"In the mid 1970s, Underwood says, most tape manufacturers adopted polyurethane as a tape binder. Unfortunately, the polyurethane absorbs water and releases an acid. ‘You then get gummy residues on the tape, which resemble heavy oils.’
‘We live in a perishable world’, says Underwood. ‘The way to keep tapes
is cool and dry . . . People don’t realise it but the UK has a high humidity,
often up to 85 per cent.’
Underwood is adamant that it is not just Ampex tapes that are affected,
and not just professional tapes either. All analogue audio tapes of around
ten years old, between the mid 1970s when polyurethane was first used as
a binder, and the mid 1980s when stabilisers were improved, are at risk."
Barry Fox, New Scientist, 1990
The affected tapes can often still be played after 'baking' at low heat but it's a drastic solution.
Thankfully tapes from the pre mid 1970s have better chances of surviving intact.
All the evidence does seem to suggest that sound quality has never been a priority for the industry. People like Michael Fremer have championed better sound for years, so has Neal Young.
There were also rumours knocking around that Steve Jobs was an audiophile, ironically a vinyl man no less. It would probably take someone of that stature to sell the concept of audiophile sound to the masses now.
Perhaps we should all write to Tim Cook.