2. analog
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Who remembers audio from the time when ...

... I recall hurrying home with the newest vinyl, placing it on the rek-o-kut  belt turntable (arm and cartridge beyond recall) then turning on the HeathKit preamp (with all sorts of equalizing circuits) and amp, then watching the tubes warm up.  The anticipation of hearing the new music through a decent system built up with the warming rube glow from orange to red and dimming into the infra red.  Gently grasping the arm and rotating it to place the needle’s crystal  perfectly into the first cut.  The Heathkit 2way speaker was placed forward from center wall to mimic a mono transducer at center stage.  Switching the turntable motor on while gradually increasing gain at the preamp required a soft touch.  Then stereo,  Reel to Reel.  The Dolby cassette deck, tubeless amps and preamps. Digital ...

  i continue to be amazed at the continuing tidal wave of efforts directed to achieve more accurate sound reproduction and more pleasing perception utilizing our incredible ability to hear sound in the spectrum of musical experience.  The sounds of nature: A drip of water on the wet surface of a broadleaf in the rainforest. The startling gasping wheeze of the change in air flow through the mountain pass.  The sizzle of receding waves through the pebbles on shore.  And the sounds made by humans.

  Old timer’s reminiscences of early audiophile recollections are welcome.  




davesandbag
artemus_5's avatar
artemus_5
1,911 posts
 
When I was 8-10 yrs old I got a $2 allowance. I went directly to the record store and bought 2 45's @ $1 apiece. Got to hear them play before I bought them too. Then home to wear them out with my cheap "record player" I didn't get a decent stereo til I got out on my own. Then it wasn't anything special. Went the Quadrophonic route in the early 70's. Then in 78 I bought a Harmon Kardon 730 receiver and Large (Original) Advents and a Technics TT. The HK sounded amazing. Still does today. I recently fired it up and was again amazed at how full and big the sound is. It brought back fond memories
dweller's avatar
dweller
3,735 posts
 
artemus - I think Boomers process recorded music in a fundamentally different way than young people. When we played records in the 50's & 60's (as well as hearing our $20 transistor radios), we understood that the sound was heavily distorted and compromised. We used our imaginations (imagine that!) to rework the base-data and reconstruct into an internal analog which we considered the "real thing". This is sort of like listening to "The Lone Ranger" on the radio instead of watching on T.V. -a totally immersive imagination experience.

For youngsters, music is cleaned up to the point where a lot less imagination is required and they accept the signal as "real". Since their $50 earbuds give them 90% of the high-end experience, they aren't as interested is dropping $30,000 for the remaining 10%.

Boomers, however, possess their internal "super processors" and engage a lot more closely to the performance and receive much more pleasure.
lewm
12,453 posts
 
I vividly recall taking a bus to downtown New Haven (CT) in order to purchase a copy of Kind of Blue, shortly after its release. I was too young to drive but not too young to appreciate Miles Davis. I can still see in my mind's eye the facade of Cutler’s Record Shop on Broadway in New Haven, as the bus came to a stop. I was laser-focused on buying that one single LP, which almost certainly was in mono. The mission was accomplished.
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