Examples of good usability in hi-fi equipment

[Blumlein 88]

 

[Mr. Widget]

The coolest thing about it was at turn on--after a short delay a number of relays clicked sequentially anc quite audibly into position. Loved that sound and the anticipation that went with--similar I suppose ice cubes into a tumbler are for a serious drinker.

Interesting comparison.

I had the original PDC-2.6P... serial number 14 or so. Amazing for its day. Not entirely transparent, the remote wasn't great, and the room correction really only worked if you had mini-monitors, but it was a groundbreaker.

 

[Blumlein 88]

This was a digital preamp. It took the source digitally, could resample it to 20 bits, and used several types of dither, and a few other DSP goodies. Easy to view across the room, very attractive and had a remote. In the days before such was common I could feed various digital sources like CD transport of my analog source coming thru an ADC and control volume etc. like an analog preamp did. It was very simple to interact with and use. All that is available in a single box for $200 now. Though usually less pretty.

 

[Blumlein 88]

This one might take some explaining. An MSB ADD-1. Before MSB made gear only for uber-rich. It was an ADC. 24 bit up to 96 khz. I had a very good DAC with a remote volume control, and I had decided to digitize all my analog sources. This unit had 9 line inputs and a phono input. It automatically switched to whichever inputs had a signal with a preference order ranked 1 thru 9. So with a few remote pieces and others not, I effectively could switch sources and run everything to the DAC conveniently. It was a joy to use in a way that maybe doesn't come across in my explanation. It also was an important device pulling back the curtain on some audiophile myths. I found digitizing sources and then running them thru a DAC to a preamp was indistinguishable from just running a wire from the source to preamp. So I ditched the preamp using this and the DAC instead. I paid $300 for it. Could not find a really good picture, but the various leds were visible across the room to know what was happening.

 

[tomchris]

Norwegian Dynamic Precision CA-1:

 

[scrubb]

I've always been a fan of 1980s TEAC/Tascam mixer layouts. They're no-nonsense, well spaced, plainly labelled, and color coded.

I also used a Tandberg 3018a for a number of years and appreciated the functional minimalism:

As for newer equipment, I recently purchased an Anthem MRX 540 and really like the continuation of minimalism with a large display that can show detailed information if desired but is never too busy.

A key component of properly designed new equipment is an well designed (not buggy), comprehensive, yet easy to navigate, electronic (web or app) interface.

 

[tomchris]

Bang & Olufsen Beolink 7000, adaptive capacitive touch functions, two-way remote control:

 

[Mart68]

I'm surprised nobody did mention the Technic SL1200 yet. That device is in it's class the absolute master in usability (next to sound and sturdiness). I don't know a manual turntable that is easier to operate right than that one, with an arm that is compliant to many cartridges and as foolproof as a turntable can be. And it's still one of the better turntables arround for reasonable prices.

I was going to mention it but you beat me to it. I kept one back even though I don't use it. You can press that 'Start/Stop' button all day, just maximum tactility.

I will add the Technics SLP 1200 - I've had three but they all died eventually. Proper track access, big keys, all laid out logically. Loads of fun to own and use.



Cannot stand these modern things with their little multi-colour screens and annoying 'menus'. I would never have something like that in my system.

I remember when a menu was just something a waiter handed to you in a restaurant. They were better times.

 

[Puddingbuks]

My first CD-Player was a Technics SL PG 540. I loved the search-wheel and never understood why this function has not been praised and adapted universally. Hated every other CD-player's search function.

Totally agree. And boy would I love to have a sl-p1200.

 

[NiagaraPete]

Regardless of performance, please share your experience with equipment which has made a great impression on your perception of great usability.

Specifically, I am focused on the tactile enjoyment of operating a piece of equipment. For example, the usefulness of a certain layout or selective use of switches, knobs or buttons etc.

I had a Yamaha A-1. It had a single large volume knob and 3 exposed switches. and a small folding cover that hid all the secondary controls. I loved that amp

 

[mhardy6647]

I am not (in full disclosure) a big fan of them, but for their comparatively straightforward and (for the time) elegant physical presence and (more to the point) their very satisfying "feel" -- it is hard to beat the Pioneer massmarket hifi equipment of the mid-1970s. The zenith (strictly my opinon, you do understand!) was (were) the last of the "blackout dial" era (ca. 1975), and the first era of "silverface" components that immediately followed them (ca. '77).
They were well built and well laid out, if a little (OK, in some cases more than a little) overloaded in "features" in the form of knobs, switches, and controls for their owners to fondle.

The pots are velvety-smooth to turn, those that are detented have subtle but unmistakable detents, and the counterweighted tuner mechanisms would "span the [FM] dial" with a single energetic spin. None of which is really important, but spoke volumes (pun somewhat intended) to the key market demographic of the time.

