Why Does My Current Music Sound So Much Better than It Did in the 80’s?

In the 80’s I listened to classical, including piano and Spanish guitar, and vocals like Joan Baez. So there were instruments. Later I added a CD player, listening to the same type of music.

1980s classical on CD was not very good. The music biz was in transition from analogue to digital recording and mastering. A few record labels got it right, some didn’t. It took DG years to get up to speed with digital. And electronic pop/rock/new wave sounded harsh.

After a short honeymoon with CD played on a decent Teac, I went back to playing records.

Over time CDP technology improved, so many of these early CDs sound very good today.

Yep, mostly digital recording and playback  innovations, 80's digital was atrocious.

Because you were younger and having too much of a good time to care about what your hifi sounded like. 

I've had a very "good" sounding system for over twenty years. In the recent few months, it has become to my ears, a "great" sounding system merely by replacing one component-my preamp.

It cost more than I usually allow myself to spend on any particular component, though wow, what a difference it's made.

Audio is an interesting hobby, so many variables. For many of us, it takes a bit of good luck to finally get to the goal, so I wish good luck to those of who may need it.

Regards,

Dan

I don’t remember in the 80’s or 90’s hearing an instrument note - such as from a piano, drum or other percussion instrument - sound so real that I have to look around to be sure it was from the recording.  Now that happens more than occasionally, but not most of the time.  Maybe 20-30 years ago the sounds were muddied a bit.  Of course vinyl recordings had turntable rumble.  You could take it off with a rumble  filter, but then maybe some bass was lost too.  From the comments so far it sounds like the major reason is digital recording/playback.