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.
Why Does My Current Music Sound So Much Better than It Did in the 80’s?
I’ve got to ask…maybe someone here knows…is my current system more realistic sounding than what I used to listen to in the 80’s? I’m just impressed by the sound I have now, I just don’t remember it sounding in the 80’s so real, present and full range.
Then I had a Marantz 2245, JBL L166 tower speakers, usually vinyl on a Dual turntable with a Shure V15 Type 2 or 3. This was decent stuff at that time.
Now I listen to internet radio on my iPad, usually radio.garden jazz, through an Apple AirPort Express router, to B&O BeoLab8000 speakers, a Hsu ULS 15 Mk II and a Paradigm Series 7 12in Monitor sub. I set up In a big 20ft by 40ft room now with lots of hard surfaces. I’ve invested very little in this system, yet I’m amazed at the sound.
it’s unlikely that my ears are better…anyone care to rake a stab at why things sound so better to me now? It would be interesting to understand the evolution of sound.
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@tcotruvo |
I don’t know what it is, but the effect is a whole different level of experiencing music. Fun! Since not everything I listen to has the same clarity, I wondered if the quality of the source varies on radio.garden. Or, maybe my room and speaker placement is ideal for certain sounds. From what I know, my room is not great for music. It’s large - 20ft x 40ft, 8ft ceiling - concrete floor, no carpet, Sheetrock ceiling, 6 double patio doors, and the rest is 50% glass. No curtains, the only upholstery is a couch, and I’ve added about a half dozen 3ft x 4ft utility door mats to soften things. My listening triangle is in a corner with about 9ft sides. The subs are turned down to a level where I don’t hear the bass as a separate source. I’m hearing deficient in high frequencies. Amazing what I get from an iPad. |
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