The amount of homes I visit where music is either non-existent, or being played through an incredibly toilet speaker or system, is surprisingly high. It’s an interesting issue that I thought, at first, was limited to some of my friends. Until I learnt through discussion, that it’s a Cape Town problem. Nay, epidemic.
I remember as a kid, advancing with the progress of computers, from a green and black monitor, to 4-colour CGA, to 16-colour EGA and then 256-colour VGA. Whilst visually, advancements in monitors and colours progressed rapidly, sound did lag behind. It was only after getting the VGA screen that I yearned for a ‘Soundblaster’ sound card.
A sound card was/is a circuit board that you could slot into the motherboard of your computer. It allowed you to plug speakers into your computer and enjoy superior sound when playing games, or whatever other sound software you could get your hands on. I didn’t know why I needed it, but I remember impressing my parents and their friends, by simply recording my voice and playing it back.
I didn’t think things could progress much further, but look, here I am typing on my new Macbook Pro with Touchbar and finger print security access. The screen is photo-realistic and the sound is better than our home hi-fi as a kid. Everyone I know has the capability to Skype each other and talk with video across the world. Can you imagine a computer without sound?
Here’s where it gets interesting. Anyone who has watched a movie, entered a restaurant or walked into a clothing shop, will agree that it is the music that dictates the mood and atmosphere. Sometimes, without even realising it, you will return to a particular shop or restaurant because of the music they play. There’s reams written on the subject, but here’s a cool article in The Guardian about how Ed Sheeran tunes help a burger chain in Sweden sell more fries.
And yet whilst we’ve all moved forward in terms of our computing world, our home living situation appears to have gone stagnant. Why would people put so much more focus on advancing their computer, rather than their home? I raised this issue with a view social observers.
Sorry, I must just pause this article to tell you that someone emailed me this week and their title was, ‘Senior Conversation Architect’. I nearly wet myself.
Anyway, back to the story. I was chatting to some people about this issue and they claim that this is not the case in Johannesburg.
The reasons they gave were twofold.
- There’re less outdoorsy things to do in JHB, so you’re either out pumping iron, spending money and shooting guns at Tasha’s – or you’re at home. That said, your home is your castle and there is more focus on full sensory stimulation.
- They earn more ‘loot’ in Johannesburg and can afford to raise their game in that department.
So let’s discuss point number 1. Whilst Instagram likes to suggest that all Capetonians are either hiking up Lion’s Head or taking a jog on the promenade, I can assure you we do go home before and after those excursions. We also “hang out” and “chill” and even “braai” from time to time – all at home. So I don’t think point 1 is entirely accurate. Although I think we can work on that point further – we’ll get back to it shortly.
Which brings us to point number 2 – cash money. There’s no denying our Gauteng brethren – on the whole – earn more money, so, rather, I’ve tried to work out why everyone thinks that good sound at home is so expensive. I’ve come to the conclusion that it’s a hangover from our youth. Back in those days, good home sound did cost a fortune, and half the reason was the setup required a professional to install upwards of 5km of wiring behind walls and skirting boards.
But just as your iPhone has improved with each passing year and things have become smaller, lighter and wireless, so too has the world of home sound improved. To a point that quality plug-and-play sound, with streaming capability, controlled off your mobile device, is both affordable and readily available.
I mentioned in a previous article that the Bose SoundTouch range starts at R4 500 for a wireless speaker and you can add a new speaker (sans wires) to different parts of the house, if and when you decide. You can even play the same or different content at different volumes from each speaker. This kind of tech is quite normal in Johannesburg, but Capetonians, as always, need to be spoon-fed.
There was a moment back in the mid-2000s that everybody in Cape Town bought themselves a Bose speaker for their iPods. But then that iPod grew extinct and the speaker died with it. And that’s where things were left. At best you’ll see a bluetooth speaker being carted around the house. We wrote about that here.
I said we would return to point number 1, because I think there is more to discuss. I do believe that Capetonians do spend more time outdoors and there is more naturally visual stimulation on offer, but I think this has an effect on conversation. I’m generalising – of course – but on a macro level, I think the prevalence of man-made adventure and entertainment in Johannesburg has resulted in general conversation tending towards things like cars and money and gadgets and tech.
People in Johannesburg are more ‘on the ball’ as it were – more informed when it comes to advancements in tech and indeed home sound. Which explains why some of my friends with massive piles on the Atlantic Seaboard have the latest curve TVs, but no additional quality sound installed. They have the means but just don’t know any better.
So to conclude, it’s not necessarily because Capetonians are never home that has caused this divide in home gadgetry, but more because they simply aren’t aware that things have moved on and ‘future-living’ is readily available and affordable.
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This is where we are now, guys. This is where you need to be, realistically.
You can buy that online, but if you would like a demo and 7,5% discount on the Bose SoundTouch range of speakers, check out Sound Systems Cape – the official home of Bose in Cape Town.
This is available to all 2oceansvibe readers. Simply click HERE for the voucher, and show it when you visit their store. You can print it out or just take a picture on your phone.
Do yourself a favour and just take a look (and listen) at what these things can do. When you’re ready to have music in your home, I cannot recommend a better system – even if it is just the Bose SoundTouch 10 to get you started 
Don’t forget that voucher when you head through to Sound Systems Cape.
