Do You Miss Knobs and Dials and Switches?

[MattHooper]

I remain enthusiastic for well engineered product.
Keith

If it doesn’t include nice knobs, dials and switches, you can’t be in our club.

 

[EJ3]

If it doesn’t include nice knobs, dials and switches, you can’t be in our club.

It CAN get by without those IF it has nice meters.
And I'll even accept LED's for that purpose (even with no knobs, dials or switches IF IT HAS meters):

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[norman bates]

I believe the caption with this ad was "great knobs".

 

[PristineSound]

Knobs and dials are still possible in the digital age.

I have here Yamaha A-S2200 all analog integrated amp.

Oppo BDP-105D in ultra rare silver, pristine condition. Can be used as an external DAC with USB input.

Kingdel fanless mini PC for streaming.

 

[PristineSound]

. I know I could buy around 20-25 fosi amps instead of the Yamaha .. but damn fine amp and craftsmanship. For something a average person with a normal job can still afford .

Sure the Fosi is excellent value, but there is more than utilitarianism to life, there is something called craftsmanship, quality, over engineering, brand history and legacy and the feel damn good factor. . .which none of these desktop little kids toys can step to.

 

[Travis]

Tone controls or a good EQ line Cello Pallet, have to have them. Dr. Toole agrees.

 

[Travis]

Knobs and dials are still possible in the digital age.

I have here Yamaha A-S2200 all analog integrated amp.

Oppo BDP-105D in ultra rare silver, pristine condition. Can be used as an external DAC with USB input.

Kingdel fanless mini PC for streaming.
View attachment 451294

Need to look up that Kingdel fanless.

 

[PristineSound]

Need to look up that Kingdel fanless.

Amazon.

 

[Mart68]

Sure the Fosi is excellent value, but there is more than utilitarianism to life, there is something called craftsmanship, quality, over engineering, brand history and legacy and the feel damn good factor. . .which none of these desktop little kids toys can step to.

I agree but if I was back to being young with no money (a deal I'd probably take) I'd be very happy that there was super-cheap equipment with excellent performance. 'Kid's Toys' is a bit harsh.

Once you're older and have a bit more disposable, there's additional pleasure to be had from owning the 'Lexus' equipment like Accuphase or whatever.

 

[dlaloum]

Tone controls or a good EQ line Cello Pallet, have to have them. Dr. Toole agrees.

I remain a fan of the Quad 34 / 44 Tilt control.....

 

[JRR]

I agree but if I was back to being young with no money (a deal I'd probably take) I'd be very happy that there was super-cheap equipment with excellent performance. 'Kid's Toys' is a bit harsh.

Once you're older and have a bit more disposable, there's additional pleasure to be had from owning the 'Lexus' equipment like Accuphase or whatever.

I found the opposite. I had the Lexus, The Mercedes, and the Rolls Royce of the genre and ultimately felt stupid. Now, I have greater enjoyment in my Land Cruiser of audio exploring all the facets of multi channel and stereo in a way that the pretentious high end gear could never provide. There is expensive gear engineered with purpose and then there is expensive gear engineered to toy with our emotions. Accuphase is an emotional purchase which leaves alot of capability on the table for the money.

 

[Mart68]

I found the opposite. I had the Lexus, The Mercedes, and the Rolls Royce of the genre and ultimately felt stupid. Now, I have greater enjoyment in my Land Cruiser of audio exploring all the facets of multi channel and stereo in a way that the pretentious high end gear could never provide.

I like that, first time a car analogy has ever made sense.

Accuphase is an emotional purchase

True, but there's nothing intrinsically wrong with that.

 

[Snoopy]

There is expensive gear engineered with purpose and then there is expensive gear engineered to toy with our emotions. Accuphase is an emotional purchase which leaves alot of capability on the table for the money.

In some areas of this hobby the ASR gospel went to far . I don’t see how someone really into this whole thing could get a Fosi toy amp that was made for laptops and such things with the lowest topping/SMSL entry level Dac while streaming Spotify and feel like they archived their endgame.

One might just get a powered in-wall speaker and hide that away as well. :/
Who needs craftsmanship and quality these days anyway? Give me a tiny amp with a phone charger

 

[PristineSound]

I agree but if I was back to being young with no money (a deal I'd probably take) I'd be very happy that there was super-cheap equipment with excellent performance. 'Kid's Toys' is a bit harsh.

Once you're older and have a bit more disposable, there's additional pleasure to be had from owning the 'Lexus' equipment like Accuphase or whatever.

I think you just agreed about it being kid's toys

But all joking aside, Fosi and others like it, are excellent for the value, if you are budget constrained, frugal, utilitarian or minimalist, that is the way to go. But for the others where these conditions or choices don't apply, kids' toys indeed.

 

[Petrushka]

Law of physics: by the time you can afford it, you can’t hear it.

 

[PristineSound]

In some areas of this hobby the ASR gospel went to far . I don’t see how someone really into this whole thing could get a Fosi toy amp that was made for laptops and such things with the lowest topping/SMSL entry level Dac while streaming Spotify and feel like they archived their endgame.

One might just get a powered in-wall speaker and hide that away as well. :/
Who needs craftsmanship and quality these days anyway? Give me a tiny amp with a phone charger

Agree. There is a time, place and crowd for these Fosi amps, and there is a time, place and crowd to be unapologetic about not wanting these Fosi amps and these entry level Topping/SMSL DACs.

I don't feel bad at all for wanting to spend more money on higher quality, better craftsmanship, head turning, over built, big boy toys.

 

[Travis]

Amazon.

Thank you. Are you happy with it?

 

[PristineSound]

Thank you. Are you happy with it?

Yes, very happy. The only thing is, it does not have TPM, so if you want to reinstall the OS, you have to use RUFUS to strip out the TPM requirements.

The unit is absolutely silent and excellent looking in silver to matchy rack. And the best part is, you virtually never have to worry about it going out of support for any streaming service.

 

[Hear Here]

I miss the vintage Sansui look with all the knobs and switches.

By contrast, that's just the sort if 1960s looks that I don't like! All those, mostly never used, knobs, dials and switches - no thanks.

However I won't buy gear that doesn't have essential controls, such as On/Off, a proper volume control knob, front panel control of inputs, etc.

My NAD M33 is minimal but it does offer these basic and essential controls.

 

[Gorgonzola]

It CAN get by without those IF it has nice meters.
And I'll even accept LED's for that purpose (no knobs, dials or switches but meters):

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Speaking of SAE, there was also the 2100 preamp ...