I'm very surprised to learn that McIntosh is producing an AirPlay device..

😉😕

Evan, it's moving with the times, market trends and what sells man!

I was in Selfridges, Trafford Centre the other week and it was SONOS, SONOS, SONOS everywhere! And I lost count the number of Bluetooth and Airplay speakers!

The way in which people live their lives is changing so fast and what was acceptable 10 or 15 years ago is pre-historic in 2012-13. It's all very well making huge amps etc but if they only sell to .1% of the market, you're not going to be in business for long.

10 years ago there wasn't even an iPod let alone iTunes, iPhones and iPads. Just think how much has changed in 10 years.

Paul W wrote:

10 years ago there wasn't even an iPod let alone iTunes, iPhones and iPads

Happy days............ ;-)

valve1 wrote:

Paul W wrote:

10 years ago there wasn't even an iPod let alone iTunes, iPhones and iPads

Happy days............ ;-)

..... or iBores!

Happy Days +1.

Hey Guys, nobody is forcing you to use iTunes or buy an iPhone. You can still use CDs or vinyl. 

I personally don't miss sticking CDs in their cheap plastic cases at all or the crackly, distorted sound of vinyl. To me, the way we listen to music now is amazing. From my University days, all of my friends are living all over the world. With MP4, it's lovely being able to share via Email that music. 

I love having my entire collection of music with me wherever I am in the world, I love not opening a CD case only to find the CD missing and I love watching on film on iTunes instantly without having to load a DVD or have to watch the copyright or promos.

I'm sure a lot of people who knock iTunes / MP4s are probably the people who buy CDs who knocked CDs when they first hit the market. CDs, cassettes, vinyl are the last century. We have to move on and my gosh, this new technology is letting people enjoy and share music a thousand times more in so many different places than fragile CDs or vinyl.  I sometimes wonder if people on this site actually buy music that sounds great on their fluffy systems rather than actually appreciating the actual music!!!

Do I miss walking into a record shop? Definitely not. I've a thousand more interests and things to do in my free time. But, I do love being able to buy just ONE track of an album or instantly buy a tune that I was looking for 20 years ago or instantly buy a new track that i've just heard on a radio station say in Paris or Barcelona!

It may interest you to know that i regularly use an ipod classic ( and am therefore forced to suffer itunes to administer it) - however Im able to resist the urge to bang on about it at every conceivable opportunity!

I prefer to buy cd's and rip losslessly - why pay apple for inferior quality tunes???

Pleas try and post without an i**** in every sentence - it is very wearisome.

Puncher wrote:

Pleas try and post without an i**** in every sentence - it is very wearisome.

🤒

Puncher, i'm sorry that you 'suffer' to use iTunes, but personally, I find it an absolute delight to use, with easy making of playlists, good use of typography and easy to use along with rock solid stability!. It also works seamlessly with our broadcasting software and playout systems - Serato, Traktor, Rekordbox, DJay, Virtual DJ etc etc.

Surely anything that allows people to enjoy music effortlessly is superb!

I won't apologise for referring to iPhones and iPods - i'm sure that if you were stuck with Serenes and Serenetas, that there would be many many more complaints.

I am like you Puncher - I enjoy buying physical CDs, then ripping them in lossless format so that I can enjoy them fully using any of my assorted 'i' devices...

I love the freedom and seamless integration the modern devices offer, but still have a soft spot for CDs and vinyl - and even the odd cassette now and again! My car links into an iPod, which I can control with the dashboard buttons - but I still like to slot a CD in every now and again for the noticeably improved sound quality.

There's a place for all types in this world - and there will always be those who'd prefer to spend money on a whacking great amp and speaker package over any of the newer products.