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Has the sound quality of audio equipment really got any better?

But that’s just it. You think it’s advanced but then you put a cd into a Rotel 965BX and you begin to wonder as you bath in its all encompassing toe tapping performance.Or you play radio 3 through an old Yamaha tuner and you just smile. There’s plenty of life in a lot of the older stuff yet. May dig my Mark 1 Elas out of the garage just for old times sake.
 
if its the 500 four cylinder then at least it looks like a motorcycle, especially when out of its honda paint job.
I find the fireblades very unattractive along with most jap road bikes, and at a guess would say the 500/4 will still be driven and worth a lot more in 10-20 years than any fireblades. However this is meant to be about old hifi.
 
The more pertinent question is, was there any room for improvement? In my view, the best analogue equipment from the 60s-80s was as good as you were ever going to get. With digital equipment, I think it is now largely a solved problem (and has been for nearly 20 years). The only change has been cost, even very modest equipment performs at essentially perfect levels. in my view, there is no digital "high end" that is better than the cheap equipment, just marketing hype and fancy jewelry cases. Dare I say it, the only area where there is still room for improvement is with speakers and their interaction with the room. The Flat Earth, front end first doctrine, is well and truly dead in my view.
 
Cereal Killer said:
When I'm riding a 2018 Fireblade or a 1970 CB500 twin cam, i know which one will handle better....
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There's no such thing. Ah the imagination of foomeisters... oh unless you have one of the factory GP bikes worth millions of course!
Single cam CB500K four came out in 1971 and the disastrous twin cam CB500T twin in 1975.
 
SteveH said:
^ this is what forced me to stick my hands in my pockets after decades of Shahinian/Naim and listening to lots of other stuff as it came along. I do think DSP is a step change. I hear far more and it's enjoyable and not fatiguing etc.



I am using a Pi/Allo Digione and a SB touch before that. Both unbelievable quality, price notwithstanding. Compared with what I forked out for my old CDS and LP12/Aro/Armageddon/Lingo etc. it's a joke.
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You can only make buying decisions based upon what is available at the time though. It's not as if you walked into a hifi store & some redneck pulled out a shot gun & made you buy something;)
 
Arkless Electronics said:
There's no such thing. Ah the imagination of foomeisters... oh unless you have one of the factory GP bikes worth millions of course!
Single cam CB500K four came out in 1971 and the disastrous twin cam CB500T twin in 1975.
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Shudders. I do not want to be reminded of the latter machine
 
matt j said:
This constant analogy with things auto/bike related and Hi-Fi is ridiculous, there are no parallels whatsoever, completely irrelevant.
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I disagree! I have found a stronger than could be coincidental affinity between the two over the years. Probably about half the people I know or have met over the years who are hifi fanatics have also been bikers and/or, often to a lesser degree, into vintage cars or racing in local club level events.
 
Looking at the product development of some industry stalwarts such as Rega - and in particular their latest turntable designs, they appear to be focussing on reducing colouration and removing all potential sources of internal resonance presumably aimed at cleaning up the sound and lowering noise floor. I wonder whether this is a consequence of current partnering equipment being more revealing - a wider open window so to speak or just the need to compete at higher price points. Judging by the enthusiasm for their products on this site the current product line is a significant improvement.

Similarly I have recently been listening to my Sony Cassette Walkman Pro using airbuds rather than the portable headphones that used to partner them and have to say that a pair of decent airbuds are not only more efficient but lift the listening experience significantly - so better performance without spending huge amounts on 'proper' headphones.

Audio equipment now has to be capable of handling a larger variety of media types and qualities. Certainly the target market for many of these products has changed with connectivity, convenience, design and ease of use a higher priority than in the Golden Era. I can not imagine many from the current target market choosing a system from the 80's (or whenever) in preference to current product lines.
 
Snufkin said:
The 500 twin to have was the Suzuki two-stroke; not a glamorous bike but bullet proof and very usable.
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Ah yes the T500 Titan/Cobra later to be the GT500 after a slight detune... Successfully tuned and raced in the UK by Crookes Suzuki who, IIRC, had a young rider one B. Sheen...
 
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