2017 vs. 1990s - How far we have come


Hi Everyone,

I'm just taking a moment to think about how far we have come in the quality and enjoyment of music over the last 3 decades or so. I'm listening to Jazz.fm at 96kHz/16 via a Squeezebox Touch an NAD D 3020, and custom speakers (free design is available here ) on my desk as I work.

I have to say, the sound is pretty fantastic. We do a lot of comparisons to evaluate the relative merits of any given system, but we choose what we compare to. If we compare what we can get now vs. in the late 1980's/1990's I have to say things are really really good, and we should all take time to think about that now and then.

My total outlay is around $800 in electronics + the speakers.

First, I can pick among almost any radio station in the world. When guests from China show up, I have a station from Beijing playing when they arrive. I have 3 or 4 really good jazz stations on tap. There's Spotify and Tidal (great old school catalog) in addition to my 800 albums or so, some hi rez, mostly Redbook.

Digital amplifiers and DAC's are sooooooo much better than they used to be. Some of the DAC improvements in the low/mid market is outstanding. Especially Redbook. Digital amps, even cheap one's, sound so much better than the initial trials around the 1980s I heard. I mean sooooooo much better.

Don't get me wrong, there's a warm spot in my heart for vinyl and tube amps. But let's not pooh pooh an all digital/Class D solution either. The convenience, price and features are really outstanding now.

There will always be room for a discerning ear however. I don't mean to say all DAC's and all Class D amps and all speakers are now great. They are not. I am saying that for the music lover and audiophile your entry level to really good sound is a lot less expensive than before. Let's celebrate this, and also celebrate that this allows us to share not just shopping experiences but culture as well. The better music transmission is, the easier it is to enjoy and share all sorts of music, and culture. We should delight in that.

Best,

E
erik_squires
So gents, is there a digital version of Thriller you would recommend to me? Tidal?
And then...there is the estimated 8000-10000 songs that ’Sly ’N Robbie’ have played on. If you want groove...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sly_and_Robbie

’Love is the Drug’, Grace Jones, is an example of Sly n Robbie’s playing skills. That pair made Island Records happen, IMO. Grace’s version is the antithesis of the original Brian Ferry rendered sensitive and hurt version. Grace is a bit..er...more potent and directed. Arnie complained to Grace to stop hurting him (kept landing real blows), during the making of the second Conan film. Well, that’s Grace...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qu8xGqULUtI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VZO2xx2jk0g

As for Bille Jean, you want the 12" EP version. And then crank it until the crossovers start to catch fire.

Well, I just tried the Tidal version of Thriller, and it's exactly as bad as I remember it. Bright, and compressed, digital drums with nothing to them.

Best,

E
*G*  Hey, Eric....good luck with this thread. ;)  I'm just going to sit back and watch....

I agree with your original post...well, more or less.  We've got our 'differences', but viva la', y'know?
One can’t help wondering if in the new 3D Thriller video they also make the sound three dimensional. 😬