Nostalgia

[Araucaria]

I didn't understand why Baretta's theme involved the sparrow. That bird was clearly a cockatoo.

"Keep Your Eye on the Sparrow" was not a reference to Beretta's pet cockatoo, but probably a reference to the Christian hymn "His Eye Is on the Sparrow," based on certain Bible verses, notably Matthew 10:29: Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father (God)" NIV

His Eye Is on the Sparrow - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

My interpretation of the theme song is, just as God sees every detail (His eye is on the sparrow), so must Baretta "keep his eye on the sparrow" and notice everything to solve the cases he's working on. It is interesting that the title line seems addressed to Baretta, while most of the other lyrics of the song seem to be warnings to would-be criminals.

 

[Thad1527]

I know the old spiritual well, and I've even sung it in church choir. Ethel Waters was justly framed for her rendition, and I loved that she often changed the last line to "And I know He watches we."

 

[Kulindahr]

 

[72-Jay]

Ooh how did I miss seeing this.
A real stereo system, separate components... None of those cheezy little mono bluetooth speakers.
Yep I deff still remember those, and going to the various electronics stores to drool over all the cool stuff I couldn't afford. Oh I miss those days...
But still have (and use) my old stereo stuff.

 

[Kulindahr]

Ooh how did I miss seeing this.
A real stereo system, separate components... None of those cheezy little mono bluetooth speakers.
Yep I deff still remember those, and going to the various electronics stores to drool over all the cool stuff I couldn't afford. Oh I miss those days...
But still have (and use) my old stereo stuff.

I wish I still had a functional turntable -- I have a collection on vinyl that I can't listen to!

BTW, can you identify the branch of mathematics that made those little speakers of today possible?

 

[Kulindahr]

I had an interesting experience in typing class: the week it started, my collarbone got broken in a match at a wrestling tournament -- so I learned to type left-handed plus the thumb of my right hand. I had to use a left-handed typewriter (yes, they made those).

 

[me203]

Ooh how did I miss seeing this.
A real stereo system, separate components... None of those cheezy little mono bluetooth speakers.
Yep I deff still remember those, and going to the various electronics stores to drool over all the cool stuff I couldn't afford. Oh I miss those days...
But still have (and use) my old stereo stuff.

The possibility of doing separate components is still there. The problem: systems aren't cheap. Although, to a degree, I'm not sure that things have changed that much--good component systems weren't cheap in the old days, either. (I have really bad memories of a rack system that looked impressive with separate components--but had bad sound quality and terrible reliability.) If anything, the entry point has probably come down--although finding a way of buying an entry point system could be difficult. Most dealers seem to want to do only the $$$$ systems. (I have witnessed one dealer in my area go from offering real world products to pretty much specializing in $$$$ over the last decade or so.)

I got a new basic system in the early 1990s (turntable/amplifier/speakers). The amp and speakers are in use today for playing CDs and handing TV sound.

 

[me203]

I wish I still had a functional turntable -- I have a collection on vinyl that I can't listen to!

I'm in the same position...

The unfortunate thing for me is that the bulk of my record (in the sense of recording) collection is in the form of LPs, although now that people can't give CDs away fast enough, I've built a reaosnable CD collection in the last few years. The other unfortunate thing: I think my speakers were happier when dealing with a turntable.

 

[Kahaih]

/\ Honestly, though, have you heard the shit your neighbours listen to? Aren't you glad they don't have access to a pair of 18" woofers?

 

[Dargelos]

BTW, can you identify the branch of mathematics that made those little speakers of today possible?

It is the falling price of amplfication that makes small speakers cost effective. The small low efficiency boxes require a lot of watts to fill the room. Today, thanks to electronic components from China being cheaper than dirt, a 100w amp costs less to make today than a 6w one back in the day. A rare example of prices going down instead of up.

 

[Natello4]

Wow!

The same stuff Elon Musk proposes!

The proverb "everything new is a well-forgotten old" makes sense now.

 

[72-Jay]

I wish I still had a functional turntable -- I have a collection on vinyl that I can't listen to!
BTW, can you identify the branch of mathematics that made those little speakers of today possible?

My current receiver doesn't even have a 'phono' input, I do have a couple turntables though (if I wanted to connect one & listen to the small collection of vinyl I have, I have something I could use to take care of the lack of input .lol. )
Have no idea on the mathematics used for them little speakers.

View attachment 3242910

Oh typing class (on a typewriter)! ...yep been there, done that.

