Senior Audiophiles - Audiophile since the 60-70's?

My Dad owned a TV & Radio repair shop in Brooklyn (Chief Radio & Appliances), so I have had good sound systems around for most of my life.

In the past, I considered myself fortunate to have (and to afford) one system. Today, I have a system in any room that can accomodate one. I am also drawn to vintage equipment, especially the items that I could not afford to acquire along the way (i.e.: Marantz).

1. My favorite decade for music was the 10 year period from 1965 to 1975. My next favorite 10 year period for music was 1970 to 1980.

2. The current state of audio finds that we have achieved technical precision, at the expense of musical excitement. It is not all audio's fault, though. Music from 1982-2002 is just not as good as the music from 1955-1980. Yes, it is a generalization. Yes, there are exceptions. But, am I the only one buying more re-issued/re-mastered music "from the vaults," than new releases? When you read equipment reviews from the British press and look at the choice of music that is used to base the review, audio's job has become reproducing the sound of computer engineered music.

3. I would not trade-in my current system for past systems, because I have usually traded up in equipment quality. The music is the key ... the music is what excites me ... and in a way, makes me whole. Today, when I play an album like Dylan's "Blood on the Tracks" or the Stones "Let It Bleed" or any of the Sinatra albums from Capital, it is an incredible, moving experience ... made better by good equipment.

In terms of equipment, my system progression has been:
1971 - 1975: Philco tube Compact with a Voice of Music turntable;
1975 - 1981: SONY HTP 100 solid state Compact;
1981 - 1989: Pioneer 626 receiver; DUAL 1019 turntable; EPI 100 speakers;
1989 to Present: The equipment that has survived:
System #1: ADCOM Tuner/Preamp/Amplifier; SONY 555 ES SACD changer; Acoustic Research 302 speakers;
System #2: NAD integrated amp; Pioneer Elite PD65 cd player; AR 302 speakers;
System #3: Marantz 2216B receiver; Music Hall CD-25 cd player; AR 15 speakers;
Equipment that did not survive: 2 Onkyo & 2 Denon receivers; KEF Q 55/ EPOS 11/ B&W 302/BOSE 100/POLK speakers; Magnavox/Proton/Yamaha/SONY ES CD players.

Theloveman:

Actually, marketers discovered convenience's marketability with the cassette tape. Audiophiles from that era forget the advice that we were given at the time. We were actually advised to make cassette copies of LP's for most of our listenting, as LP's scratched too easily. LP's were to be saved for those special critical listening sessions.

It was just that cassettes, especially prerecorded ones, were just so bad. Every LP purchase was essentially a double one. You purchased both the LP and a high quality blank tape for the backup copy.

Cassettes though still kept alive the idea of audio as a hobby.

If CD's represent anything, it is the end of audio as a hobby. The technology of sound medium is what the story is, not the equipment. CD's and technology, in general, also represented women taking more of an interest in audio. Prior to that there would be audio magazine articles on how women's hearing was skewed to the treble end of the spectrum and men preferred the lower registers. Women who dig technology, the convenience it brings, and the integration into the home are a major group now for manufacturers to satisfy.

I left LP's behind quite awhile ago, because they weren't worth the bother. I really like turntables, not the warped, noisy medium that was played on them. I do miss the pageantry of buying and unwrapping a new album though and looking at the artwork, etc. CD's don't engender any real satisfaction in that regard.

Be well,

Rich