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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
realgoodsound
52 posts
 

I believe there have been two: roughly 1960-75 and 2010-present. Here's my reasoning.

Stereo was new in the mid-to-late 50's but by 1960, all of the primary manufacturers of the time - McIntosh, Harman Kardon, H. H. Scott, Fisher Radio, Sherwood - had multiple, fine-sounding components for sale. Good speakers ranged from AR-2's and KLH 6's to ginormous Bozaks and Klipschorns. The record companies had finally (almost) figured out how to record in stereo (still too many hard left/hard right/no center offerings). As time progressed, good stereo equipment became available to the middle-class. And that fostered the stereo boom of the late 60's/early 70's.

For most companies, stereo after 1975 became a commodity, so quality went down dramatically. Yes, there were the Audio Researches and, of course, McIntosh, to carry the flag for the audio aficionados. But, generally, the gear was lousy.

Now, although most aspiring audio aficionados can't afford the best (or even second-best), I believe we are in a new Golden Age. The incredible progress in speaker design and manufacture, new circuit topologies, the revitalization of vinyl and the advent of high-quality streaming has created this new age. Unfortunately, only the truly obsessed or the very wealthy can afford the great gear that's out there - which is the only tarnish on the gold.

kennyc
1,472 posts
 

Technology marches on, sonic improvements across the board. There is no better yesterday period of gear, although there are components that stand the test of time like the Lyra Connoisseur phono stage or the Berning 211/845 amplifier. Kind of like personal computers, there is no superior past products.

mflaten
14 posts
 

The golden age of high-fidelity (hi-fi) audio is generally considered to be the period from the mid-1950s to the mid-1960s, with the peak around 1959-1960. This era saw several key developments that revolutionized audio quality and made hi-fi systems more widely available to consumers:

  • Introduction of stereophonic recordings and equipment, displacing the previous monophonic systems and providing a more immersive listening experience.
  • Advancements in audio technology, such as the Williamson amplifier design, which set new standards for low distortion and high-quality sound reproduction.
  • Widespread availability of high-fidelity components like separate turntables, tuners, amplifiers, and loudspeakers, allowing audiophiles to assemble their own customized systems.
  • Emergence of integrated hi-fi console systems for the mass market, making high-quality audio more accessible to average consumers.
  • Transition from the earlier hobbyist-driven audio scene to a mainstream domestic industry, with products becoming more elegant, user-friendly, and socially acceptable.

Many historians consider the 1950s-1960s golden age to be the pinnacle of hi-fi audio, as it represented a time of significant technological advancements, increased accessibility, and a focus on faithful sound reproduction.

helomech
1,673 posts
 

The Golden Age is now. 

mahler123 OP
3,318 posts
 

@mflaten 

you have described what most people would give as the answer.  A time of innovation, new products, and while your post doesn’t address it, a consumer audience that was motivated.

  Do you think that from a purely sonic perspective that the gear from 1960-75 can compete with the quality available today?

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