Not to start a fuss or anything, but there have been significant advances in at least some areas of analog playback in the last 20-25 years. Cartridges especially.
Come over to my house and listen to my 25 year old TT/arm with a 20 year old MM cartridge. All three were pretty good pieces when new. To be fair, let's install a brand new replacement stylus and let it break in. Sounds pretty decent you say, and I'd agree with you.
Now I'll swap in my new Shelter MC cartridge. Let's make things tough for the new kid. The stepup trannies haven't arrived yet, so the Shelter is seeing improper loading; and of course my phono stage doesn't really have enough gain. Even with these two arms tied behind its back, the Shelter will blow you away and stomp any old (or new) MM cartridge into the dirt. We are talking night and day, Helen Keller's toes would be tappin' differences.
To say there's been no progress in analog reproduction is simply untrue, and to denigrate those who've achieved it by saying they lack engineering ability is both untrue and unkind. It's all about the music. Whatever you like, you like. If you don't like what someone else does, all you have to do is not listen to it.
Peace.
Come over to my house and listen to my 25 year old TT/arm with a 20 year old MM cartridge. All three were pretty good pieces when new. To be fair, let's install a brand new replacement stylus and let it break in. Sounds pretty decent you say, and I'd agree with you.
Now I'll swap in my new Shelter MC cartridge. Let's make things tough for the new kid. The stepup trannies haven't arrived yet, so the Shelter is seeing improper loading; and of course my phono stage doesn't really have enough gain. Even with these two arms tied behind its back, the Shelter will blow you away and stomp any old (or new) MM cartridge into the dirt. We are talking night and day, Helen Keller's toes would be tappin' differences.
To say there's been no progress in analog reproduction is simply untrue, and to denigrate those who've achieved it by saying they lack engineering ability is both untrue and unkind. It's all about the music. Whatever you like, you like. If you don't like what someone else does, all you have to do is not listen to it.
Peace.