.

I just feel sorry for the generation that will never know or care for „quality“ and „heritage“. That are truly fine with a iPad to watch movies instead of a cinema . And Bluetooth earbuds instead of a Stereo system.

They are to be pitied, it's true!

 

[sergeauckland]

it’s totally fine to admit that you like quality / designs or Brands. After all it’s most likely for a good reason.

Some designs are just iconic and timeless. It’s no suprise every TV show uses Vintage Gear to set the mood.

I’m sure a Alexa wouldn’t have the same impact on TV

Same goes for brands. It just means something when a brand is around for 50-70+ years and invented stuff.

And it’s obvious that more and more people are tired of touch screens and tiny invisible buttons.

I just feel sorry for the generation that will never know or care for „quality“ and „heritage“. That are truly fine with a iPad to watch movies instead of a cinema . And Bluetooth earbuds instead of a Stereo system.

I have a total soft spot for vintage equipment. I love my Quad II amplifiers, my EMT and AEG turntables, my B&W 801 loudspeakers, my Ferrograph series 6 tape recorder and my new to me Aiwa 50 series mini system amongst other stuff that goes back to the late 1950s through to the 1970s. Some of this stuff I keep because of the 'iconic' design rather than absolute performance, others, like the turntables because they have never been bettered as working systems.

That I also have LPs that go back to the 1950s that still play adequately (I won't say perfectly, as no LP was ever perfect) is also a source of pleasure and satisfaction that something 70 years old is still functioning as it should.

S.

 

[Mart68]

I have a total soft spot for vintage equipment. I love my Quad II amplifiers, my EMT and AEG turntables, my B&W 801 loudspeakers, my Ferrograph series 6 tape recorder and my new to me Aiwa 50 series mini system amongst other stuff that goes back to the late 1950s through to the 1970s. Some of this stuff I keep because of the 'iconic' design rather than absolute performance, others, like the turntables because they have never been bettered as working systems.

That I also have LPs that go back to the 1950s that still play adequately (I won't say perfectly, as no LP was ever perfect) is also a source of pleasure and satisfaction that something 70 years old is still functioning as it should.

S.

Your Aiwa '50' series is approaching fifty years old too!

My pre-amp turns 35 this year and my power amp was 30 last year - death where is thy sting?

 

[EJ3]

Your Aiwa '50' series is approaching fifty years old too!

My pre-amp turns 35 this year and my power amp was 30 last year - death where is thy sting?

My oldest is a pair of APT/Holman Preamps from the late 1970's, most of the rest is between then & 1988 but I have a few newer pieces, an oPPo 205 UDP, an unopened Fosi phono preamp to play with & a new (just arrived) HummingGuru S-DUO Pro 2-in1 Ultrasonic Record Stylus Cleaner And Digital Pressure Gauge (for no touch stylus deep cleaning). Some modern things are, in fact, better. But I value aesthetics and longevity (if the electronics are transparent, say around 95 SINAD [yep, I know, that does not include my TT's, cassette decks, reel to reel's or FM) more than I value most modern gear in aesthetics & types of controls or specifically needing a phone or computer to make them work. Also, I all separates & have spares that I can swap in if/when I send a piece out for repair/refurbishing or resto-modding.
Unless there is 4 or more days without power, I'll have music, refrigeration & transportation. (I have been 4 months without power but that was on an island in the western pacific after a particularly vicious typhoon [Soudelor, August 2015 The wind speed meter read the highest gust being 223 MPH] {I was there at the time}).
That is not likely to happen here, though Hurricane Hugo had us without power for 21 days here (Charleston, SC area)on & after Sept. 22, 1989.

 

[MattHooper]

Despite a generous budget I was unable to find a current model pre-amp I liked the look of so had to go vintage for that. Hopefully the current trend for retro will continue and we'll get more products that are aesthetically pleasing as opposed to bland or ugly.

I hear you.