The possibility of doing separate components is still there. The problem: systems aren't cheap. Although, to a degree, I'm not sure that things have changed that much--good component systems weren't cheap in the old days, either.

Yeah to some degree you still can... but its not like it was back in the "good old days" when there was a wide selection of components and speakers, plus multiple different stores to choose from...
I'm sure I missed a few, but some I can think of right off the bat (this list is Nostalgia in & of itself .lol. ):
Best Buy
Circuit City
Silo
SoundTrack
Ultimate Electronics
(then even places like Montgomery Ward & Sears had some selection too)

My current system is a mix of ages(and brands) ranging from 90's to probably mid 2010's. All of which were bought on sale/clearance/thrift-stores/garage sales/etc (in other words I looked for deals).
Nothing special but not "cheap junk" either, Does have surround sound (thats a must-have for watching movies - though I rarely do anymore), mostly use it for listening to CD's, computer(mp3's), TV...

/\ Honestly, though, have you heard the shit your neighbours listen to? Aren't you glad they don't have access to a pair of 18" woofers?

Good point.
I'd love to have a pair of good speakers with 18" woofers .. back in the day there was some I saw in one of the stores that I really wanted, but they were higher end stuff with a price to match (hence why I don't own such. .lol. )
For now my basic speakers with 12" woofers & 15" subwoofer will have to do....

 

[me203]

My current receiver doesn't even have a 'phono' input, I do have a couple turntables though (if I wanted to connect one & listen to the small collection of vinyl I have, I have something I could use to take care of the lack of input .lol. )

Not unusual in recent decades. Arguably, the phono inputs on receivers after some point in the 1980s often weren't very good. They were viewed as a "convenience" for those who still had records to play.

One can get a separate phono stage to accomodate a turntable. And people seriously into playing records often like these, because it's another thing that can be carefully chosen to optimize the system. My parents actually had a separate phono stage by the end of the 1960s, although their system was pretty much rock bottom. But it allowed them to use a Shure cartridge with their receiver, which only supported ceramic cartridges.

plus multiple different stores to choose from...

The thing I miss are the smaller stores. They do still exist, but it's not the same--most of them have moved upmarket. The store where I got my system was quite happy to work wtih lower end systems in the early 1990s, but slowly moved upward as the years passed by.

I remember seeing chain stores come and go, too--my area got four chain stores in the 1990s. All but maybe one went way during some financial crisis era or other.

Nothing special but not "cheap junk" either, Does have surround sound (thats a must-have for watching movies - though I rarely do anymore), mostly use it for listening to CD's, computer(mp3's), TV...

I've never done surround sound, although with home theater receivers common at Goodwill, there are times I've been tempted. Although I'd also need more speakers. I get by OK with plain stereo, although I don't watch much that is super reliant on special effects.

I'd love to have a pair of good speakers with 18" woofers .. back in the day there was some I saw in one of the stores that I really wanted, but they were higher end stuff with a price to match (hence why I don't own such. .lol. )
For now my basic speakers with 12" woofers & 15" subwoofer will have to do....

I've had the same speakers with 6" bass/mid drivers for 30-plus years. Looking back, I sometimes wish I'd chosen a bit more carefully, but I think at the time, I probably assumed "these are just to get started--eventually I'll upgrade!" Only to still have them 30-some years later...

I remember many years ago someone making a strong argument (I thought) for small speakers with a subwoofer. The argument basically came down to being a way of addressing a number of performance issues at the price that that commenter could afford.

 

[Harke the Boeotarch]

The proverb "everything new is a well-forgotten old" makes sense now.

It's mostly for publicity, I suppose.

 

[MusicMan321]

The old flip phones we had back then

 

[Kulindahr]

It is the falling price of amplfication that makes small speakers cost effective. The small low efficiency boxes require a lot of watts to fill the room. Today, thanks to electronic components from China being cheaper than dirt, a 100w amp costs less to make today than a 6w one back in the day. A rare example of prices going down instead of up.

I wasn't thinking of cost, I was thinking of them even being possible. It was the practical application of fractal mathematics that made it possible to get bass out of small speakers. Essentially that meant getting people to hear sounds that aren't actually there.

 

[Kulindahr]

The old flip phones we had back then

View attachment 3245286

Getting the antenna small enough to be effective in an item that small rested on the same branch of mathematics as reducing speaker size.

 

[Kulindahr]

 

[Vannie]

 

[Kulindahr]