When Was The Audio Golden Age?

@mflaten 

you have described what most people would give as the answer.  A time of innovation, new products, and while your post doesn’t address it, a consumer audience that was motivated.

  Do you think that from a purely sonic perspective that the gear from 1960-75 can compete with the quality available today?

In many respects yes, the gear from the 1960's can compete.  Today, we have streaming services, but the golden age of hi-fi, in my view, was the period from the 1950s to the mid-1960s. During this era, a relatively high percentage of households owned high-end audio equipment, and most towns had at least one hi-fi store where the passion for high-fidelity audio was cultivated. The resurgence of vintage audio gear, particularly tube amplifiers and vinyl records, has been a remarkable phenomenon. It highlights the enduring appeal of warm, rich, and authentic sound quality that many audiophiles believe can only be achieved through these classic technologies.

While modern digital audio formats and solid-state amplifiers offer convenience and affordability, vintage gear has a certain charm and character that resonates with music lovers. The warm, natural sound of tube amplifiers, combined with the tactile experience of handling vinyl records, creates a nostalgic and immersive listening experience that many find hard to replicate with contemporary equipment. Moreover, the craftsmanship and attention to detail that went into the design and construction of vintage audio gear from the golden age of hi-fi are often unmatched by modern mass-produced equipment. These factors have contributed to the enduring popularity of vintage audio gear among audiophiles and music enthusiasts alike.

Reading through some of the comments and I gotta agree there ain’t no time like the right time and that time is right now.

Or, to translate and simplify from a somewhat Kamala-esque word salad response: Now.

It’s ALWAYS been “now.”

“Golden Age” certainly refers to a time in the past.

I would agree that the time pre SS and pre digital would fit.

However, if it refers to the High End’s achievements in absolute SQ, Now is pretty “Golden”. For decades, I was a die hard tube guy. I don’t think that tech has really advanced much. But SS has. It took me years and decades to warm up to SS, but Now there are a number of SS designs that definitely bridged to gap of the tube sound and, IME, have eclipsed Tubes. And the best digital has done the same with analog. 
And, speaking of digital, one cannot discount the near endless selection and convenience. To many, that makes Now the Golden Age.

For playback equipment now is a great time. 
 

for recordings I think it was the 50s with tube electronics and no gazillion pot mixing boards (and no digital). 
 

The musicality and warmth and detail from many recordings form th 50s just isn’t present in most modern over processed recordings.