Probably the equipment you're hearing it through? They probably sounded very good back then, through a decent amp and speaker. A nice Quad valve/tube control unit and one of their push pull KT66 power anps driving a loverly Quad electrostatic, aaagh and your Ortofon in a SME Mk III and a Garrard or Goldring Lenco TT. `High End' systems arn't a new idea!.