The downward spiral.....


I've loved listening to (and playing) music for the last 35 years. I was trained as a pianist and suspect that my ears are at least decent (even if they do stick out
a little more than I'd like...)

Like so many of us, I suspect, I have assembled more high-end systems that I can remember - heaven only knows how much money I've spent, how many
reviews I've pored over, how many times I've labored over cable-matching, AB comparisons, toeing in massive speakers just that final 1/16 inch to get the soundstage
just right, rearranging living rooms to minimize that nasty hump at 56 Hz etc etc. I'm sure many of you can relate...

Being a bit of a contrarian at heart I recently have been conducting the Ultimate Experiment - the Final Downgrade. A few months ago I came into possession of an
old pair of Quad 57s (now being rebuilt) with matching 303 power amp. As those who know these things, the sounds emanating from these devices was sublime.
It made me think. Here I was listening to simply beautiful music through some of the cheapest components I've ever bought. What if I continued my downward financial
progress?
Out went some very expensive tube amplification, German turntable, carbon fiber arm, expensive MC cartridge, Nordost cable, tube output SACD player etc. In came a Thorens TD125,
complete with SME 3009, V15III, and the cheapest decent CD player I could find (the original Rega Planet). For the phone/preamp I chose a pair of Pro-Ject components,
As soon as I can find a Quad 33 I'll grab it and do a little renovation, esp on the phono section. As the speakers were being now rebuilt I acquired an old pair of
Maggies (12QR) to tide me over. The interconnects are strictly mid-fi, and the speaker cable less than that. The new (non-ported) subwoofer was relatively expensive - about
$450, but not well-known.
I anticipate the cost of the whole system will be around $2300. The average age of the components will be 35 years old.

What am I losing? Certainly not money, that's for sure! Perhaps a few Hertz at the bottom end. Perhaps. What surprises me daily (I listen usually for about 4 hours a day to everything
between 12th century plainsong to rap and everything between) is that this relatively cheap and certainly very old-fashioned system does so much that is absolutely right. I feel no
pressing needs to upgrade anything; no tweaking necessary. The music comes through as I want.
In my spare time I still haunt the local high-end stores and listen to some ultra expensive gear: not once have I gone home with an axe to do The Right Thing to my '70s
system.

So, my question is a simple one. How much progress has there been since 1970? For the last thirty years I have firmly believed that each year has brought some progress.
Now I question this. As I write this I am listening to a record pressed in 1975 (Neville Marriner) and my happiness is complete. Am I losing my grip?
--
57s4me
If we define "progress" as the development of new technologies, then of course there has been progress. However, if we are judging the new technologies on whether or not they actually do sound better than the older ones, then no, there has been very little progress, IMO. Others will disagree that have different sonic priorities than I do, and that's just dandy. Different strokes for different folks.
Well, if you really want a downward spiral, I'm listening almost exclusively to a cheap mini watt tube amp, while at least 12k worth of pre and power amps languish in the closet. It's disgusting, but I really prefer the cheapest tube amp around to the sound of my pricy ss gear. Prolly going to ditch the amps and modern speakers for the mini watt and ancient original Fortes.
Just for the hell of it, I listened to the 'Seger Sessions' which was recorded live with no rehearsals, winging it all the way. A simple but pure recording on a simple system that blew me away.

Live never sounded so good.
"Live never sounded so good."

Now thats what I'm talking about, spoken like a true audiophile:)
The progress has been mainly that there are so many ways to get excellent sound even on a budget with just a little imagination these days compared to past.

THe bar itself regarding the ultimate sound has not really been raised that much, its just more obtainable for more than ever before.

Sound is sound. There is a finite limit to how good it can sound, though many seek more like some Shangri La. Forget that crap. Good for you for using your head and coming to your senses rather than let your emotions and any fears of inadequacy dictate your actions!