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Idealism, Audio and Lost Youth

Do any of you yearn for the magic of systems that you may have owned many years ago -- or still cherish older components when you could afford to replace them with supposedly more sophisticated, newer designs? Is is possible that they actually sounded better, or am I just romanticising my youth? I would swear that my heavily modified Kenwood KD 500 with SME III and Dynavector Ruby into an Audio Research pre amp and Hafler DH 500 and Magneplanar MG-1bs in 1980 sounded better than several mega buck systems I have had recently. I have similarly blissful memories of a Nakamich 250 (!) and bi-amped ADS "Mobile Fidelity System" circa 1975 even over the road noise roar of my cheap first car. Maybe it's all about analogue but I just don't listen to music as much anymore.
cwlondon
avguygeorge
2,300 posts
 
Speaking for myself,I can explain what's going on.Lost innocence comes into play as well as other factors.My first pizza was the best I ever had. Many things in life work this way;other than pizza.In audio,you don't listen as deeply at first.Back then I wouldn't have known what to listen for.So,I just listened to the "big" things.If you brought back the system/s you thought were the cat's meow;you'de be dissapointed.--Because you got to be a better listner/and thus your perception changes. In life so much can be summed up as ; compared to what? Well compared to not owning anything; moving up to "something" is the biggest step you will take. Am I close ???
tubegroover
2,320 posts
 
Right On Avguy, I suspect you are closer than some would like to admit. An actual encounter with "The Good Olde Days" would most likely bring us to a place that we remembered differently. "The Persistence of Memory" is usually a long shot from the reality but it can be comforting.
bbroussard
188 posts
 
I have fond memories of listening (in the dark)to my first real system in my college apartment. Spent my life savings in 1979 to purchase Linn LP12, Hafler DH-200 amp, Hafler DH-100 pre-amp (both built from kits) and Fried W speakers. I lost count of how many times the neighbors asked me to turn the volume level down from the 2 O'clock position that it seemed to like best. I can't say that I have heard anything recently that I like better. I agree with Tubegroover about selective memory, but my memory of those times is stronger than my hearing is lately.
perfectimage
406 posts
 
I think you memory is relative to your surroundings. You dont remember how that sysytem sounded as much as you remember how much better it sounded then everything else. On top of that you dont notice the slow climb of improvements of all electrionics sort of like you dont notice yourself getting older day to day.
sol322
426 posts
 
Interesting subject, a slight twist would be apply the same questioning to the type of music you liked better at the beginning and what you prefer nowadays. In my case I have broaden my tastes to classic, jazz and other from the beginning progressive rock only (this way before getting into hi-fi) . What do you think?
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