@gbmcleod +1
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?
75 responses Add your response
@whart, I agree. But I believe there to be a difference between "good sound" and "true to life," not that you are not saying this. I just see people confusing advances in "sound" as "better." I suppose they are better if that is all that is required as a measurement, but to advance actual sound towards a lifelike facsimile? That does not happen as much as people believe it, unless they listen to less complex music such as pop or rock, which are highly manipulated in the mixing process and therefore will not reveal that which is truly likelike. The "Golden Age" seems to have lasted into the 80s - maybe even 90s. At that time, the readers of Stereophile and The Absolute Sound were mostly classical and jazz music lovers (singers, too, of course!) and the designers were designing with this in mind. I don’t hear that as much when I listen to components that are touted as "top drawer." I hear them as technically correct, but a living, breathe facsimile of the concert hall (symphonic, not articially enhanced concerts such as rock or pop) experience, they are not. But I don’t think it matters that much if what people are listening to are synthesizers, drums and other electronically-generated instruments. It’s possible to have a "Golden Age" that won’t mean the same thing to everyone. Frankly, I think it helps to be older because there was a time when any grade school student heard the school band at least 3 or 4 times a year, and went to parades (more acoustic music), and usually heard a symphony or something unamplified at least a dozen times while going K-12. That is not the case anymore. It stopped in the 80s in schools (most of my family were educators, so I know this to be true). People can get thru their entire education without once hearing a flute or a violin. If one doesn’t know what the "real thing" sounds like, then the Golden Age that some speak of is simply more features, more "tech" which, as I have said, does not lead to truly better sound. So, for some, the Golden Age is now. For me, it’s been gone for at least 25 years, but there are still developments going on for the younger listeners.
|
The Golden Age of Audio could be today - that is, if we combined in a sense past and present; what was lacking then we have now, and what we lack now they had then. The good news is that, if we really wanted to, we could attain both in our present day world, but the sad part is that, pragmatically speaking, we don't really see the era of the past merged with the technology of today, and by that I mean the more uninhibited physics of mainly pro horn speakers of yore in tandem with the tech advances in the digital domain (incl. DSP), active configuration and developments in SS amplification. We see advances in horn and waveguide geometry design aided through sophisticated CAD simulations, but at least in the domestic market those designs are typically stunted physically to cater to interior decoration demands - for aesthetic reasons, that is, not acoustic ones - and as such are not followed through to be and sound their best. The large pro horns of yesterday however, even as older designs, can really come out the other side with the best of both worlds when configured actively via DSP and more modern SS amps. What we, crudely put, see today of the domestic old is often just that as a vintage, niche segment with analog source(s) - heralded as such, and often very pricey - and on the other hand we have all the modern stuff, which is to say largely inefficient and smaller speaker designs with a combo of higher power SS and (to a lesser extent) tube amp designs, and both digital and analog sources - with prices ranging into stratospheric heights as well. You could say the latter, modern camp is the more diverse one, but by and large the physics of speakers have been thrown out window. Attaining that merger of old and new requires of one to very deliberately seek out the former, because it isn't readily available, if at all in stores today. Walking into many a contemporary hifi store is being met with the sight of endless rectangular speaker boxes - slim and deep, with the typical dome tweeter and array of smaller woofers - differentiated more or less only in size, i.e.. height and driver count. What those designs generally sound like, to my ears, is hardly anything mimicking live acoustic or amplified sound. The main focus of modern, low efficiency speakers appears to be soundstaging/imaging and to some degree tonality, but whatever happened to dynamics, proper size of presentation, ease, physicality and presence, all of which are core pillars emulating a live sound imprinting? Going further: what happened to the feel of music? What we hear today, to my ears, is mostly about the think of it. |
The Golden Age is right now. Very high-quality equipment is available for pennies-on-the-dollar compared to to just 10 or 15 years ago. And the information about hi-end is just a click away. Not to mention, there are probably more smaller companies offering more intriguing products than any other time in history. The only downside is many smaller boutique hi-fi dealers are long gone, but still, even in their prime, most had a very limited offering. |
| Post removed |
+1 @unreceivedogma on the vintage equipment. I’ve a bunch of vintage gear too. |
My system is as follows: 1980s / 1990s / 2020s - Cartridge: Benz Micro, Koetsu Black, Grado 78, Koetsu Rosewood Signature, Koetsu Onyx, Koetsu Leopard 1980s / 2010s - Tonearm: Sumiko MMT, Jelco SA-750EB 1980s - Table: VPI HW MK IV with SAM 2020s - Step-Up Transformer: Pro-Ject Tube Box DS2 1980s - Preamp: Beard P505 2010s - Phase Alignment: BBE282ri sonic maximizer 1990s - Subwoofer: Velodyne ULD-15 1980s / 2020s - Amps: Julius Futterman OTL3s, converted to triode by Jon Specter 1960s - Crossovers: Mastering Lab 1950s - Speakers: Altec Lansing 604C coaxial studio monitors 2020s - Semi-anechoic room design and treatment: by architect C.B. Wayne |
41 years ago, you might have been able to buy the above, One of a series of 8.. All of which are in museums now, which makes the price of one 'set' likely on the level of MBLs' with all those natty details...amps, pre, source....etc. What price perfection, and what exactly does that consist of ...? Joy in what you own....J |
