Music History

Fun read: The history and evolution of the home stereo

I got into home audio with the second paycheque I ever earned from my first job (I bought a CCM 10-speed with the first cheque). I’m from that generation that spent all kinds of money trying to acquire the biggest, loudest, clearest, most accurate home stereo system we could afford.

My first system was a Sansui receiver with a whopping 12 watts per channel. It was mated to an Akai AP-001C belt-drive turntable (I still have it!) and a couple of no-name speakers.

From then on, I was hooked. My current system (NAD-Pro-Ject-PBS) is affectionately called “The Stereo That Almost Resulted in a Divorce.”

If you’re into audio gear, there’s this article from The Manual that goes through the history and evolution of the home stereo. Fascinating.

“With well over a century in the making, the home stereo has brought tantalizing airwaves into households for everyone to enjoy while sitting on the couch, providing ambiance to an otherwise mundane gathering, and even fueling spontaneous dance parties. Certainly with technological advances the music quality has dramatically increased along with accessibility and the design of home stereos. But the radio, CD, cassette, and Bluetooth sorcery wouldn’t have come to be without the evolution of the record player.”

Keep reading.

Alan Cross

is an internationally known broadcaster, interviewer, writer, consultant, blogger and speaker. In his 40+ years in the music business, Alan has interviewed the biggest names in rock, from David Bowie and U2 to Pearl Jam and the Foo Fighters. He’s also known as a musicologist and documentarian through programs like The Ongoing History of New Music.

Alan Cross has 38000 posts and counting. See all posts by Alan Cross

One thought on “Fun read: The history and evolution of the home stereo

  • So much of that article is wrong, wrong, wrong

    Reply

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