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There has always been mass market gear directed toward a relatively unsophisticated general public. And true audio lovers (component stereo guys) have always to a certain degree scorned it and made fun of those who buy it. Nothing has changed in that regard, but I thought a comparison of what $100 buys then versus now in the mass market goods is interesting. A key feature of this gear is that it combines a lot of different functions. What these functions are depends on the technology of the day and what the public is doing at the moment.
Then: From the 1972 Radio Shack catalog.
Realistic Clarinette II Stereo Phono Compact
FET amplifier
Two acoustically matched 8" speaker systems with ceramic magnets separate 16' for a full curtain of sound
BSR full-size changer plays all size records and shuts off autoimatically
Ceramic cartridge with diamond stylus
Bass, Treble balance and volume controls
Inputs and switches for an optional 8-track or cassette deck
45 RPM adaptor is an extra 99 cents
Custom dust cover is an extra 5.95
Base price is $94 but with the dust cover is 99.95. I guess you still have to pay an extra 99 cents if you have 45 rpm records you want to play
Wattage is not specified but probably 2-3 watts per channel.
No AM/FM tuner--if you want that you need to bump up to the $129 Clarinette III
Now: from the current Best Buy Website.
Insignia 200 watt 5.1 Home theater system model NS-H2001
DVD/CD/MP3 Speaker
5 speakers with 3 inch drivers
1 subwoofer with 5 1/4 inch driver
30 watts to each speaker, 50 watts to the "passive" subwoofer = 200 watta
Dolby 5.1 decoding Digital and Pro Logic
AM/FM digital tuner with 40 presets
Remote control for all functions.
On screen display
Price 99.95 but on sale in some stores this week for 69.95
If you want to exactly match the 69.95 price in 1972 then you have to drop back to the Realistic Clarinette I which has a cheaper BSR mini-changer and lacks features such as the separate bass and treble controls. The speakers in the Clarinette I are 5-inch not 8-inch, and a single simple tone control makes do. The smoked dust cover is "free" but you still have to pay an extra 99 cents for the 45 RPM adaptor.
OK at this point I could talk about what $70 or $100 buys in inflation-adjusted dollars in 1972 then versus now but will only say that $100 in June of 1972 $ is about $500 currently, as the inflation multiplier from then through April of 2007 is 4.956. We COULD be comparing here a $500 1972 system with a current $100 (or $70) system.
Which era would you rather live, then or now?
D
Follow Ups:
According to the CPI calculator. What kind of a system could you get for $20 back then?
Regardless of what you think about these little HT setups wrt nuances of sound quality, they are pretty amazing pieces of engineering given what they do versus what they cost.
Having worked with the one I show in a fairly large room, it produces an amazing volume and lots of bass.
is still living in an environment that is similar to the early 50's from an economic point of view. I can have 200 speaker cabinets made with Russian baltic birch; cut, assembled, stained and varnished, stuffed with drivers made from Europe and shipped to the USA for 60% of the cost that my local cabinet shop would charge for the cabinet assembly and finishing alone. The technology helps too - one chip receivers - vs. decrete components with all the mfg cost and QC required. So when it comes to chinese imports we really can go "Back to the future".
. . . and for that savings they'll cause twice as much pollution, expose their workers to ten times as many hazardous substances and other occupational risks, are more likely to use substandard and/or dangerous materials, drive a dozen US workers out of jobs, and they may not be made as well. Is it really a savings, all things considered? I've worked on Chinese made audio equipment, and you can keep it. In many instances it's disposable junk.
I'll pay substantially more for US made consumer products whenever they are available, and for very good reason. I'm supporting a neighbor. And the stuff often holds up better. In some cases, its cheaper in the longer run. Quality can mean value. And I know there are many many folks just like me. It's a shame more manufacturers and vendors don't tap into that growing undercurrent. But profits must always come first and foremost. Four fifths of HD, Wally World and Big Box comes out of China, it seems. The search for domestic made goods gets harder and harder with each passing month.
When Jim Thiel starts sourcing his cabinets from China, I'll know the end has truly come.
Excellent point. I too will pay more, in many cases, a lot more, to buy an American made product. For the same reasons....like you said, Quality is Value....and to support our own economy and workforce. And like many of us, I'll favor a 45 year old amp over something from BB or CC or the like that sell the ear-bleeding chinese/korean/thaiwan/mexican/martian components....even if I have to sink some $ into it to get it up and running.
Lol...I've always disliked the Blue Book for component values. I think they really low ball everything. Can you imagine a Blue Book that contains these imported pieces of #!^* that you'll find on the BB and CC shelves? Who would even bother with such a thing. They won't.
Byrd
I'd like to put a twist on this topic....
Do you think the quality was better in the 50's, 60's and 70's than it is today?
I am talking about build quality, not technological advances.
I'm sure you have heard the saying: "They don't build them like they used to..." My response is, yes, they do....it's called "High-End!"
I put a Marantz 2220B against a newer Kenwood 125 Watt amp and the Marantz ate the Kenwood's lunch...and dinner! The Marantz had much more depth and clairity!
And don't get me started on those tall, skinny, dual 6.5" woofer speakers that sell for $1000 that are made in China.....I'd take a pair of JBL L65's any day over the crap sold by Best Buy today! And no, I am not an old fogy.....
I think you have it backwards. You need to compare a $100 1972 system with a $500 2007 system.
But also bear in mind that the product technology was less developed and more expensive then, such that people more readily paid a premium in 1960's and 1970's dollars for what was then considered more of a luxury purchase. I remember everyday folks laying down a grand in 1960 dollars for big Magnavox cabinet systems. That was closer to the price of a new car at the time. Back then, home audio, Hi-Fi and Stereo were IN. People also paid large 1960s dollars for color TV sets. I don't see average consumers paying that kind of equivalent money for audio systems today, and only begrudgingly for the top plasma TVs.
As to your comparison, I wouldn't want either of those systems in their entirety.
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