How stereo was first sold to a skeptical public

Discussion in 'Audio Hardware' started by Mike from NYC, Dec 13, 2018.

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  1. Mike from NYC

    Mike from NYC Senior Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    Surprise, AZ
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  2. Subagent

    Subagent down the rabbit hole, they argue over esoterica

    Location:
    Arlington, VA
    I was born in 1960. By the time I got my first "stereo" in the early/mid 70s, the hype was pretty well in the rear view mirror. To be honest, my friends and I all could have benefited from the basic guidance that those demos provided. The incidence of speakers placed on random pieces of furniture of different heights and facing in different directions entirely, was quite high in my cohort.
     
  3. allied333

    allied333 Audiophile

    Location:
    nowhere
    I read the first stereo listeners were just stunned with the sound. Lots of good sounding tube amps back then too.
     
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  4. stereoguy

    stereoguy Its Gotta Be True Stereo!

    Location:
    NYC
    Stereo was a BIG DEAL around 1960 or so with the general public. It sort of followed Hot Rods as a prime hobby for males with jobs. Prior to that, you really needed to be a Hi Fi "DIY"er to modify your headshell to take a stereo cart, add a second amp and a second speaker of the same specs , and tune the whole thing for good sound. Around 1959/60, true stereo equipment was available at the Hi Fi store and males put together dream systems. One LP back then that was used extensively to show off a stereo system was The Kirby Stone Four Lp with "Bangles , Baubles and Beads". In Columbia Records MIND BLOWING stereo. It still sounds amazing today.


    I remember an episode of the Dick Van Dyke Show that focused on the Hi Fi nuts of the Day....
     
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  5. Floyd Crazy

    Floyd Crazy Senior Member

    My parents had a Stereo Radio gram on thin wooden legs a collectors piece today,
    They got it when I was very young in the 1960's I remember as 3 or 4 year old listening to Jimmy Smith The Cat and The Who in
    Late 60's sounded magical to me back then.
     
  6. apesfan

    apesfan "Going Ape"

    Demonstrations at Grand Central Station subway. Speakers from KLH, Advent, Acoustic Research was a memorable demo event.
    The major department stores like Korvettes, TSS, Macys, and Friendly Frost demo setups in the NY city area.
    Best way was inviting friends and neighbors to show off your Magnavox $1800 console Astrosonic and boy the immediate effect was stereo for all.
    Some then went the separate way with receivers from Fisher speakers from Klipse or KLH.
    My mother a classical trained pianist would not touch Mono. All her first stereo records were the RCA, Mercury and many others. Mono was acquired because most 45rpm singles were only put out in mono but the LP with that single on it was in steteeo and sometimes a different take.
    What fun times. Todays fun times with stereos are how much Compression was applied to a digital release...yeachhh!

    Dont forget the Movies like "The Robe"

    Take care, John M.
     
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  7. mrwolk

    mrwolk One and a half ears...no waiting!

    Location:
    Ottawa, Canada
    In the mid 60’s I had one of those portable valise record players with detachable speakers and a stylus that rotated for stereo or mono reproduction...but not one Stereo record! One day a friend came over with a Stereo copy of an Elvis recording.
    It was the first time i heard Stereo seperation...my ears were dazzled!
    Few years later I got my first job at the age of 18 and saved enough money to buy my first component Stereo system: Garrard turntable, Philips amp (10 watts), Dual Noresco bookshelf speakers and a pair of AKG headphones...my first job BTW was with a radio station so I was able to purchase a lot of equipment and records at radio station cost...records were usually a buck a pop! DGG classical titles were $1.25 each....Did i feel privileged?...you bet!
     
  8. Larry I

    Larry I Senior Member

    Location:
    Washington, D.C.
    What is somewhat surprising, and in a way disappointing, is that some of the late 1950's and early 1960 stereo recordings are among the best sounding recordings ever made. How can it be that the state of the art has progressed so little in that time? I would put my original six-eye Columbia record of Ellington's "Blues in Orbit" up against almost ANY recording, in terms of sound quality. The same with some Bennie Goodman six-eye Columbia recordings.
     
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  9. stereoguy

    stereoguy Its Gotta Be True Stereo!

    Location:
    NYC


    Ditto for The Kirby Stone Four Columbia LP with "Bangles , Baubles and Beads" in mind blowing True stereo.
     
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  10. apesfan

    apesfan "Going Ape"


    My argument since 1990.
    The sound of stereo lps were amazing at LPs birth around 1957 or not?
    1959-66 stereo was powerful and smooth, if thats possible , wall of sound with natural echo.
    1967-70 stereo sounded complex and full and thin sometimes.
    1970-79 stereo was tight no echo clean and wide
    1980-90 stereo was echo drenched, drums took on the Phil Collins sound? and very electronic -everything- and "where's the guitars"
    1990--2000 stereo could sound wonderful but many times disappoint.

    This was just my looking back at a very few records and trying to express my convoluted memories in a humorous child like manner.
    Take care, John M.
     
    Last edited: Dec 13, 2018
  11. Michael

    Michael I LOVE WIDE S-T-E-R-E-O!

    I wasn't skeptical I was excited...didn't need no help in choosing STEREO back then.
     
  12. Larry I

    Larry I Senior Member

    Location:
    Washington, D.C.
    I have a reissue of Louis Armstrong's "Satchmo Plays King Oliver." The original was recorded in 1959 and released in 1960. The reissue is spectacular, and I have been told that the original vinyl is also very good. The only subsequent "development" in recording quality that resulted in really great sounding recordings that I've heard is direct-to-disc.

    I am not saying that recordings these days are not as good. There are plenty of modern recordings that are really good, particularly current classical recordings. What I am saying is that technical improvements have not been that substantial--good recordings from way back at the infancy of stereo are comparable to the best recordings made today.
     
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