Yes call Bob Dylan asap.
Nostalgia, fond memories and judgement on now vs. then equipment ?
Forgive if my spelling is subject. I have had much in the world of high end audio. Audio memory, nostalgia and the times of my life does impact my thoughts on the best gear I have had.
I have had some great items and it seems that some of the ones I think of as the "best" were also owned during some high points in my life.....I guess the same can be said for cars, homes (dare I say mates?) and more.
I guess my thoughts on many consumer products are subject to my life at the time, do you find this in your thoughts of audio, cars, homes....etc.
"For the times they are a changin"..
I have had some great items and it seems that some of the ones I think of as the "best" were also owned during some high points in my life.....I guess the same can be said for cars, homes (dare I say mates?) and more.
I guess my thoughts on many consumer products are subject to my life at the time, do you find this in your thoughts of audio, cars, homes....etc.
"For the times they are a changin"..
5 responses Add your response
Nostalgia is sappy sentiment. In audio it mainly finds traction because a lot of that old gear was tubes and turntables, some of which really do still perform well even today. Also because the devaluation of the dollar has been so extreme yet we stupidly think of things in dollar terms, forgetting what was $350 back then is something like $3500 or even $35k today. Instead we compare the $350 Kenwood to a more recent $350 NAD and the Kenwood comes off pretty good. But that NAD in real inflation adjusted dollars is like $30, if that. So again emotions rule over reason. Same old, same old. |
If, as some have said, that transistor amplifier design stoped progressing since the 1970s, then it's pretty pointless to suppose that today's amplifiers might be better. Why would they be? There's also absolutely no need to suggest that our memories are being coloured by nostalgia. Neither one way or the other. Even if they usually are, we are human after all, the amplifiers don't know and can't care about our subjective feelings and memories. Feelings we can no longer confirm as soon as someone turns out the light. For sure there is a chance that a vintage amplifier might require recalibration or even a replacement of a failing part but that could happen to the new amplifier too. The real differences, both measurable and identifiable seem to be between solid state and tube designs, especially those highly controversial Single Ended Triode models which DO measure and sound different. This is certainly an old subject and has been covered many times, including here on AG. 20 Year Old Amplifiers compared to 2017 https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/20-year-old-amplifiers-compared-to-2017 |
I have had many sports cars and raced at one time....road races, Road America and the like,...not drag strips. That said, most of the great old cars I had in the past are still great old cars, but in many ways time/technology has progressed beyond them. I am not sure about cameras, and many other technologies, but in most cases it seems old can mean many things, but is still old. But of course, with us humans, old is simply experience, knowledge, better looking and other hyperboles |