Is Hi-Fi Audio Dead in a Digital World?

Summary: Sure we’ve seen a major uptick in vinyl record sales, but what does that mean for the future of sound? Will higher quality audio beat out convenience? What is the difference between AM and FM radio? Will Malinda reunite with her iPod shuffle? Will Bose engineers everywhere be buying Brian voodoo dolls? Brian and Malinda discuss audio industry trends as well as their own experiences with audio technology in their everyday lives. Listen to this week’s episode to hear more.

What We Covered:

2:00 – War and conflict played a major role in communication and audio.

3:00 – Invention of the phonograph.

4:00 – What is audio fidelity?

6:00 – What is Ham radio?

7:00 – FCC begins regulating amateur radio services.

8:00 – What’s the difference between AM and FM Radio?

9:00 – The transition to vinyl records.

12:00 – 1963 Phillips cassette is released and disrupts the record industry.

13:00 – Rise of the CD – Overtook cassette sales in 1988.

17:00 – Cultural changes toward portability are killing quality.

19:00 – Tidal and Qobuz - High fidelity streaming services.

21:00 – Sonos is changing the home audio game.

23:00 – Wireless technology is changing how we listen

24:00 – Apple pulls headphone jack.

25:00 – All Things CES 2019 episode – Choosing between wired and wireless.

26:00 – Similar changes are happening in the camera industry

27:00 – Super X-fi and Sony 360 Reality Audio are changing the headphone industry.

30:00 – Bose vs Beats – Focusing on quality or design.

31:00 – Nokia is developing spatial audio recording.

33:00 – Podcasting and phones have helped shape the microphone industry.

35:00 – Social sharing has changed how audio is shared.

36:00 – A Podcast about Podcasts episode – The crowded podcast market has caused a need for higher audio quality podcasts.

42:00 – Vinyl’s revival – 2017 had the highest number of vinyl’s sold since 1991.