Improved Standard

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32361, 29 July 1970, Page 9

Improved Standard

It is a common experience today that people are finding greater pleasure in music. The improvement in sound has been gradual, but it has been remarkable.

Today's better sound quality is a result of a quiet revolution in electronic sound. The development of transistors has made today’s standard systems the equal of the very best in the pretelevision era. Technological improvements in sound will con-

tinue as more people buy better equipment, encouraging research and mass production, which in turn lead to still better quality and lower prices. Today, every New Zealand household has at least one radio, many have a radiogram and an increas-

ing number of people are buying tape recorders for a still wider choice of programmes recorded from radio, records or microphone. Overseas, tape recorder ownership is increasing rapidly. The impetus for this has been the introduc-

tion of stereo cassette tape recorders and of stereo cassette recordings with the same programme material as is offered on record. When introduced in New Zealand this system will bring a new dimension to home sound systems. Cassette recorders are as easy to use as record players, are usually capable of being used separately as a portable unit, give similar quality sound to L.P. records, and can make recordings. Overseas they are widely fitted in cars and integrated into radio receivers. Recently, home sound equipment has become available in a wider variety of forms. Modular units, where the turntable, amplifier, radio and speakers are in separate cabinets, have been the innovation. These allow the buyer to design his own system. Most people, however, prefer to buy “integrated" units where the turntable and amplifier are combined —sometimes with a radio—in one cabinet. Integrated units in a floor-standing cabinet and with record storage space are also becoming more numerous.. Stereogrames are now available with one or both speakers able to be separated.