I agree with @sudnh and others who have referenced the 50’s and early 60’s as the golden age of sound recording, especially in classical music. Tube equipment and mini miking led to the warmth and incredible sound staging that is only beginning to be matched digitally in the past few years. |
“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. |
In many respects yes, the gear from the 1960's can compete. Today, we have streaming services, but the golden age of hi-fi, in my view, was the period from the 1950s to the mid-1960s. During this era, a relatively high percentage of households owned high-end audio equipment, and most towns had at least one hi-fi store where the passion for high-fidelity audio was cultivated. The resurgence of vintage audio gear, particularly tube amplifiers and vinyl records, has been a remarkable phenomenon. It highlights the enduring appeal of warm, rich, and authentic sound quality that many audiophiles believe can only be achieved through these classic technologies. While modern digital audio formats and solid-state amplifiers offer convenience and affordability, vintage gear has a certain charm and character that resonates with music lovers. The warm, natural sound of tube amplifiers, combined with the tactile experience of handling vinyl records, creates a nostalgic and immersive listening experience that many find hard to replicate with contemporary equipment. Moreover, the craftsmanship and attention to detail that went into the design and construction of vintage audio gear from the golden age of hi-fi are often unmatched by modern mass-produced equipment. These factors have contributed to the enduring popularity of vintage audio gear among audiophiles and music enthusiasts alike. |
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? |
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:
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. |
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. |
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. |
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. |
@mahler123 Exactly. |
There might be more total listeners for the higher quality sq than in previous years, but in the past it seemed like more people prioritized having a mid Fi system or better. While there are exceptions, the younger generations simply don’t prioritize it, and most of the people previously mentioned that cared in the past no longer care |
"When a depressingly high number of people think they’re “listening to music” on a f**king cell phone speaker the size of an M&M, or think, “ok, now I’m really listening to music when I stream data over the internet through a Bluetooth speaker the size of a golf ball,” Your statement is correct, but your premiss is wrong. I don't think today is any different from any other era. There has always been a very small percentage of the population that value sound quality at a ridiculous level, while the masses are more than satisfied with a transistor radio, an 8 track tape or a bluetooth speaker. In fact, I would argue that more people listen to higher quality sound reproduction today, than any point in history. |
+1 @mahler123 I have gotten into arguments with friends who defend crap/cheap sound. It’s almost as if they are rebelling against good sound because it costs more than $150. But it’s worse than that; they do not understand that they can have good sound, or what that even means, and they do not care.
|
I didn’t start reading Audio magazines until the early 2000s so I can’t comment as to what their contribution was in the historical sense. I also gave up on TAS when they became a shill for MQA but that is another story . And lately I’ve stopped buying Stereophile and others unless I’ve been alerted in this Forum to an interesting article. I’ve found that after a few decades even the best written audio prose can’t really tell me what something sounds like better than non professional reviewers. However a few people here have singled out the impact of TAS in helping launch a Golden Age of Audio. I am not intending to disrespect those who state this, but I’m skeptical. Can a magazine have created an industry, as opposed to simply reporting on it? What was the peak circulation of TAS? I suspect that most people who bought systems in the sixties and seventies had never heard of it. Stereo Review,otoh, was fairly ubiquitous then. I also suspect that the relatively small number of Audio Connoisseurs that were strongly influenced in their formative years by TAS are likely to be posting on a site like this |
I’ve been in the hi-fi retail business for well over 50 years. The golden age absolutely existed before video games and personal computers. Back then I will estimate that 70% of people that bought hi-fi equipment more into the equipment than for the music. They were hi-fi clubs all over the place. There was a Saturday radio show in the Boston area just on hi-fi. I actually hosted the Wednesday night club at my hi-fi store in Providence, Rhode Island and then video games and Commodore 64 showed up and many of the people that used to come in and bring their turntables in for a wow and flutter check or their amplifiers in for a THD check we’re not showing up anymore . With the compact disc, there was a resurgence from people that were into hi-fi for the music. CDs just made it so convenient. But then Walkmen, discman and other personal portables, including early cell phones earbuds took over nearly the entire generation for music reproduction. I believe now we are going through a small resurgence due to Covid. With folks getting government checks and having time on their hands. And retirees having time and a few extra nickels to spend on stereo equipment that they probably wanted when they were younger. Golden Age?…1965 to 1980. |
I think the 'Golden Age' was when The Absolute Sound Magazine entered the scene. There were so many discoveries being made, people finding out that there really was something beyond their table radio. Interesting personalities bringing new ideas and products to market. Today is a fantastic time to be into high end audio, but a few decades back there was an 'organic quality' and 'esoteric dimension' that causes some of us to wax nostalgic.
