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Re:AirPods Max: An Audiophile Review by mywittyname on Tuesday February 02, 2021 @03:48PM (#26006418)
My father had a pretty impressive hi-fi setup that he gave me years ago. It was mostly mid-late 80s-90s Panasonic equipment that he didn't have room for in the new house. I carried it around for a while, but moving it was a pain and in by the late 00s, hi-fi systems were passe, so I sold it for peanuts to my cousin.

The speakers were nice when new, but after 20 or so years, the rubber around the cones began to deteriorate and the cloth covers frayed and developed runs. Even these M-Audio studio monitors I picked up in around 2005 are starting to have issues with the plug jacks.

I imagine it's worth with headphones ear cushions are usually made from synthetic materials that tend not to wear well. Plus they get moved around a lot and are at risk of getting dropped or crushed. I can't say that I've owned a pair of headphones that received frequent use for more than 15 years.

Re:AirPods Max: An Audiophile Review by dsr_ on Tuesday February 02, 2021 @04:37PM (#26007133)
Replacing the surrounds on a driver is a thing that an amateur can do with the aid of a YouTube video, on the order of replacing a dishwasher but not as heavy or dangerous. It involves glue and being careful.

Replacing ear cushions is even easier than that: you order replacements, pull off the old ones and tug the new ones into position. It takes slightly longer than changing the batteries in a remote control, but much less time.

I have a 60W stereo amplifier from the 1970s that works and sounds great. I have an FM tuner from the 1960s of excellent quality.

I no longer have cassette tape decks, but I have a reel-to-reel machine from 1962.

There are speakers from the 1960s and 70s that are worth owning and using; there are lots from the 80s and 90s that are not.

Re:AirPods Max: An Audiophile Review by 52-6F-62 on Thursday February 04, 2021 @09:59AM (#26025824)
> There are speakers from the 1960s and 70s that are worth owning and using; there are lots from the 80s and 90s that are not.

There is so much to expand on there, too. Commoditization, while democratizing in some senses, loses the plot often.

Re:AirPods Max: An Audiophile Review by dsr_ on Thursday February 04, 2021 @03:32PM (#26029453)
On the other hand, we now live in a time where, if you know what you are doing, you can have better sound playback than 98% of the systems ever sold for under $200.

(Say, a Fiio X3duoo player ($75), a 128GB microSD card ($25), and one of N different Chinese IEMs depending on preference, all under $100 and most under $50. TRN V90 is about $40 and does a respectable job.)

Re:AirPods Max: An Audiophile Review by kingnothing on Tuesday February 02, 2021 @04:58PM (#26007429)
If you have a nice set of speakers that are fine other than the foam, it's possible to get the foam repaired for pretty cheap or DIY if you're handy. I think I paid $100 / driver five years ago on some 80's JBLs and it was well worth it.