For a great many of us, the current lockdown has been a jarring experience. Social interactions that we take for granted have been curtailed and, while some of us have alternatives in place or are simply happy enough in their own company, for others, it leaves holes in our social lives that are not immediately straightforward to fill. At first glance, your hi-fi system might not seem like the obvious object to step up and fill this particular breach but it might be more useful than you expect in this regard.
Music has long had a very durable social scene built around it. Many artists have been making skilled and enthusiastic use of social media and recent events have seen some of them really step up to the plate. If there’s an active artist you enjoy, it is well worth looking into their social media activities. Since the lockdown, many of have pivoted over to live streaming concerts and engaging with their fans on a more direct level. Kudos as well to James Blunt who decided on the opposite approach;
https://twitter.com/JamesBlunt/status/1242751811594878976?s=20
In 2020, there are thriving online communities for pretty much everything and music/hifi are no exceptions. Many communities such as HeadFi and AVForums have thousands of active members discussing a vast range of topics that centre on HiFi as a core subject but branches out in many directions from there. Forums are much more than a place for complaining and arguments. Well moderated ones have thriving communities of people who can be fountains of knowledge on getting a little bit more out of your equipment and making some excellent recommendations on how you might improve your system as well as enthusiastic music sections brimming with recommendations for some fresh content. If you don’t fancy signing up to a specific forum, there are a huge variety of Facebook groups or pages (including our very own owners group or page) that can be accessed without additional logging in.
One of the reasons that we have been privileged to have enjoyed the success we have in recent years is the huge number of positive user reviews we have garnered across the web. As well as the mainstream reviews from the press (where, without sounding too smug, we’ve also done rather well), the feedback given from user reviews has given people the confidence to choose our products because they have the confidence of knowing what they’ll do in specific instances. So why not have a go yourself? You don’t have to be a great writer; people are more interested in accurate and considered user feedback than they are finding the spiritual heir to AA Gill. Help to spread the word and inform some people as they go.
Have a quick look at this little video (link; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sg__78WRdrs) of absurdly talented Dutch/New Zealand trio My Baby performing one of the songs from their debut album. What’s notable is that it is significantly different to any other rendition of it you can find anywhere else in the band’s back catalogue. YouTube is absolutely packed full of content like this; unplugged performances, live takes and radio sessions that can bring new angles to artists you thought you knew well. What’s more, the quality of both the audio and the video has improved dramatically over the years to the point where some videos are the highest quality 4k content you can find anywhere!
At the moment, all physical hifi dealers are closed to visitors as part of the essential social distancing regulations we need to follow. Crucially though, many dealers remain available to discuss options with you as to how you might be able to update your system further, either boosting performance or adding functionality you don’t current have. Some are even able to supply you with loan equipment so you can make the best use of this enforced layover and find out how you can enhance your system. Dealers are an essential resource and, like many small businesses they will benefit hugely from your help at this difficult time.
Music and HiFi is a great social tool but, in these difficult times, there are other options too. If you are healthy and at a loose end, have you given any thought to volunteering to help the NHS? They’re looking for a wide selection of roles from delivering equipment to helping vulnerable people and as well as giving you some potential social contact, it means you’ll be helping everyone through these unprecedented events. https://www.england.nhs.uk/2020/03/your-nhs-needs-you-nhs-call-for-volunteer-army/
