Today's Audio Quality

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Contrary to popular opinion, I got my start in electronics several decades after the likes of Tesla and Edison. Yes, we have come a long way. And yet there has been a slight degradation in how music is being reproduced.

A few decades ago, you could have your music played through smooth sounding tube amplifiers or through cheap, transistor-based devices --- cheap winning that choice as it often does. Over the years, digitized sound has become even cheaper and can do a much better job matching playback quality to sound's real-life origin (which is kind of like saying that a McDonald's hamburger is almost as good as one made by a world-class chef). So now, I am pretty much accustom to the digital tinniness of our modern day systems ... meaning that I no longer feel the need to drive a pencil in my ear when listening to a CD or MP3 player.

And then yesterday, it happened. A friend of mine showed me his new car radio. A few years ago, Samsung made a limited number of car radios that had vacuum tubed amplifiers. My friend was able to purchase one from someone in Japan. By purchase, I should say "pay ransom" judging by what he had to spend. In any case, when this good friend of mine played some music through his newly enhanced radio, it was amazing --- the heavens opened up, small children dried their tears, there was peace in the Middle East and life was good for those brief minutes. Even though my hearing has diminished somewhat since those good old days, I could still hear those warm lows and crisp highs that today's audio systems can't quite recreate. This was a case where 'cheap' did not win. And yes, I wept.

My friend often participates in the car audio competitions that go on throughout the area. I have no doubt is that he is going to win in a big way at next week's event. I expect there will be lots of tears from the awesome experience of the listerners as well.