Early 80's - late 70's best audio products

The Studer/Revox B7-- series, all of them, but especially the tuner and the tape machines (cassette and open)
For speakers the Tannoy SuperRed range (especially the beautiful FSM), the Klipsch K-Horns or Quad ESL's(of course all of these have their roots in the '40's and '50's and still have only barely, if at all, been bettered today. So much for 'progress'!)
Phase Linear amps.
EMT turntables or Thorens TD126 and the directdrive models (TD535or 52?, I think) for the cost-conscious.
And and honorary mention for the Yamaha A960/2 a truly great piece of budget hifi that put many pre/power combos to shame, unfortunately Yamaha replaced it with rubbish.
I do agree that from that period onwards its been a downward spiral for serious, accurate high end audio.
This year I replaced my Arcam system with some lucky finds which were made in the early 80's and the old stuff is lightyears ahead. Now searching for a Revox tuner and saving up for an EMT, Thorens or maybe a Technics SP10 or SL1000....oops forgot to mention that one earlier...

Speakers: Dayton Wright XG 8 (with panasonic leaf tweeter)
magnepan tympani 1 D
Beveridge model 2 SW
Hill plasmatronic (best $10,000 tweeter)

Amps and pre amps: Threshold,AR, Krell

Receivers: Nakamichi SR-3, Luxman R-117, Tandberg 2075

tape decks: Tandberg, Revox, Nakamichi

turntables: Linn Sondek(high price), Rega (moderate price)

but I used a superb Apt-Holman pre-amp, then recommended by my friends at Audio Consultants in Evanston. I used it with a Bryston amp...

IMHO

Almost all (large) format IE JBL 4350/55 series monitors. And if cost was no object Westlake HR1's with the HRX 4-way crossover which would run upwards of 40,000. Crown DC series, Phase Linear 700B, Luxman M series and SAE amps to name a few. Apt Holman pre's were and are still excellent preamps if rebuilt with new caps etc.

Ken

Yamaha CR2020 receiver. Solid Walnut cabinet. Looks, class and performance in one package.

Maxx