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Hi end audio equip sounds better today than in decades past due to tech - T/F

I am in a hi-end audio store today, speaking with the owner, who has been in the audio business for almost 40 yrs. Super nice guy. Can talk up a storm - but as a good thing... where someone like me can learn a thing or two.

He said something that I found curious... audio equipment (pres, amps, rcvrs, speakers) sound better today than just 20 years ago, b/c ’they didn’t have the same technology back then we have today'. Why? Better materials, better components, better r/d... the stuff just sounds better in today’s world, he is telling me.

Coming from someone who doesn’t know any better.... is there any truth to this?
riffwraith
jasonbourne52's avatar
jasonbourne52
2,863 posts
 
A nicely restored pair of Marantz Model 9 mono tube amps can today still compete with any four and five figure tube amps!
jasonbourne52's avatar
jasonbourne52
2,863 posts
 
Add those same Marantz 9's to a pair of KLH Nine full-range ESL's and you have a killer combination circa 1962!
alexberger
905 posts
 
Affordable audio got much better.
High End audio got more expensive with a similar quality.

The niche between the high end was filled with direct selling companies like Tekton, Schiit Audio, Emotiva, Woo Audio ...
And I think it is great!

I am not familiar with audio dealers in Canada here.
But judging by the Israeli audio dealers, they are: crooks, liars, hucksters, bastards.
Thank goodness I switched to vintage and home-made audio and have not had a dealt with audio dealers for a long time. I only see their sly faces on audio show in Montreal.
twoleftears's avatar
twoleftears
5,318 posts
 
The vibrant market in vintage audio products is pure nostalgia.

Or is it?
douglas_schroeder
3,281 posts
 
No, no truth to it at all. Same with cars, planes, medical equipment, bicycles, telescopes, rockets - nearly anything you care to name as technological equipment. No way a new item can outperform the old. Really, there is no reason for technological progress, as the old was good enough.

This is especially true when one’s wallet controls all decisions in terms of "diminishing returns". ;)

In fact, what you really want to do in order to beat the industry at its own game is to buy mid to low-fi gear, then spend inordinately on room tuning and tweaks. For sure, that will get you really close to SOTA!  LOL  

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