Racks full of bland, black plasticy components depresses me.

 

[EJ3]

Exactly why I have a pair of APT/Holman Pre-Amps!

 

[JeffS7444]

I didn't need this ~1970-75 Sony STC-7000 tuner/pre, but it's got peak Showa-era clickiness.

 

[mhardy6647]

^^^

 

[Gorgonzola]

Exactly why I have a pair of APT/Holman Pre-Amps!

I owned an APT/Holman for years but sadly and foolishly sold it about a decade ago ... one of the audio transactions I most regret.

This was my actual unit; I preferred the Radio Shack knobs for the feel but I kept the originals too ...

 

[HalSF]

The tide may be turning in the long automobile dashboard nightmare.

Rejoice! Carmakers Are Embracing Physical Buttons Again

Amazingly, reaction times using screens while driving are worse than being drunk or high—no wonder 90 percent of drivers hate using touchscreens in cars. Finally the auto industry is coming to its senses.

www.wired.com

 

[MattHooper]

The tide may be turning in the long automobile dashboard nightmare.

Rejoice! Carmakers Are Embracing Physical Buttons Again

Amazingly, reaction times using screens while driving are worse than being drunk or high—no wonder 90 percent of drivers hate using touchscreens in cars. Finally the auto industry is coming to its senses.

www.wired.com

Has been a long head smashing against wall level obvious problem. We’ve had our current car for years and I still literally don’t know how to operate half the stuff via the screen

 

[norman bates]

I saw an apt holman preamp sell locally about a month ago.
It tested well here.
1st harmonic was 90db down.
signal to noise 18+ bits
sinad 90db

Apt Holman Preamplifier Review (vintage Audio)

This is a review and detailed measurements of the Apt Holman vintage preamplifier. It is on kind loan from a member and has been refurbished by QuirkAudio. The look is a cross between hifi and pro gear: Other than some scratches on top, the unit is a very good cosmetic shape. Rear...

www.audiosciencereview.com

 

[EJ3]

I saw an apt holman preamp sell locally about a month ago.
It tested well here.
1st harmonic was 90db down.
signal to noise 18+ bits
sinad 90db

Apt Holman Preamplifier Review (vintage Audio)

This is a review and detailed measurements of the Apt Holman vintage preamplifier. It is on kind loan from a member and has been refurbished by QuirkAudio. The look is a cross between hifi and pro gear: Other than some scratches on top, the unit is a very good cosmetic shape. Rear...

www.audiosciencereview.com

This one, along with it's twin, will be out of the system for a service next year. The rising FR in the phono stage is due to someone removing a resister at some point in time (on both of mine). It seems to have been a common tactic for people who did not like "flat" (so was done to many of them).
It was not noticed before but the former owner of the APT Corporation & Designer of the unit (Tomlinson Holman) posted in the thread comments of what the issue was.
The balance issue was an easy adjustment (the adjustability was built in and how to do it is in the owners manual).
A little bit about him:

 

[dlaloum]

This one, along with it's twin, will be out of the system for a service next year. The rising FR in the phono stage is due to someone removing a resister at some point in time (on both of mine). It seems to have been a common tactic for people who did not like "flat" (so was done to many of them).
It was not noticed before but the former owner of the APT Corporation & Designer of the unit (Tomlinson Holman) posted in the thread comments of what the issue was.
The balance issue was an easy adjustment (the adjustability was built in and how to do it is in the owners manual).
A little bit about him:

the default 47kohm load on phono stages, was really only a rough recommendation - Shure manuals for their cartridges stated "up to" circa 75kohm - to get optimal "flat" performance with a high inductance cartridge (mostly MM / MI) you often need to be able to vary your load... I found some cartridges were best down as low as 27k, and others up at 75k... but few phono stages have the required load adjustability to mess with R & C loading properly.

From memory, I though the APT was one of the few that supported this?

