There are usually latent motivations, such as a connection to a parent, or saving money, that make such discussions fraught with disagreement. My rule has been nostalgia is the enemy of SOTA. I like the feel of nostalgia, but I love the sound of contemporary systems. I have tried a fair bit of nostalgia gear, and kept none of it. Usually it lasted in the rig 1-2 days, as the performance was so compromised. Today is not about hearing worse sound from back then, imo.
ghprentice, the average audiophile has no idea how many such levels there are. Several years ago I stopped trying to count the performance levels. There is no limit to improving systems. I have broken through so many "sound barriers" that I no longer pay attention. But, like you, if I make change, it must be perceptually dramatic and I never go backwards for any length of time. That was then, and this is now, and now - if you are willing to go beyond budget audio - sounds a LOT better. YMMV (Remember when people used to post that, too, rather than try to impress the world with biased definitive statements?) :)
I struggle to think of a single speaker from 15+ years ago, aside from something truly exotic, not just popular, that I would wish to own. I wouldn't listen to it. I do not show love to pieces of equipment; I use them and dispense with them. Never had one complain about it yet!
ghprentice, the average audiophile has no idea how many such levels there are. Several years ago I stopped trying to count the performance levels. There is no limit to improving systems. I have broken through so many "sound barriers" that I no longer pay attention. But, like you, if I make change, it must be perceptually dramatic and I never go backwards for any length of time. That was then, and this is now, and now - if you are willing to go beyond budget audio - sounds a LOT better. YMMV (Remember when people used to post that, too, rather than try to impress the world with biased definitive statements?) :)
I struggle to think of a single speaker from 15+ years ago, aside from something truly exotic, not just popular, that I would wish to own. I wouldn't listen to it. I do not show love to pieces of equipment; I use them and dispense with them. Never had one complain about it yet!