Can anyone tell me where the progress in audio went?

The responses proceeding my post prove my point. Progress assumes advancement from a lesser point to a better one. 

By most technical aspects audio equipment has and continues to progress. 

Preferring vintage gear is completely subjective. It doesn’t indicate a lack of progression within the space, it just means that it’s sound is more pleasing to certain individuals. 

@theaudioamp Thank you for repeating what I said; just in long-winded form. Most audiophiles don’t care about the technical aspects, they want what sounds enjoyable to them. It’s not a lack of knowledge; it’s a choice. 

I think; and I'm as guilty of this as any audiophile, that the progress in audio has been dedicated towards absolute fidelity and we all mostly hate it. 

You can get a 225 watt Purifi amplifier made, in a case that you could hold in one hand, with 0.000017% distortion and a 131 signal to noise ratio.

I don't know if you could argue, from a technical standpoint, that a tube amplifier with much worse measurements is more faithful to the source. 

Doesn't mean the tube amplifier won't sound better and be preferred. Hence why most audiophiles feel listening is more important than measuring. 

The progress is out there in droves but not in a direction that all of us will prefer.