I don't have an example of the last of the blackout era Pioneers, here's a page from the LRE catalog of 1975 showing four of the higher-end receivers, including (arguably) the first "superreceiver", the SX-1010.

source: https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-Catalogs/Lafayette-Catalogs/Lafayette-1975-750.pdf

I do have a couple of examples of the next generation here.

SX-1050 receiver (just below the big boy of that era, the SX-1250).
That's an SX-1050 on the left in the photo below, with a Yamaha CR-202 to the right*


TX-9500II AM/FM MPX stereo tuner.


The innards of these components were typically a notch more impressively laid out than their peers from most of the other big names (although the better Sansui components of the era were often quite nice, too, "under the hood").

____________
* I prefer the CR-2020 absolutely and irrevocably to the SX-1050, but the overall physical bearing of the Pioneer eclipses the Yamaha, I must admit.

 

[TimW]

There are other options on the market with more modern features or better performance but I love using my TASCAM DR-100mkIII. The switches and buttons are recessed so that they won't be actuated accidentally while handling the unit. Still they have a nice tactility to them and can be operated by feel which is useful in low light situations. The big gain knob is very nice to use and can be disabled to lock in the setting using a switch on the other side. The aluminum fascia feels very premium in hand and the speckled plastic making up the rest of the body feels durable. Just about everything you need to know about the settings is displayed on the screen so that you don't have to dig through the menus to be certain before hitting record. There is an internal lithium battery along with a AA compartment and either can be selected as main source and backup to ensure uninterrupted recording.

 

[mhardy6647]

The tape decks of the "Silverface" era got a bit Rococo, though. Not marantz-level Rococo, but still a bit too much of the more is more school of design, I'd say.
CT-F1000

The innards of a CT-F1000:

RT-909 (bottom right -- ca. 1979, with "Fluoroscan" meters )

 

[Mr. Widget]

I am not (in full disclosure) a big fan of them, but for their comparatively straightforward and (for the time) elegant physical presence and (more to the point) their very satisfying "feel" -- it is hard to beat the Pioneer massmarket hifi equipment of the mid-1970s. The zenith (strictly my opinon, you do understand!) was (were) the last of the "blackout dial" era (ca. 1975), and the first era of "silverface" components that immediately followed them (ca. '77).

In general I prefer the styling of the mid 70s gear to the 80s stuff. I am not sure if there is something specific to the designs or if it is a function of my age. I just didn't care for the matte silver or shades of gray with lots of square buttons. By the late 80s and into the 90s it seemed that everything became anonymous. Except the "high end" everything was ~17" wide, ~6" tall and black. You couldn't tell sources from electronics or even tell the brands apart.

 

[restorer-john]

There are other options on the market with more modern features or better performance but I love using my TASCAM DR-100mkIII. The switches and buttons are recessed so that they won't be actuated accidentally while handling the unit. Still they have a nice tactility to them and can be operated by feel which is useful in low light situations. The big gain knob is very nice to use and can be disabled to lock in the setting using a switch on the other side. The aluminum fascia feels very premium in hand and the speckled plastic making up the rest of the body feels durable. Just about everything you need to know about the settings is displayed on the screen so that you don't have to dig through the menus to be certain before hitting record. There is an internal lithium battery along with a AA compartment and either can be selected as main source and backup to ensure uninterrupted recording.

Yes, it's a beautiful LCPM recorder. I wanted one, but can't buy it anymore. And like Sony, they've discontinued it. Their best handheld recorder.

 

[Joffy1780]

Back in my teens (1998) I bought a Sony portable Minidisc player. At the touch of a button I could 'rip' (before that was even a thing) a CD, without compression, to a disc with a diameter of 64mm encased in a cartridge for protection. You could label each album and track. In terms of usability it blew both portable CD and cassette players away.
I'm not sure why they weren't more of a success, it served me well for at least 10 years.

 

[TimW]

Yes, it's a beautiful LCPM recorder. I wanted one, but can't buy it anymore. And like Sony, they've discontinued it. Their best handheld recorder.

I hear the new whiz-bang touch screen replacement is hot garbage.

 

[Joffy1780]

I used to LOVE my minidisc collection. The discs felt great in the hand, the players were not much larger than the discs themselves and were dense and mechanical, and having the overall experience of playback, portable recording, and desktop recording components was a delight.

Ditto, absolutely loved mine

 

[mhardy6647]

 

[restorer-john]

@mhardy6647

Thing is, Sony lost the plot with miniaturization. They forgot what it was all about and that was making something a joy to hold in the hand and operate. Those MDs are not enjoyable to hold, the controls aren't placed where your fingers naturally lie and they were hard to see. The LCD was tiny and obscured by a hand.

Compared to a WM-2 walkman, pretty much all their DATs, MDs and later CD discmans were not masterpieces of design IMO. Some of the 1990s CD Discmans were beautiful for sure and magnificent in the hand, but not many of them. The first portable headphone stereo player they released was merely a modified existing unit, whereas the WM-2 was a ground up and ground breaking product.