Disturbing "Sonic Trend" showing up on SOTA audio

I agree Don, and fortunately there is lots of gear that is natural sounding, so it's really a personal choice.

Get off my lawn!

Audio is a funny hobby; I'm having the exact opposite experience currently. I'm testing out some Pascal based Class D amps, and the resolution, tonal richness, "air" and reverberation, in short, the entire package so much more corporeal - is so intoxicatingly pure, the detail so natural sounding that my thought is, "You mean to tell me there has been THAT MUCH distortion masquerading as "fullness" in audio systems all this time?!

I have not put up slouch systems over the past ten years, but oh, goodness, I couldn't disagree with you more. I think you have created three false dichotomies regarding parameters of sound quality where none exist. :)

If I had to return to vintage gear, it would be really, really disappointing, even to the degree I would lose interest in listening. I occasionally put up vintage systems and unfailingly they sound lifeless, flat, unconvincing. It would be like returning to black and white TV.

Not the equipment, its the buyers. Many/most have never heard live acoustic ,unamplified music played by a 1st rate ensemble .
Point of reference is the PA system at a rock concert .

A natural sounding piece of equipment sounds unnatural to them.

Don, don, don- we've warned you about listening to solid state before😏. We're not going to do it again!