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When Was The Audio Golden Age?

I looked at the Vintage section here for the first time.  It made me speculate on what other forum users would view as the best era in Audio.  For me it is the present.  The level of quality is just so high, and the choice is there.  Tube fanciers, for example, are able to indulge in a way that was impossible 3 decades ago, and analog lovers are very well set.  And even my mid Fi secondary systems probably outshine most high end systems from decades agoHowever when one hears a well restored tube based system, play one speaker from the mid to late 1940s it can dazzle and seduce.  So what do others think?  Are we at the summit now, or did we hit the top in past and have we taken a few steps down?

mahler123

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mapman
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In terms of when hifi was at its pinnacle and garnering much attention from the general public, that would have been in the latter 1950’s when hifi 33 1/3 Lps were brand new and companies aggressively marketed good sound to the masses.

Once that fad passed, things continued to move forward but fewer people payed attention to sound quality, either not caring or taking it for granted.

Which brings us to today which is the true golden age for those who care. Best sound ever available to more than ever who might care and access to any music desired on a whim via streaming. No doubt today is the golden age. The world of good sound and music as at the fingertips of more people than ever, for those who care or even think about such things anymore

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