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The sixtie's is when FM Stereo began and people heard music on the radio in stereo for the first time (except the short period of AM/FM simulcasting which was a joke). This was one of the major factors that sold tons of stereo components. Then came cassettes and Dolby which changed tape recording forever. We had kits which allowed people to participate in the thrill of building their own "made in the USA" components. And we sat down and listened to music. Very few people do that anymore. It's just background noise. Some of us still remember when you didn't have to have a picture and unrealistic surround sound to enjoy music.

Ahh it's gotta' be the late 60's and early 70's. Dynaco tube kits, KLH and the original Acoustic Research product lines were inexpensive and so fine. Mac preamps and power amps were nirvana and electrostatic panels the size of a door were the epitome of realism. Shopping the myriad of record shops looking for "definitive" vinyl performances was my mantra. This was followed by visits to the local audio salons to audition my latest acquisitions on new SOTA products was my passion. And though that period was the "golden age" for me I truly believe the future holds the potential for even more promise.

We have seen tremendous progress in hardware capable of superior reproduction. Unfortunately it seems that there is an inverse relationship on the software i.e. the kind of music that is available from mid-nineties onwards were poor studio productions with few and between genuinely talents now and then. Where have all the great musicians gone?

We NOW have access to all the great gear of the present and the past. I own a set of Heathkit W-5M monoblocks and they sound wonderful, but I also own a Con-John MF2250, and it sounds even better. I like my remote control PV14L better than any affordeable preamp I ever heard from decades past, and my new VMPS Ribbon Monitor 1 speakers finally dethrone my Vandersteen 2Ci speakers as best value under $2000 in a fulll range speaker. I like things NOW, just as long as I can lay up a stock of NOS tubes for my new C-J gear.