 

[EJ3]

the default 47kohm load on phono stages, was really only a rough recommendation - Shure manuals for their cartridges stated "up to" circa 75kohm - to get optimal "flat" performance with a high inductance cartridge (mostly MM / MI) you often need to be able to vary your load... I found some cartridges were best down as low as 27k, and others up at 75k... but few phono stages have the required load adjustability to mess with R & C loading properly.

From memory, I though the APT was one of the few that supported this?

Yes. As there are no detents, you have to use a bit of visuals & perhaps measuring to get the in-betweens right. If it is on the line of the corresponding number, it is correct.

 

[MattHooper]

If you can ignore the subjective stuff, this vid has some very nice “ knob, dials buttons and switches porn.”

I’m not that interested in solid-state amplifiers, but if I was, this one would be near the top of the heap if only for the aesthetics and the haptics.

A really beautiful Luxman integrated amplifier:

 

[dlaloum]

Yes. As there are no detents, you have to use a bit of visuals & perhaps measuring to get the in-betweens right. If it is on the line of the corresponding number, it is correct.

The R load switch raises the load to 100K, from where you can adjust to whatever load you need by using an RCA double adapter with custom resistive plugs... not hard to do, and there used to be at least one manufacturer that sold a set of "resistive plugs" (although it is not hard to do!) and a rough estimate of C loading is usually ample!

 

[Phorize]

Folks,

In this modern digital day and age, when so many of us have moved to digital playback, very often using some form of computer control via a touchpad, smart phone, keyboard or whatever to control the system…

…. Does anybody miss the look and tactile experience of using volume knobs/dials/switches, etc.?

Or do you still have those in your system?

For a while when I first switched to a digital server system, when I ripped all my CDs, and later added streaming, calling everything up and operating it via my smart phone was kind of a cool novelty. “ A new world!”

Over time for me the novelty wore off, and it started to feel like one more damn screen I had to interact with, after interacting with the phone all day long.

And don’t get me started on using a laptop or a keyboard to interact with an audio system.
There is no interface I despise more. It feels so kludgy (and perhaps reminds me too much of work).

Anyway, that’s one reason why I had a remote control custom-made for me with a big volume knob, and which could do some other switching in my system. It’s really nice to use in a tactile and aesthetic way, and it’s part of my break from the digital world:

View attachment 432277

Aside from that, of course, my pre-amplifiers have their own buttons or volume knobs. But they are in a different room which is why I need to use a remote.

How about you folks? Still doing the tactile physical knobs and dials at all?
Or miss it?

(And yes, I resisted calling this thread “ Show us your knobs!”)

I had an accuphase e202 and it had lovely knobs. Far to big though for my tiny English living room so it had to be replaced with some little black boxes.

 

[MattHooper]

I missed this comment earlier on…

We are fickle consumers. We have a constant feeling that something is missing from our lives. Now it is knobs and switches, next year or decade something else. Constant boredom is the issue.

I see it differently.

The older I get the more I value enthusiasm over cynicism.

It’s like when you have kids and you delight and how enthusiastic they are about discovering the world. There’s a life energy there that is wonderful.

I appreciate anybody who has grown older and who has managed to have great enthusiasms and passions.

Along those lines, I’m fascinated by the interests and enthusiasm of other people.
I knew a guy when we were in our late 20s who is obsessed with wall clocks. There couldn’t be anything I was less interested in myself, but when he started talking about them and showing me his collection it was fascinating, and it clearly delighted him.

So for me, this carries over to any enthusiasm people have here about anything audio.

The idea that people can find delight in some of the smallest things, like a well crafted switch or knob, is great. And if I were the one who carefully crafted those devices, I would be happy that my attention to detail didn’t go unnoticed and was greatly appreciated by some people.

Anything that keeps the fire burning shouldn’t be underestimated IMO. And for me cynicism is at odds with this.

 

[Purité Audio]

I remain enthusiastic for well engineered product.
Keith