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

This is an interesting thread -- I thought everyone here was younger than me, but now I see that I have a few peers.
My audiotrek began around 1963 (age 11). My first "system" was a handheld AM transistor radio and I let Scott Muney, and Cousin Brucie introduce me to the Beatles and some of the other great '60s bands. I was too young to know the sound quality sucked; it was all about the music back then.

Later on in high school, I started experimenting with my first component systems, which I bought mainly at my local Lafayette Radio store. I remember looking through the catalog and eying all the cool-looking reel to reel decks that I couldn't afford. A little later, I moved on to Dyna solid-state amplification with an AR XA turntable and a pair of AR 3A speakers, which I really liked. Next I added a pair of AR 2AXs for rear channels in a passive "DynaQuad" setup. Oh Yeah, it rocked!

As the years turned, I tried tube electronics, and speakers from Infinity, Magnepan, and Acoustat. One of my favorite systems (had a great room at the time!) used Acoustat 2+2s with a tube preamp made by Dan Fanny (AHT) and his direct-drive tube servo-charge amps (based on the Acoustat amps). I had an AR ES-1 turntable with a Monster Alpha-2 MC cartridge and that combination really kicked butt. It's one of the few systems that I'd consider trading back for today. It was a full-range crossoverless electrostatic system that had good bass, a lush, dynamic midrange, and could play LOUD without self-destructing. It was clean, fast, and natural sounding. I have to wonder how great it would have sounded hooked up to the more expensive gear I now own.

I would have to say that the years from the mid 60's through 1985 were the best for me in terms of the music. In the mid '80s, the advent of digital playback screwed things up for a decade or so. Now, the quality of CD recordings and players is generally acceptable, but originality and creativity has been stripped from today's artists by recording companies who seem to strive for homogenity. And being raised in the digital era with digital instruments and recording technology has not helped today's artists in my view. Some bands seem to have no concept of what makes sound pleasing to the ear.

So I just bought a competent reel to reel deck and I have a nice collection of tapes from the late 60s and early '70s to go through. So far my sojourn back to the past has been extremely gratifying. And if the future of audio playback is something similar to MP3, then I just might not return.

Doesn't it suck that we have the technology in place to create a format/system superior to all others in history -- yet due mainly to greed and political issues we could actually end up with something inferior to what was available 40 or 50 years ago?

My Dad owned a TV & Radio repair shop in Brooklyn (Chief Radio & Appliances), so I have had good sound systems around for most of my life.

In the past, I considered myself fortunate to have (and to afford) one system. Today, I have a system in any room that can accomodate one. I am also drawn to vintage equipment, especially the items that I could not afford to acquire along the way (i.e.: Marantz).

1. My favorite decade for music was the 10 year period from 1965 to 1975. My next favorite 10 year period for music was 1970 to 1980.

2. The current state of audio finds that we have achieved technical precision, at the expense of musical excitement. It is not all audio's fault, though. Music from 1982-2002 is just not as good as the music from 1955-1980. Yes, it is a generalization. Yes, there are exceptions. But, am I the only one buying more re-issued/re-mastered music "from the vaults," than new releases? When you read equipment reviews from the British press and look at the choice of music that is used to base the review, audio's job has become reproducing the sound of computer engineered music.

3. I would not trade-in my current system for past systems, because I have usually traded up in equipment quality. The music is the key ... the music is what excites me ... and in a way, makes me whole. Today, when I play an album like Dylan's "Blood on the Tracks" or the Stones "Let It Bleed" or any of the Sinatra albums from Capital, it is an incredible, moving experience ... made better by good equipment.

In terms of equipment, my system progression has been:
1971 - 1975: Philco tube Compact with a Voice of Music turntable;
1975 - 1981: SONY HTP 100 solid state Compact;
1981 - 1989: Pioneer 626 receiver; DUAL 1019 turntable; EPI 100 speakers;
1989 to Present: The equipment that has survived:
System #1: ADCOM Tuner/Preamp/Amplifier; SONY 555 ES SACD changer; Acoustic Research 302 speakers;
System #2: NAD integrated amp; Pioneer Elite PD65 cd player; AR 302 speakers;
System #3: Marantz 2216B receiver; Music Hall CD-25 cd player; AR 15 speakers;
Equipment that did not survive: 2 Onkyo & 2 Denon receivers; KEF Q 55/ EPOS 11/ B&W 302/BOSE 100/POLK speakers; Magnavox/Proton/Yamaha/SONY ES CD players.

Like many others, I would not trade my current system for any I had before. Even though I started listening to the Beatles when we lived in Germany before they came to the states, my favorite time frame is from '67-'77. I started high school in '69 & began hanging out at the local audio shop to learn about audio gear. The reason this is my favorite decade is both the coming of age & the last two years of this time frame, as explained next.

From '76-'77 I ran sound for a rock band & there's nothing like having your own "live" stereo system. That's how I felt when running the board. I'll never be able to duplicate that sound or the feeling. It's more than a Rick pounding your chest or the licks from a Les Paul running through a Marshall head. The Orange was pretty cool too. I was always amazed that these guys, as well as many other musical talents, could produce such wonderful music.

So my final answer is...it's about the music. Having nice gear is a plus.

My answer about the current state of audio (gear) is that it's really very good but a lot of it is very overpriced. Then again I can remember when a $5,000.00 car was top of the line. The current state of audio in regards to music is that most of the music that most of the people hear is commercialized. I used to laugh (quickly turned into a groan) when a local radio station touted itself as album rock saying it went deeper into the album than the other stations. It was all the same. I stopped listening to the radio & sold all my tuners. I have a receiver in the garage for background music but mostly listen to the radio when I travel. I've found the small college stations & independents that don't have corporate sponsorship play the best selection of music I've ever heard. It's just like it was when I was younger. If you hear a great tune on the radio you go buy the album, or if your buds play it for you or recommend it you go out & buy it. I still see that happening, although the recommendations are from people like you who have a wide & varied background & provide the info via the net. As far as I'm concerned, you can never get too many musical recommendations.

All you youngsters make me feel REALLY old. I co-owned a record store while in college in the late '40s, got into components iun the 50s (Collaro changer, Bogen DB-20 amp, Revere R-R tape deck, University 620l speakers, the first Harman Kardon tuner, etc), went to solid state, went back to tubes and am now making the move to SET amps. Sources in my curent system include vinyl (of course), R-R tape, SACD, CD, cassettes and tuner. Oh, and 78 rpms too. Great hobby, isn't it?

I thank all the posters so far, and hope there are more in this category; I read your responses with great interest, twice.

One pattern rings true throughout these posts, most believe music was “better”, for the most part, before the 1980’s. If I think back to that time, there was far less of a variety at that time as well, at least it seems to me.

I also feel that when most of us were just getting into it, we just enjoyed music, never knowing much of the difference in sound. It seems, possibly, that becoming an audiophile can take some of the fun out of enjoying music. Most mention that they prefer their current setup, but almost unanimously have fond memories of some early system they just had fun with. What is interesting, as mentioned, everyone prefers their current system but chose a past decade as their favorite, there were a few exceptions.

Slipknot1, your comments are very interesting to me. I had mentioned in the thread “Your personal amp evolution”, that I had a little Denon integrated years ago that I really enjoyed; I sold it and went into separates for over a decade, nothing against separates, then in 2000 I went to a No. 383 and I like using this amp a lot, just as I did with the Denon. Like all of us, I start thinking of moving up the chain, but I question if it I will really be any happier.

Jimyyork, you mentioned your current system is your best ever but didn’t say if your third wife is the best? 