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

by Gideon Schwartz

A beyond-cool look at the world of high-end audio design for passionate collectors, obsessive audiophiles, and design fans At a time when sales of vinyl records have hit a 25-year high, and analog technologies are providing the kind of extraordinary audio experiences that our increasingly digital world has started to remove, Hi-Fi is essential reading. This unique book explores just how, when, and why the world fell in love with the look, feel, and sound of top-of-the-line audio equipment. Hi-Fi traces this fascinating evolution from the 1950s to today (and tomorrow), taking readers right up to the current renaissance of all things analog and the emergence of cutting-edge designs for die-hard audiophiles.

Genres: Music, Technology, Design

272 pages, Hardcover

Published October 30, 2019

Reviews

[Tim Lapetino · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is beautiful and a fascinating foray into the world of hi-end hi-do audio equipment. I love music but know next to nothing about the technology that powers it. This book was an interesting overview of the trends and changes in audio tech, along with gorgeous, spare photography of some of the exemplar equipment.

There were a couple moments when the details got a little too far into the weeds for me—with descriptions of niche companies making components I didn’t quite understand. But I was then quickly whisked back to the surface by the photos that tell a visual story about how the industrial design of these machines has evolved. I would have loved more details on those particular design trends and the designers behind those looks, but that might just be the industrial design nerd in me.

Recommend for audiophiles and also for those with any interest in beautiful industrial design.

[Jose · Rating 1 out of 5]

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, I was expecting breath-taking designed audios, speakers, woofers ,vinyl players,stereos anything Hi-Fi in beauty, Only a few were appealing to me. Most of the designs presented were the equivalent to me of looking at abstract art, Not pretty sometimes bizarre and only worth looking at for conversation. The book is very brief despite being well-written, an the pictorial version of it which is most of the book is not big spreads but confined to caption size at times. Not worth the Eighty I shelled out. Great cover(it's a small hardcover minus dust jacket.) and interesting history but needs major improvements, more style less substance in this regards regarding what is Design and what is not. Recommended nonetheless, specifically for the modernist point of view.

[Jim Mcclanahan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very detailed and profusely illustrated compendium encompassing the golden age of stereo and then some. It incorporates information about many of the components I've had the opportunity to hear (if not own) over the years. Items from AR, Klipsch, B&W, KEF, Infinity, JBL, Krell, Scott, Fisher, Soundlab, Apogee, clearaudio, Ortofon and many more. Unfortunately, because of the breadth of the subject matter, not much detail is provided in many areas. Still, it's a great trip down memory lane.