|
The last 2 posts have been especially thoughtful. They both emphasize the paradox that while the the access to music, and the sheer skill in playing it back, has never been higher; yet the general interest in sound quality amongst the general public has never been lower. The bricks and mortar stores had their flaws-most seasoned audiophiles probably had at least one bad experience in their lifetime- but just the fact that they even existed seems from today’s vantage like a miracle. Imagine enough people in the world caring enough about sound to want to visit multiple locations, or to spend time in a given store, and to support an entire industry. My genre preference will show here, but as one of the posters noted, pop music played a big role in dumbing down standards. It’s very ubiquity as background music creates a numbness to nuance. It’s processed, canned nature makes the relationship of instruments and voices to each other almost irr. Yes, Classical and Jazz are much more demanding on sonic reproduction, and their listeners more discerning. |
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 |
Does the "Golden Age" question refer to recording or to advances in equipment? If recording, then the 50s and 60s. If equipment, then circa 1972 - 1995. This was a period where we still had brick and mortar establishments and people got to hear equipment easily. Also, the tube made a comeback (thank you, William Z. Johnson), and triggered a rush towards achieving the "absolute sound." That is no longer the case. When people discuss music, they refer more to the "features" of a component, very rarely actually addressing the music itself (which IS the purpose, no?). This, by itself, is less "involving" than what the High End scene was like even 30 years ago. And "The Future" does not - to me - automatically indicate that we will make advances in reproducing music (and I mean, unfiltered, unprocessed and un-manipulated, which removes nearly the entire pop music kingdom of recordings as far as sound quality goes). People discuss soundstaging and imaging instead of talking about the music itself. And you have critics online who had no idea what acoustic music sounds like, which is ironic: the whole High End came into existence because of a desire to make music sound more as it did in the symphony/opera hall or jazz club. Given that classical and jazz music are the least known to younger audiences, hearing a trumpet the way it was actually played seems less an imperative than whether or not it has ’x-inputs" or the newest datachip. Passion and curiosity to create magic thru either tubes or transistors drove the first wave of "The Golden Age"; I’m uncertain what direction we are headed in right now. But with AutoTune, mediocre singers (clearly, a stunning voice is not a requirement for fame in the music arena nowadays) and with the amount of manipulation that is visited upon so many recordings, this is most certainly NOT the "Golden Age of Recordings." There was a time when people were more attuned to music, and that changed around the very, very early 21st century. The move seems - in this era - towards tech-in-audio, and away from (unaltered/acoustic) music as heard with minimal electronic intrusion. |
I was graduating University of Michigan in 1980 when a friend got a job as a salesman in a high end audio store. I remember a wall stretching to the ceiling filled with McIntosh components. He let me bring a few records in and listen for a few hours after closing time. From then on I was seduced by the high end but it was a quarter century before I had disposable income to spend on anything but mid Fi (Graduate School and Family obligations disposed of anything previously). How that stuff would compare to my current gear is anyone’s guess. My rose colored glasses aren’t known for improving my visual acuity. But that night was an awesome memory |
For me it was 70’s -90’s. I call it the Audio Center days. I recall 6 dedicated audio salons on Oahu. 2 "high end". Hanson’s place in Kahala and super underground Alston. Lafayette, Holiday Mart, Shirokiya and tv repair shops had their stereo corners. I don’t know if the military PX still sells stereos. Lots. LOTS of military were into stereo. From high mass market high fi, went crazy. The "Power Wars". Then this guy Mark Levinson shows up with a 25 Watt power amp. I don’t remember $2500 pr. or $2500 per channel. Stax, Magnepan, Audio Research, IRS, HQD, Hill Plasmatronics, Luxman, Wilson Audio, Koetsu, Linn... came on the scene. However, I recognize and appreciate the advancements of audio today. But not as exciting for me as it was back in the day. |
@erik_squires wrote:
I believe they entered the market in ’84 and were replaced by the A/IIIi’s a few years later, if memory serves me correct. |
You are not wrong! Yesterday i entered ectasy with my Sansui alpha from year 1980 and my AKG K340 from year 1979... Ratio S.Q. /price impossible to beat ! Every night is golden! 😊
|
