audiophiles or retrophiles

I think it is fair to say that not all "new technology" is better. Some is, I like the modern materials and techniques used to create some of the new cartridges, loudspeaker drivers, cables, or isolation technology. It's enjoyable to plug in a CD when I am working on something around the house or when we are too... preoccupied to clean, fetch, and catch an Lp side to side. But for my ears tube preamps and amps have a more visceral connection to making music, similar to that of a real acoustic instrument. It’s more than a hobby or a life style. And record collecting is something my friends and I have been doing our whole lives. There are so many events around music or caused by music or in the pursuit of music and the vinyl it resides on that I can not imagine what life would be like without it. There is the obvious fact that beyond the music is the visual art on a 12 ½” x 12 ½” scale, not to mention gatefolds. You don’t get that with the “perfect” modern format. And as I age I find the liner notes are getting a little small to scour. Well ironically, there’s always Lasik. Here's to modern technology, Cheers!

For those of you who wondered whether my exposure to audio was entirely through reading, my first experience with serious audio systems began in the early 1950s. I've built amps, preamps, and speaker cabinets. I've owned tubes, vinyl, and corner horns, and still own a collection of Westminister Lab series and two of the early Capital FDS LPs. My early research was in binaural processing. And I periodically listen to current high-end tubes and vinyl.

Although posed as a question about how many audiopiles are actually retrophiles, I was trying to make a point. Too often the advice given to a real question is you need vinyl or tubes to get good sound, and the advice is spewed forth smugly as though it should be self evident. Having matched my share of pairs of 6L6s and KT88s, and having adjusted my share of tone arms to track properly, I'm skeptical about the superiority of tubes and vinyl.

db

Taking it one step further, nowadays it seems anyone who doesn't store their entire music collection on a hard drive is a retrophile.

>>For those of you who wondered whether my exposure ...........<<

I haven't wondered a bit about your experience. It's obviously a waste of time.

I think there is another distinction deeper in your query that might be drawn and that is, how many of us are retrophiles not by stylistic or preconceived notion, but rather through a somewhat unplanned, non-intellectual path of a process of elimination of what did not move us emotionally in the music reproduction itself?
Equipment is cool and it is easy to be sucked in to making choices based on things that are not at all related to the music. That said, it is never the less a reality in the material world that one becomes involved at an anal retentive level with the acoustical reproduction aspect. There is a lot of science involved, not to mention alchemy.
This all takes me back to something Ivor Tiefenbrun of Linn said early on and that is, (I will paraphrase) if you close you eyes and listen to the music and it doesn't make you tap your toe or if you can't sing to it, if it doesn't sound distinctly more musical overall, don't spend your money on it! He was referring to equipment purchasing.
That thought has pretty well stuck with me as I traveled on from my first major "Hifi" equipment purchase of a (you guest it) Linn Sondek Lp12 back in 1983. Funny thing is, there are a lot of cool turntables out today, maybe some with greater musical resolve. I’m just not moved to chase that demon. It's fine to be skeptical about the superiority (theoretically) of any technology, maybe even healthy, especially for those of us that are in it for the human emotional connection to the music and the pleasure of enjoying that together. Happy listening.