2. misc-audio
  3. 189952-74445

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

Showing 1 response by mglik

mglik
913 posts
 

“Golden Age” certainly refers to a time in the past.

I would agree that the time pre SS and pre digital would fit.

However, if it refers to the High End’s achievements in absolute SQ, Now is pretty “Golden”. For decades, I was a die hard tube guy. I don’t think that tech has really advanced much. But SS has. It took me years and decades to warm up to SS, but Now there are a number of SS designs that definitely bridged to gap of the tube sound and, IME, have eclipsed Tubes. And the best digital has done the same with analog. 
And, speaking of digital, one cannot discount the near endless selection and convenience. To many, that makes Now the Golden Age.

More to discover