After fifty years… amazing. What high end audio can be.

I think an important part of the pleasure and what keeps it interesting is the chase. At different times in your life you chase different things but with audio it is almost always the same - perfection or as close to perfection in sound reproduction as you can get and when you reach that next level it provides a reward. The most interesting thing is that soon there is yet another another step that can be taken to reach that next level in the chase. There is no finish line.

And, what else can you do that provides the possibility of financial stress and pleasure at the same time- i.e. at least that you can do at home? What the hell, it’s only money.

75 here, with 60 years of the chase behind me. Still have the first Heathkit I built, the first decent turntable and speakers that I bought. It’s all been wonderful, and still going. We have about a dozen pairs of speakers inside and outside of the house (no neighbors) and a portable system (small amp and Ascend Acoustics Sierra 2 EX speakers) for travel and hospital use. That’s about the only concession to age. No dedicated listening room or home theater. Every room is for listening, and all systems can be connected via Bluesound.  Music is going close to 50% of the time, throughout the house, inside and out.

“I wonder if we are the last of a generation that grew up with hi-fi and made it an important part of our lives-- “

Yup, you’re right.  But part of the reason is that they haven’t had the opportunity to hear what’s possible, what big ol’ boxes can sound like.  When friends of our kids came over, a number of them showed a lot of interest.  On top of that, they didn’t have the American songbook and the crooners to grow up with.   We definitely lived through the golden years of the birth of high fidelity.  We’re in Lampasas and it’s noticeably absent from the Austin scene, even with SXSW!

I concur. I have been in the game at a certain level since the early 70s, certainly not in the elite echelon but quality hifi hardware. Just last night I sat down after dinner and listened to 3.5 albums consecutively* and marveled over and over at what a modern system can deliver compared to my previous mostly more middling quality vintage hardware (with the exception of the streamer), which I purged piece by piece over the course of the past two years and replaced with up to date speakers, DAC/amp and powered subs with the attendant room correction software.

Listening to music is a much, much more rewarding experience today than it had been in the previous decades.

You could say, "they don't make 'em like they used to", and you would be correct ....and that's a good thing.

*
Claudia Campagnol "Right Now"
Simon Phillips "Protocol II"
Brian Culbertson "TrilogyPart 1: Red"
Fourplay "Snowbound"

My Audio gear plays a Big Part in my Retirement Time. Still Rocking at 72, since the 60's.