The downward spiral.....


I've loved listening to (and playing) music for the last 35 years. I was trained as a pianist and suspect that my ears are at least decent (even if they do stick out
a little more than I'd like...)

Like so many of us, I suspect, I have assembled more high-end systems that I can remember - heaven only knows how much money I've spent, how many
reviews I've pored over, how many times I've labored over cable-matching, AB comparisons, toeing in massive speakers just that final 1/16 inch to get the soundstage
just right, rearranging living rooms to minimize that nasty hump at 56 Hz etc etc. I'm sure many of you can relate...

Being a bit of a contrarian at heart I recently have been conducting the Ultimate Experiment - the Final Downgrade. A few months ago I came into possession of an
old pair of Quad 57s (now being rebuilt) with matching 303 power amp. As those who know these things, the sounds emanating from these devices was sublime.
It made me think. Here I was listening to simply beautiful music through some of the cheapest components I've ever bought. What if I continued my downward financial
progress?
Out went some very expensive tube amplification, German turntable, carbon fiber arm, expensive MC cartridge, Nordost cable, tube output SACD player etc. In came a Thorens TD125,
complete with SME 3009, V15III, and the cheapest decent CD player I could find (the original Rega Planet). For the phone/preamp I chose a pair of Pro-Ject components,
As soon as I can find a Quad 33 I'll grab it and do a little renovation, esp on the phono section. As the speakers were being now rebuilt I acquired an old pair of
Maggies (12QR) to tide me over. The interconnects are strictly mid-fi, and the speaker cable less than that. The new (non-ported) subwoofer was relatively expensive - about
$450, but not well-known.
I anticipate the cost of the whole system will be around $2300. The average age of the components will be 35 years old.

What am I losing? Certainly not money, that's for sure! Perhaps a few Hertz at the bottom end. Perhaps. What surprises me daily (I listen usually for about 4 hours a day to everything
between 12th century plainsong to rap and everything between) is that this relatively cheap and certainly very old-fashioned system does so much that is absolutely right. I feel no
pressing needs to upgrade anything; no tweaking necessary. The music comes through as I want.
In my spare time I still haunt the local high-end stores and listen to some ultra expensive gear: not once have I gone home with an axe to do The Right Thing to my '70s
system.

So, my question is a simple one. How much progress has there been since 1970? For the last thirty years I have firmly believed that each year has brought some progress.
Now I question this. As I write this I am listening to a record pressed in 1975 (Neville Marriner) and my happiness is complete. Am I losing my grip?
--
57s4me
There's been plenty of progress in audio reproduction since 1970. But I don't think that's the issue you're dealing with. I suspect it's more age and experience related. If you're lucky you reach a point where you realize that the music really is more important than the equipment. At that point a relatively modest system becomes more than satisfactory. You should be careful and not take the downgrading to extreme. It's possible to go too far.
Realizing that the music is more important then gear means you are not losing your grip. There have been major progress in the media, and the gear that plays it. Otherwise, a 1960's amp and speaker will still shine. Mine still do, notwithstanding I have current updated gear. I recently saw a single 1960 Tannoy speaker that I had going for about $7K on the gon. Who would believe? I would look for some of the old analogue master tapes that are being transferred to bluray. Miles Blue is coming soon. That will give you an appreciation of that it is all about the music.
To your question: Things have improved but the "law of diminishing returns" is still the same.

Some people buy a system to listen to music, others buy music to listen to their system. Neither is the only way but I think the first one is cheaper and will lead to a much longer satisfaction.

What probably has improved more is your experience after 35 yrs. Put it to good use!
I really can't answer your question about progress when put into the context of the "sublime" midrange of Quad 57 and 63 speakers, is there really anything out there better? More dynamic maybe deeper bass for sure but musically engaging, I'm not too sure if you really want to connect to the music, good choice and enjoy!