Small market recordings beg to differ on being crystal clear. I have some 50s and 60s jazz and blues recordings from local New Orleans labels and the SQ is OK and few are just bad when it comes to clarity of recording. Maybe if you focu only on big label recordings and certain 1st/2nd pressings would the statement that records from the 50s and 60s were crystal clear be true. And only if you were listening to that vinyl on a high-end system from that time. The majority of people were listening to music on console systems and cheap set-ups, not high-end or DIY setups. |
How is this any different than the vast majority of people listening to music over AM/FM radio in the 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s, and 90s? Or listening to radio/vinyl on their Zenith console system with a stacking turntable and $5 stylus in the living room? 95% of people enjoyed their music during the "Golden Age" in social settings like soda shops, get-togethers, and swinger parties. Not everyone had the Hugh Hefner bachelor pad setup or the Don Draper penthouse built-in system. The Hi-Fi people claiming the late '60s through early '80s were the Golden age of Hi-Fi are nostalgic for a time they fondly and foggily remember. It's like watching Mad Men and getting swept up in the nostalgia of the era, thinking wouldn't it be great if we could all teleport back in time to relive 1968 to 1975? I've always only been able to afford mid-fi. 98% of my friends, family, and acquaintances don't have dedicated hi-fi systems. Many never did or will. I went through a brief period in grad school listening to music on either headphones or crappy computer speakers via a laptop. Since the early 00's, it has taken time for me to rebuild a system up over the last 20 years. Having listened to better quality audio components to enjoy my CD and vinyl collection, I could never return to listening to music on a $50 Bluetooth speaker or even laptop speakers. But, I also know that I wouldn't build a system from 70s and 80s components either. That era holds no nostalgia for me with regard to equipment. The quality and technology of that era lacks in so many ways compared to what I have now. Even my wi-fi powered speakers I use for multi-room listening are far superior to what my 80s Boston Acoustics could put out. I have a vintage Adcom GFA-1 amp that I keep for sentimental reasons and not because it sounds better than my Marantz unit. The Adcom still sounds good but it also has that vintage hum that can become bothersome over time compared to the cleaner sound I get on my modern integrated. When I'm on vacation I have a decent, Bluetooth speaker I bring for beach or pool-side background music. But I don't expect that to be hi-fi because, for all intents and purposes, it is a radio.
|
It’s been a Stairway, pick a step, call it Golden. Your actual experiences, age related, count the most, reading audio history can be fascinating, but living it is/was quite another thing. Costs: Initially a rich mans game becomes affordable for ’well off’, then everybody can buy ’it’. I suspect the ’well off’ stage is your age related Golden Era. Economic Advancement: boom or bust cycles are very much involved. Wage growth was a steady climb up to 1973 (I graduated college 1970), then stagnated. "A startling fact is that average real wages have grown by only 0.7 percent over the half century beginning in February 1973. In February 2022 dollars, wages have grown over this period by $0.18. There is no question that an $0.18 increase over a half century is correctly interpreted as stagnant" Thus, did the Golden Era end in 1973? Many members here (not all) then and now are way above average earners, much higher disposable income. Technological Advancement: During any war, or race to space, technology advances then trickles down. Also format wars push things along: 45/33; Betamax/VHS ...... then standardization (not always ’best’, think laserdisc/beta/vhs) yields profits for manufacturers to invest in the next thing. Speakers have been a never ending quest for manufacturers and consumers. Mono to Stereo, in any format was each a revolution. Reel to Reel, wire to tape, dictation to music, mono, stereo, dolby, dbx ... Turntable/Tonearm/Cartridge/Stylus Shape/Moving Coil .... each step by step FM radio, Multiplex Stereo FM Cartridges: Dictaphone; 8 Track; Cassettes; VCR; VHS; SVHS Discs, this format, this size, ours is better than theirs .... Broadcast, Streaming On and On it Goes. ........................................... Recording (ignore content) also advanced by technology and affordability: think major labels, expensive recording studios; early equipment allowing garage bands, darn good garage band equipment; anybody can record anything at home, phone in tracks ..... ............................................ I think the End of the Golden Age for Me is when accessories, some/lots of ’snake oil’ entered the game. I think it coincides with when measurements became unmeasurable. Personally, I primarily prefer Vintage, equipment that sounds as involving as current production. What is Vintage? How far down the stairway do you go?
|
