The History Of HiFi

SONOS O PRE-HIFI THE BEGINNINGS OF HIFI THE HISTORY HiFi OGOLDEN AGE O DECLINE OF HIFI O REBIRTH OF HiFi OF PHONOGRAPH The great-great grandfather of the HiFi we know today was the phonograph using wax cylinders, employed by Thomas Edison. These cylinders had sound recorded in the grooves on the outside of hollow cylinders of wax. In the 1880s, wax cylinders were mass marketed and commonly wore out after they were played a few hundred times. These cylinders were also sold with recording attachments. High fidelity sound has had a tumultuous journey from its birth in the early part of the 20th century to its rebirth in the form of high quality digital music. Here is a look at the ups and downs in the short history of HiFi. ZIN 7ORPM RECORD INVENTED 1894 Dob CRYSTAL RADIO POPULAR mim FLEMING VALVE INVENTED 1910 1904 RADIO IS KING AUDION TUBES The first electronic amplifiers were invented in 1906 by Lee De Forest by adding a third electrode. These innovations in valve design would greatly influence the future of stereo amplifiers. With more attention to frequency response and much higher power output capability, the amplifier allows audio peaks to be reproduced without distortion. Radio became a new frontier for higher quality sound. AM was limited to 10KHZ, making HiFi quality bandwidths undesirable to listeners when the bandwidth and amp signal did not match up. This prompted Armstrong to develop FM, which has a wider bandwidth and RADIO IS PATENTED BY MARCONI reduced the noise associated with operating at much high frequencies. 1904 78 RPM RECORD BECOMES STANDARD LONG DISTANCE HiFi USING FM RADIO 1925 1936 TALKIES REEL-TO-REEL Talkies were a worldwide phenomenon in the 1930s. The commercial success of talking pictures or "talkies" furthered the need for high-quality recordings. Audiences were only interested in attending screenings with HiFi sounds being pumped through stereos creating a unified movie experience. Reel-to-reel was the earliest form of tape recorders. These machines, like the German Magnetophon, relied on magnetism to record sound. Reel-to-reel was used in the 1940s for high-quality analog audio recordings. The popularity of reel-to-reel would result in the creation of compact cassettes in the 1960's, which would overshadow the future popularity of LPs. 33 1/3 RECORD INTRODUCED BY RCA 1931 AMPEX 300 INTRODUCED FANTASIA RELEASED 45 RECORD INTRODUCED 1949 1949 1940 First multi-channel sound movie THE HOME AUDIO SYSTEM LONG-PLAYING RECORD In the consumer wonderland that was the 1950s home audio took on a new crucial role. Integrated sound systems became essential to homes in the hopes of obtaining the purest and highest quality sound possible. These curio-sized systems included several record players and speaker systems, an early form of the now popular surround sound home system. "Long-playing records" or "LPs" were invented by Peter Goldmark in the late 1940s. It was not until the 1950s that their popularity would really take off and herald the Golden Age of HiFi. These records were made of vinyl producing a cleaner, richer sound. Later versions could play for as long as 52 minutes, 26 minutes per side. 8 TRACK FIRST DESIGNED 1952 IXI PATENTED FIRST DIGITAL AUDIO PLAYER COMPACT CASSETTE INVENTED BY PHILIPS 1962 1985 SINGLE GROOVE STEREO THE DIGITAL AGE DA new, developing audio style began to shake the firm grasp HiFi had on the world of quality audio. In the late 1950s, Westrex developed a single-groove stereophonic record. This invention heralded the transition from traditional The decline of the purest form of high-fidelity continued with the advent of CDs and solid-state digital audio players. These new formats were more durable than their vinyl kin, but digital recording placed a greater emphasis on size and quantity rather than audio quality. high-fidelity to the stereophonic sound of the 1970s and 1980s. WALKMAN INVENTED BY SONY 1978 SOURCES NAPSTER INITIALLY RELEASED 1999 Encourages the sharing of lower quality mp3 files. flac FLAC Although digital technology has increased dramatically, vinyl sales have been steadily outpacing CD sales for the past 4 years. This trend combined with a renewed interest in all forms of great-sounding audio, including high-quality digital files and wireless HiFi systems, proves that people still strive for a superior listening experience. Much more emphasis is being placed on a quality audio experience. File types such as FLAC or Apple Lossless allows for lossless data compression of digital music. Audio sources are typically reduced to about 50% - 60% their original size. The European Broadcasting Union has adopted FLAC format for the distribution of high quality audio over Euroradio networks. IPOD INTRODUCED BY APPLE 2001 NUTSHELLHIFI.COM I DOLPHIN-HSL.COM I ROLLINGSTONE.COM I WIKIPEDIA.COM E HIGH-FIDELITY.CO.TV I CNET.COM I COMPUTERWORLD.COM I SOEGL 1920s 1940s