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General Asylum General audio topics that don't fit into specific categories. |
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General Asylum General audio topics that don't fit into specific categories. |
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In Reply to: Yup. GCD-700 Check. GTP-600 Check posted by AbeCollins on May 16, 2022 at 08:29:46:
"C'mon bitches! Grab your (stuff), and get in the car!"
When evaluating audio products at home, there was just a certain stress and pressure. You just needed to get out, be mentally free. Our subcompact economy cars were noisy and bumpy. Many had manual window cranks. 60 mph was kind of a sweet spot, in terms of smooth and less-noisy ride. If you pushed it to 65 mph and faster, those cars would shake. Even with four of us in the car, and the AC turned on, those little cars got 30+ mpg. Granted, they had small tanks, but we only had to gas up once, on the way to SoCal.
In the latter half of the 90s, we still didn't use the internet and map apps. Sometimes, we didn't do much planning. We just grabbed a bag of stuff, and drove off. Many of my bowling events were in the Central Valley. Highway 99 went through and connected all of those towns. And when we got to Merced and Atwater, we were amazed that a high-end audio company, Vandersteen, was located down there.
Yep, someone occasionally got injured, on those trips. We were no longer on our parents' plans. So we had to call the network provider (such as Blue Shield), and see which doctors or facilities participated, or accepted insurance. We lost a few hours of a trip, but one of my friends actually got her cut stitched up. While waiting, I was able to think about audio. None of my friends was an audiophile, so when I bounced ideas and experiences off of them, I knew when to say NO to, or move on from, a product.
We brought raggedy clothes with us. So, we wore them once more, then dumped them.
That freed up some space, for when we bought new stuff. Yes, we went outlet shopping. But my friends liked to check out local and artisanal soaps and shampoos. These products did not take up much space. And, we could use them, while still on the trip. Your friend spoke up, "why'd you stop," scrubbing her back? You then told her, "No more audio products, which give off heat, make noise, and look ugly," and resumed scrubbing her back.
Having gone through the hot, dusty, and big-ridden Central Valley, your car needed a wash, too. There was nothing like going through an automatic car wash, and spontaneously singing. To this day, you can still feel and hear the three girls' voices, as you joyfully sang Peabo Bryson's "If Ever You're In My Arms Again." That highlighted the disconnect, between music being fun with friends, and the sheer dread of audiophilia.
Torrance, eh? Yep, some of my friends were from there. The King's Hawaiian made me miss Honolulu's King's Bakery even more! Anyway, when we were in SoCal, we wondered where high-end audio companies, such as Audio Alchemy, AudioQuest, CAL, Counterpoint, Harmonic Technology, Manley, Muse, Theta Digital, VTL, and XLO were headquartered.
If you were the token male, you had to be very careful. These road trips were how you ended up with a girl who was not (a) your type, and/or (b) the best match. Sigh, but then again, I have lots of audiophiles, who tell me that, by definition, they stayed home, to do audiophile things. They did not go on road trips with the girls.
If we took Highway 101 (cue up the Herb Alpert song), back to NorCal, we could stop off at the missions. You could stumble upon a quinceanera. And so, when you heard music from this era, the audio product had better make it feel as if you could see the fancy dresses, makeup, and hairdos. But my friends didn't get married, until the 2000s. Years later, when our kids were in 4th grade, we went back to these missions. You go back into the car, and listening to Chris Isaak puts you in that California mood...
At my alma mater, UCSC, the McHenry Library houses a Grateful Dead archive collection. I have not seen it, but the next time I go, I'll have to check it out.
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Follow Ups
- Those road trips allowed us to think clearly about audio - Luminator 05/16/2218:28:01 05/16/22 (0)
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