The Future of HiFI?

The first thing you are going to want to do is put your TV on top ... 

Hahahahah.

-E

How about getting a JBL Paragon and putting all of your digital gear and amps right on top! Plenty of room!

Sometimes we audiophiles need to step back and consider that 5 foot tall, 200lb loudspeakers coupled with large "are those space heaters" monoblocs, a rack of other electronics and miles of thick cabling has very little appeal to most people who like listening to music.  A stylish, well built piece of furniture that sounds better than a Bose radio will attract buyers.

  Ah, let's return to the days of the "Magnificent Magnavox" console stereos. I grew up in the 50's and 60's listening to Magnavoxes (or is it Magnavoxi?). Anyway, nice looking cabinets that my mother adored. Crummy sound but it was better than nothing. And so began my audiophilia....

That thing is gorgeous I want one!

Anybody remember the Zenith Microtouch 2G tonearm record changer?

I think that it's a great answer for a lot of people. onhwy61 makes a good point. I grew up with a crappy one from Montgomery Ward, and when my parents were out, I was spinning Wheels of Fire and Are You Experienced? pretty loud. I'm sure that this sounds far better and it's convenient and attractive. I think it could get a younger generation interested in higher fidelity as a console did for me. Two thumbs up.

My mother had a Grundig unit that looked very similar when I was a sprog...60,s and was still using it well into the 90,s!

I remember it sounding not too shabby from my fuzzy memory.

Not sure what the demand would be now though although retro is always in somewhere or another

  My mother's boyfriend somewhere around 1967 would literally lie down on the floor of the living room with his head midway between the speakers of the Magnavox console. He obviously wanted to get the full stereo effect of such a fine unit. Now that's what we would call a very narrow sweet spot. 

Anybody that is into mid-century-modern should own one of these.
But please don't play any Perry Como or Mitch Miller.

I'd take it a step further and build the components right into the wall ala Hugh Hefner!

I've always liked the looks of those. Here's some more:
Mid-Century HiFi Stereo Console for Modern Time - Design Milk

Review: Symbol Audio Modern Record Console | WIRED

Wrensilva – Wrensilva | Stereo Consoles

They're all really nice.

All the best,
Nonoise

I remember my cousin (who was an adult then) telling me how the "Highs come out over here, and the lows over there" from his console when mansplaining stereo to me as a teenager. Back in 1966.   I have no fond memories of consoles. they were a gimmick, and still are.

More options than ever these days for delivering decent sounding music. No reason to ban consoles if that’s what one needs or wants.

If we do ban consoles lets also ban designer fuses. Consoles look better and are way better values!

Were one to solely rely on Audiogon these days as their only source of information on "hifi", I’d venture to say that person is missing out on a lot.

Of course now who would be foolish enough to do that?

Elizabeth,
They were certainly a poor compromise, but at least they got many of us interested in better music reproduction. These are pretty expensive though...

I'm sure they will pass the wife-acceptance-test for those who are married.

I could see consoles having appeal to minimalists and those that have small living spaces. 

It will not be long and Audiogon will have a category just for them

It has to be said- nice furniture will never go out of style.  The main question is how to configure a well designed set of components in and around it.  The speakers would HAVE to be separate, but they "could be wireless" with the right technology.  But servers are already console ready, as are amplifiers/preamplifiers. Maybe a quiet fan just in case. Back in ancient times, my folks bought the (empty) furniture and we got a Fisher "stereo compact" (AM/FM receiver with a turntable inserted in the top). When we played music I (insisted!) took the Fisher speakers (10in. 2-ways) out and placed them on the carpet in front
of the cabinet. The turntable was awful (a BSR) but the "system" sounded really good on everything (thank you, vinyl).  I had wanted a Harman Kardon compact because it had a Dual 1229 but it was $250 more so the old man said "no"... But it kept me very happy throughout high school, and we started filling up the house with records. My dad brought home a Brubeck album early on and I must have played it a hundred times (My Favorite Things- I still have it of course).  BTW, my mom loved to polish the cabinet with Pledge so she was happy, too. 

Originally I was thinking that a pre-requisite to buying these things had to be a person who was interested in actually listening to music, but then I thought that anyone interested in music would want something better.  Now I'm thinking that it's for designers who are setting up peoples' homes and telling them that a stereo console is "cool" so get one for the decor.  But who knows?  Retro stuff is so trendy now.  Anyone see that insurance commercial where the sand is pouring all over the place?  They have a pair of JBLs with the white woofers and some turntable on a stand.  Family Guy got a 60s-70s style rig in there too.  

Though I will never buy one, this looks like a really nice item.  It fits nicely with the mid-century modern trend that the hipsters are into right now.  That a company like this is making a very nice quality piece of furniture that plays music is a good thing.  Way better than the Crosley retro suitcase systems that are all plastic and cheapness, or the bluetooth speakers that sound OK but look like a futuristic droid. 
In recent years I have shifted most of my buying decisions toward heirloom quality products.  Too many products are designed to be in landfill in 10-20 years, which makes me sad.  When I see a piece of furniture like this it makes me feel better than when I visit IKEA.   
My wife would like something like this in our living room.  She doesn't like all the wires involved in multi-component systems.  I agree with her on this point, as living room decor goes.
Anything that brings music and beauty to a room is alright with me.  

Why don't the full-system manufacturers take this on? Let's see: Rega, Mark Levinson, McIntosh (especially McIntosh), Bang & Olufsen (B&O). All of these companies are capable of producing wonderful consoles. 

I'm in agreement here with the "trend" towards consolidation of stereo components. As spaces get smaller and it gets harder to get seriously good sound, big name manufacturers should consider something more than an all-in-one device and take on an all-in-one system. That way, high end audio can coexist with this new direction people are taking.

I'm still all in with the separates but at least we can keep the flame going. I couldn't find it but there's an Italian manufacturer that made a stereo unit with telescoping speakers that rise out and up from the sides of the unit when playing. It's more a art piece but they do sell them.

Audiophiles can have it all without the pretend angst and indignation.

All the best,
Nonoise

Fisher Consoles.

Please note that the President console's $2,495 price in 1958 is equivalent to approximately $22,000 today.

The downside of most consoles were their loudspeakers.  Both the quality of components and the difficulty or impossibility of optimizing them for location in the listening room.  In a modern console the latter issue can be overcome with DSP tech.  Controlled dispersion as used by B&O, Kii and others should enable consoles to produce large and spacious soundscapes.

I saw one of these in my neighborhood Vinyl Record Shop With matching speakers.
http://c7.staticflickr.com/6/5773/31126360086_5c1f91af6c_o.jpg

I was brought up in a house full of herman miller furniture. I had no idea we were hipsters :-). We also had a console. The only music my father seemed to like was Hawaiian. Later that console was turned on to Led Zeppelin. He hated that, LOL.  

I still want a Paragon. :-)

+1 ibmjunkman! :-)