Since I'm a front-end type person, I'd say the biggest advance has been in digital playback. It has certainly gone from the early gens of unlistenable playes to relatively listenable products such as PD, Stahl-Tek, Neodio, Audio Note, etc.
Because, slowly, very, very slowly manufacturers are realising that it is all the little things that count: the quality of the connectors, volume controls, power supplies, interference countering measures. They don't talk about it because it isn't sexy, and because the cummulative effect of sorting out all these seemingly minor elements is often hard to measure.Here is an interesting paradox for those who have objectivist roots. If electronics from the 1970s and 1980s measured as well as electronics from 2012 (and I’m talking preamps and power amps here), how can you reconcile your objectivist mindset and say that 2012 gear could possibly sound better even if it really does?
Well ... Windows Vista Audio engine is much better than that of WIndows XP .. So it is a progress on that front .. maybe the only one where I would put Vista and progress in the same sentence
Because, slowly, very, very slowly manufacturers are realising that it is all the little things that count: the quality of the connectors, volume controls, power supplies, interference countering measures. They don't talk about it because it isn't sexy, and because the cummulative effect of sorting out all these seemingly minor elements is often hard to measure.
The equipment today sounds better because the quality of the elements making up the system are balanced, there are less poor performing items in the mix. And all those people who don't believe this, who own modified R2R had better pull out all their tarted up bits, and replace with stock standard parts as per when the machines were manufactured.
Frank
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