Senior Audiophiles - Audiophile since the 60-70's?

Allegedly, my musical trips started as a baby, when my mother would play an LP (on repeat) on an old changer -- to keep me quiet.
I was first smitten by "audiophile" sound in the '60s. I still remember that experience: friends of my parents had HUGE Tannoys (at least they looked huge to me), a Garrard and tubes. I was mesmerized. All I had then was a portable Philips gramophone -- that I tried to improve playing around with the arm weight, etc (that's before I knew the official term: tweak)
My first "stereo" was a Philips with two detachable speakers, in the late '60s. It took me 5-6yrs of savings after that to purchase my first detached system: Thorens 125TT, Luxman integrated, Kef 2-way speakers. I was ecstatic, and immediately set out to "improve" the sound (changing wires, making wooden "stands". I wasn't really sure of what I was expecting to happen; this was well before I caught on to cables, stands, etc. I was hoping for magic, I suppose.
I've come a long way since then, only to end up recently with termination-less wire as I/C (so much for my Valhalla's...).

B) For me, the '70s were very exciting musically. Possibly because I was in discovering mode?

C) Current state of audio: good to v. good. The market is opening up, many offerings and some good value/price ratios (think of TT engineering nowadays and 20 yrs ago vs the asking prices).

D) Yes, I would trade my present system for a past system -- my immediately previous one. However, I can't afford to -- which is why I no longer have my previous system in the first place!

My audiophile days started 1958 when my shop teacher helped me build a 3 watt Heathkit amplifier with acid core solder. What a disaster! However, there was no turning back after that. I then graduated to building larger Heathkits, Knightkits, and Lafayette amplifiers. These were the days when the fun was in building the kits. Enjoying the music was secondary.

I was facinated with Klipschorns from day one. I could not afford them at first, so I built a cheap Khorn enclosure imitation called the Aristocrat using Electovoice speakers. I finally got my Khorns in the mid 70's, and have not thought once about replacing them.

I was never happy with records regardless of player. The pops, scratches, and low dynamic range were unbearable. Pleasure in listening came with the arrival of CD's in the 80's.

The same goes for tubed amplifiers. I could not wait for the transistor amplifier to be perfected. While I was enthralled with the fast bass and dynamic range of the Khorns in the 70's and 80's, it wasn't until the 90's that I heard real quality in music using Mark Levinson amplifiers to power the Khorns.

The new millenium started with a bang introducing new standards in recording medium: SACD, DVD, DVDA. The future looks bright with all this competition trying to perfect recorded music. At last the advantages of both vinyl and CDs can realized in one medium. May the best of the above media win.

In conclusion, the speaker was perfected fifty years ago, however, it took fifty years to figure that out. Expensive high tech speakers of today can't compare to all of the qualities of Khorn. Amplifiers were perfected in the past decade. Any improvements in this category will be expensive and probably well beyond the point of diminishing returns. The peak in recorded music media has not yet been realized, but it won't be long. Frankly, I can't wait!

I date back to '56 and have been in audio sales (60-61) mfg
(80s). Loudspeaker technology has increased performance in time and phase coherence while tubes still rate top billing in music reproduction. SS is clearly better for bass performance. Vinyl is king even over SACD but that's a very close call/

( I date back to the early fifties 52 or there abouts.

No I would not trade my Altec Lansing A7 Sperakers which I have had since the early 60s they still sound very good infact I found a third A7 for the center channel in my theatre. In the back I have two Altec lansing "Monitors: with 12 inch speakers and they too sound better and more pleasant than any other speakers I have heard. The new speakers seem so "brittle" and not at all warm.and that is in comparison with a very very efficient and sharp present sounding speaker which the altecs are. But I would like to find a speaker that will play low frequency organ music better and with more "feeling" than my current cerwin vega 15 inch sub woofer inbcluded in my present system even tho it is good I think I need to move more air to give good organ recordings the massive large (not loud ) sound which you feel when attending an organ concert in a church with a real large pipe organ. Does any one have suggerastions on how to get that "LARGE" Massive Sound ??? what speaker do I need?? I was thinking the old EV six foot tall I think Patrician double corner speaker from the fiftys. Would like any suggestions. Thanks
Thell Woods e-mail [email protected]

I have been doing this since the 70s. I am constantly exploring new music, and always upgrading the system. I do have some affection for the big juicy sound of some of the 80s MC cartridges and turntables, with big class A amps, but today's stuff is so much more like the sound I hear at live events. In particular the last few years have seen an end to the need to use warmed-up cables and preamps to overcome the harsh coolness of CD sound and solid state amplifiers. The latest gear lets you pick components that throw the window wide open and avoid unmusical sounds. I am really looking forward to the development of these new amp technologies (I have Rowland 201s), and the ditching of CDs in favour of downloads to music servers (and I don't mean downloads of MP3s), as I reckon these are both big break-throughs. So I can say there is not much looking back.