Hi-Fi: The History of High-End Audio Design

I purchased one for myself and was so pleased with it, I have now given two as gifts. Brings back wonderful memories from the 60's and 70's, reminding me of where all my money went! : )

The book had a lot of info from 1880's to 1920's, but skipped the high fidelity of the 1930's and 1940's and jumped right to the 1950's. Then they had lots of information from the 60's, 70's, 80's... I wish they had discussed each decade more, who were the players, manufacturers, sellers, which items from which decade are still desirable to day and worth purchasing. Over all it is a great book and I am glad I purchased it. I would highly recommend it.

I believe Gideon Schwartz’s ‘HiFi’ is an essential read for those of us who have quested after beautifully reproduced music in our homes for years (and in my case, decades). He chronicles the development of high fidelity from the 50’s to the present day in this meticulously written and illustrated book. It illustrates the arc of music’s reproduction from Thomas Edison’s most beloved invention, the phonograph, to visionaries of engineering genius that gave rise to companies such as Quad, Garrard, Marantz, Conrad-Johnson and Audio Note, to name a few. It is an immensely informative read that has made me reflect on my own pursuit of high fidelity over the years, making the book all the more personally enjoyable. I believe that anyone smitten with high-fi in the service of a true emotional connection to music owes it to themselves to read this book!

I bought this book as a gift for a massive audiophile, and he absolutely loved it. The production value of the book itself is stunning, featuring incredible photography and a deep dive into the history and aesthetic design of classic high-end audio gear. It looks beautiful on a coffee table or a listening room shelf. If you have an audiophile gear head in your life, you cannot go wrong with this. Especially if like me, you can’t afford any of the high end gear he doesn’t already have.

First of all, the book was shipped in a double bubble wrapped package and placed within a box. It arrived in mint condition. Recently, I have had to return a couple of other books that were damaged in shipping. The book itself has a lot of good information next to the pictures and the evolution of equipment.

Good Hi-Fi Book. A good review of the history the high-fidelity audio.

I've always been attracted to Hi-Fi equipment, but in reality, I can't hear much of a difference between much of any of the equipment, at least not enough to spend a lot of money on it. But I did enjoy reading this book as it provided a great history of the audiophile world, and the pictures were excellent.

The author has done a wonderful job of writing clearly and passionately about the history of High-End Audio Design and the book contains beautiful photos of many of the historic and present day products that bring music to life and joy to our eyes and ears. Everything about the layout of the book is beautiful, from the graphic design to the photos to the feel of its pages. Here is an approachable and inviting story about industrial design, beauty of sound and a tribute to the designers and music lovers who created, and continue to create, these wondrous machines.

A must read for any audiophile

A real nice book as a collector

Ein gut lesbar geschriebenes und wunderbar fotografiertes Buch über klassische Audio Produkte. Die Auswahl der Produkte vor 2000 ist gut recherchiert: die meisten der "Klassiker" sind erwähnt. Endlich mal ein Buch, wo man schnell nachsehen kann, wie ein Marantz 10B, ein EMT 927, und ein McIntosh 275 aussehen. Der schlimmste Fehler des Buches ist, das ALLE japanischen Plattenspieler aus den 70er, 80er, und 90er Jahren fehlen. Keine Ikonen wie Micro DDX 1000, Yamaha GT2000, Technics SP-10, Pioneer P3, JVC TT-101. Auch viel gesammelte Geräte wie der Technics SL-1200 MK2 fehlen. Seltsam, da fragt man sich wie die meisten Leute in Japan oder woanders damals Musik abgespielt haben. Oder wie Schallplatten ohne die Technics Laufwerke geschnitten werden... Viele der technischen Kommentare sind sehr gut geschrieben: der gleichzeitige Aufstieg von Horn Lautsprechern und SET Verstärkern in den 90ern ist gut erklärt. Mit der Physik kommt der Autor nicht zurecht: z. B. die Beschreibung wie ein Class-A Verstärker funktioniert (Seite 98) ist komisch in ihrer Hilflosigkeit. Bei den neuen Geräten scheint es einen Konflikt damit zu geben, das der Autor Hifihaendler ist. Nach 2000 werden fast nur teure Geräte von Kleinstherstellern vorgestellt. Allein wegen der geringen produzierten Stückzahl werden diese Geräte es nicht zum Klassiker schaffen. Und der Totaldac hat in diesem Buch nichts zu suchen, der ist einfach nur schlecht und superteuer. Das ist eine Beleidigung von den guten, mutigen, genialen Audio Designern in diesem Buch.

Bellissimo libro che ripercorre le tappe salienti e le pietre miliari dell'hifi. Per chi è appassionato è un libro da avere assolutamente nella propria collezione. Molto ben realizzato e con un sacco di illustrazioni. Ottimo!

This is not just another book on Hi-Fi, this is the definative guide to highend hi-fi, as such, an absolute Must for every hifi enthusiast everywhere, from its humble beginings in the 1950's, up to the present day. A simply superb book, no wonder the first issues ran out so quickly! Bag yourself a piece of history, a view to the future of audio, and a superb reference to where we are in Hi-Fi today, covers every medium in current HiFi today, and beyond. Wholeheartedly recomended!