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THE HI-FI INSTITUTE

-a Guest Editorial

By JOSEPH N. BENJAMIN

President, Institute of High Fidelity Manufacturers. Inc.

TMK ATTHOR ta prcnidmt of Itoycn-Prcnto f)iv. of Sicylcr Corp.,a t/raduatc cnylnrcr, Senior Mcm ber of IKK, and han nerred on Itoard of Itircctora of KIA (lit5H and IUSH). Durhlff World ll*«r II. lic altaincd rnnk of Major in Sii/nal Corpt: han beru annociuted tcith United Transfarmer and l‘ilot.

AS president of the Institute of High Fidelity Manufactur-ers, Inc., I welcome this opportunity to address myself to readers of Electronics World. To me, this audience is important for at least two reasons: you are all knowledge-able about component high fidelity—both monophonic and stereo, and you are "opinion makers” in your community. On both counts you represent a vital force in our industry.

Let me explain first the purposes for which the Institute was formed. About five years ago. when the components industry started to show its phcnomcnal growth, a group of the leading manufacturcrs of ąuality eąuipment saw the need for some organization to handle the problems of this lusty infant on an industry-wide basis.

At first, the emphasis was primarily on high-fidelity shows designed to attract the greatest possible number of people interested in home musie reproduction so that we could demonstrate the ąuality possible with components. As interest in the shows grew. and as morę and morę novices were taught that components dclivered a vastly superior ąuality of reproduction, the industry grew in leaps and bounds. For example. in 1954, we sold $96,000,000 worth of eąuipment at the retail level. In 1958 the industry volume was $260.000,000. This represents a growth of almost three times in five years!

It soon became evidcnt that the growth of the industry was generating problems—problems of terminology, problems of standards, the need for generał education of dealers as well as the buying public, generał promotion of the phi-losophy of component high fidelity. and investigation into the needs, desires, and habits of the consumer.

In addition to learning about these needs. the Institute was the proper agency to do something positive about in-forming its members of the problems, suggesting broad and generał methods of coping with these problems, keeping the public informed of the positive benefits of component hi-fi, combatting misconceptions, and cooperating with federal agencies, such as the FCC when regulations for FM broad-casting were being drawn up and. most recently, in con-nection with multiplexing.

The Institute, largely because of its progressive and energetic leadership, has grown until it now includes 90 per-cent of the major component manufacturcrs among its membership in both generał and associate member categories.

There have been many positive contri-butions, traceable to the Institute. which have contributed di-rcctly to the health and growth of the industry. Among the tan-gible results of the In-stitute's campaign of education has been public acceptance of the fact that component hi-fi is not com-plicated—either to hook up or to operatc.

We have madę the public aware of the flex-ibility of component hi-fi as to decor. (The theme of our shows for 1959-60 is “Dccorate Your Home With Musie".) We have taught the lesson that only through pur-chase of component hi-fi can personal preferences be satis-fied. Not the least important lesson learned by the consumer is that component hi-fi is subject to the lowest ratę of obsolescence.

We are working with builders and architects who want to incorporatc high-fidelity components in their plans for ncw construction. Education as to ąuality has been so successful that many package manufacturcrs are now using the term "components'* in their advertising. When the Institute first started its shows, women accounted for only about 3 per-cent of the admissions. In 1958 at the New York Show. this figurę had risen to about 40 per-cent. Because of the steadily growing publicity by the Institute, component high-fidelity has become an accepted instrument of culture, it has madę its influence felt in the greatly inereased sales of musical instruments, records, and. of coursc, tape.

On the technical side, the Institute has already produced standards for tuners, is about to produce standards for amplifiers, and is working on standards for all other components in the hi-fi Chain.

In addition to working with the manufacturcrs, the Institute early recognized the need for a strong dealer base to handle the mushrooming distribution. One step in the direc-tion of strengthening public recognition of the role of the specialized dealer is the Institute’s "registered component dealer” program which recognizes and identifics the prop-erly eąuipped specialist. To further the development of the dealer we have plans for seminars and other methods of dealer education.

With the advent of stereo there has been an inerease in public confusion about high-fidelity. The Institute is about to embark on a campaign of advcrtising and education. using consumer media, in order to reach the less well-informed public.

Many problems have been solved, but many remain to be tackled. At the Institute we are proud that in our short life we have been able to do so much. We recognize. how-ever, that morę remains to be done. Our forccast is for

continued expansion of the component hi-fi industry, for constantly improved eąuipment, for less confusion and for a greater public acceptance of the self-evident fact that for ąuality in sound reproduction there is noth-ing that beats component high-fidelity.

We don’t pretend to know all the answers as yet—so if you have any ideas, drop me a notę % IHFM at 125 E. 23rd St.. New York 10. N. Y. All sugges-tions will be gratefully rcceived.    -j

October, 1959

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