March 13, 2025
#208
Gentle reader,
My previous article dealt with my needing a replacement stereo power amplifier after my second 1990's unit also developed a problem. Here is the link to it: The Robb Collections: Review of Marantz MM7025, their Last Two Channel Power Amplifier.
In that search, I found a real lack of two channel equipment except budget priced stereo receivers and some stereo integrated amplifiers. I mentioned this and as a result, I began a more in depth look at what NEW audio equipment was available locally, i.e., Best Buy, (not much) or via a popular audio/video website which happens to be in Virginia, which is where I have lived for almost fifty-one years now. That site being: Crutchfield: Car Stereo and Audio, Speakers, Home Theater, Pro Audio, TVs
Image by and courtesy of Crutchfield Audio
I exhaustively searched their entire website and compiled lists of what they carry to determine if multi-channel audio/video (Home Theater) equipment was proportionally more of their items offered for sale, or was two-channel (Stereo) dominant?
Crutchfield
Stereo Receivers: Choices 20
Cambridge Audio 2
Denon 2
Integra 1
Marantz 2
McIntosh 1
Onkyo 1
Sony 1
Yamaha 10
Total 20
Stereo Preamps 32
Anthem 2
Cambridge Audio 3
ELAC 1
HiFi Rose 6
iFi Audio 3
Marantz 2
Mark Levinson 1
McIntosh 2
NAD 2
OSD Audio 1
Panasonic 2
Pro-Ject 2
Rotel 4
TEAC 1
Total 32
Stereo Power Amps 18
18 of 112 Power Amplifiers available are two-channel/stereo
Stereo Integrated Amplifiers 34
124 items listed. Many are Streaming Amplifiers
34 are JUST Stereo Integrated Amplifiers
TOTAL @ Crutchfield 104
Home Theater Products at Crutchfield
Multichannel receivers 62
Surround Sound Processor Preamplifiers 8
Multi-room power amplifiers 44
Multichannel power amplifiers 94
Multichannel integrated amplifiers 90
TOTAL 298
In answer to my question above: "(Is) multi-channel audio/video (Home Theater) equipment was proportionally more of their items offered for sale, or was two-channel (Stereo) dominant?" That answer is yes: Home Theater equipment is FAR more of what Crutchfield carries over Stereo equipment. Is this the national norm? Worldwide? I have no way of knowing. But, I suspect it is typical of most countries.
These statistics compiled above are based solely upon my spending a long time on Crutchfield's website. Which is something I recommend you do if you are looking for something new.
This is from 2019. Only the cassette deck remains and it is not in the stack anymore. Every other component has been replaced do to failure or my finding something better, such as an HD Radio tuner. So, like Grampa's old Ax*, while A stack of components still sits there, none of it is the same.
*The story of Grampa's Old Ax goes like this: "This is Grampa's old ax. The handle has been replaced three times and the head once, but it's still Grampa's old ax." Of course nothing remained of the ax. Both parts were discarded. Therefore, it is not Grampa's old ax.
That so many stereo components (104) ARE available as new at Crutchfield, makes me wonder if my question is answered universally. If I were to type "Stereo Amplifier" into Amazon's search page, there would be MANY items listed. How many are NOT made in China? How many are what the typical home stereo enthusiast would buy and enjoy at home and be proud to share and show off to others? Compared to how many are capable of reproducing recorded sound and not, in your opinion worth even thinking about?
Parts Express: Speakers, Amplifiers, Audio Parts and Solutions is a site I have visited often in the past when I was modifying old speakers, such as these below. They carry all kinds of electronic stuff and are kind of the 21st Century's Radio Shack.
Above, a modified Radio Shack LX5 speaker.
I found this pair of LYRIC speakers with ten inch woofers at Salvation Army many years ago. The surrounds were completely gone. Stock speaker on the right with new Eosone woofer already installed. ALL Eosone drivers with Cerwin-Vega! E-310 crossovers.
This is a Realistic Minimus 11 metal speaker. All components replaced.
My famous Radio Shack Minimus 7W speaker (one of two) on the left and one of two stock ones I also bought on the right. The Robb Collections: Converted my already upgraded Minimus 7 speakers to ribbon tweeters!
Modified Minimus 11 compared to modified Minimus 7W.
I did this search on their site just now: Search results for "stereo amplifier" and it yields 113 results over five pages. Many are their own brand "Dayton Audio". Others, like PYLE brand are ones I would never buy. When I searched for "Class D" it yielded 135 results over six pages. Many are built PCBs which one needs a power supply and a cabinet or case for. Others are "Audio Excitor" drivers, and subwoofer plate amplifiers as well as car audio amplifiers and mixing consoles with a few subwoofers. They have ONE name brand stereo integrated amplifier, a Denon model, in all those pages.
I feel that it is safe for me to say that if one were to walk into the average (not high end) electronics store what they would likely find was all kinds of HDTVs home theater receivers, Blu-ray players, subwoofers and multiple speakers of all kinds and sizes to enjoy the sound effects in their home of a Blu-ray or DVD being played and/or being steamed. But, stereo equipment, if they carry it at all, might be over in a corner somewhere with just a few components to choose from. That is IF you have any home entertainment electronics store near your home. We have one: Best Buy.
To conclude: If I had access to sales figures, I could answer my own question more fully. But, where would one find such figures and for which population areas, which companies, which stores? Also, all of the equipment, used and new which sells via eBay, Facebook marketplace and other sites. No way that I know of to find sales figures.
Thank you for taking the time to read this article. My researching and writing this blog is a labor of love. Feel free to comment below or on Facebook. I write two other blogs: Pictures of Nancy. The Love of My Life. and People Say I'm Special. But I Don't Know Why
Scott Robb
March 13, 2025
#508
I appreciate your article and have felt that there is a trend away from traditional 2 channel audio. I only listen to 2 channel stuff, Even my living room tv is setup with a Yamaha 2 channel amp and Cambridge bookshelf speakers purchased from Crutchfield years ago.
ReplyDeleteJohn
John, Thank you for reading my blog and commenting. I really appreciate it. My "home theater" exists at all, thanks to thrift stores. The receiver is a years-old SONY which was a super-fortunate thrift store find. It weighs 48 pounds and cost well over $2,000 when new. They had it (with manual and remote) for $10. as-is. Why? No sound. They did not notice the speaker switch was off! It predates HDMI. Speakers are my modified Minimus 7W with stock ones for the rear and a Cambridge Soundworks center channel and 10" subwoofer.
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