HiFi Subjectivist ¦ Audio Forum ¦ NVA User Group

CN211276 wrote: ↑Tue Apr 20, 2021 1:23 pm Digital has come a long way since 1989, especially in recent years.

Very true.

The gap is closing, but vinyl still has that magic ability to 'make the hairs stand up' on a far more frequent basis. I'm not sure that digital will ever routinely achieve that same thrill. Bloody convenient, though.

The nostalgia for early CD players baffles me, too. Impressive for 10 minutes only.

What I really don't get is nostalgia for cassette decks/tapes. My major regret is the things I bought on cassette, which I wish I'd bought as vinyl.

Grumpytim wrote: ↑Tue Apr 20, 2021 5:48 pm What I really don't get is nostalgia for cassette decks/tapes. My major regret is the things I bought on cassette, which I wish I'd bought as vinyl.

I never bought anything on Cassette except a few talks that hardly require ultimate quality. Biggest regret, not buying a Quad 44 from a local shop that was closing and selling at a good price. That said I now realise that I would have had to do a lot of work to change the inputs from DIN to Phono sockets, later examples had both. Of course, now I only use one tape machine it would be over specified so may be not such a bad thing that I ended up with a 34 instead.

Geoff.R.G wrote: ↑Tue Apr 20, 2021 6:35 pm

Grumpytim wrote: ↑Tue Apr 20, 2021 5:48 pm What I really don't get is nostalgia for cassette decks/tapes. My major regret is the things I bought on cassette, which I wish I'd bought as vinyl.

I never bought anything on Cassette except a few talks that hardly require ultimate quality. Biggest regret, not buying a Quad 44 from a local shop that was closing and selling at a good price. That said I now realise that I would have had to do a lot of work to change the inputs from DIN to Phono sockets, later examples had both. Of course, now I only use one tape machine it would be over specified so may be not such a bad thing that I ended up with a 34 instead.

In my defence I was young and stupid at the time, now that statement is still half true

I dont have regrets related to buying anything, when you are perpetually skint you are very very careful what you buy.
I did buy a musical fidelity system, (xray, xlps, a3) quad 11l speakers, cables, and partington stands for them in about 2001 that was a few thousand, but i dont regret buying it because i really enjoyed it at the time.
I listened to a load of kit when i bought it, and when i got made redundant i sold the lot and it put us on for a while until i got another job. Not for what i paid, but enough to get by.

the regrets i have are things ive sold.

In terms of gear I regret the diversion I had into Arcam kit in the 2000's, even bi amped it really wasn't satisfying. That I've stuck with the amps that replaced them since 2004 (ish) says they were a mistake. Otherwise my regrets are about letting pairs of AR 8 and 18's go. In terms of the 18's it's an itch I may have to scratch again.

Everything else I look at as being steps along the journey. One thing I don't regret is rejecting a Naim CD and Amp combo the dealer was determined to push on me when I ditched the Arcams. The amount of rabid foot tapping during the demo was frankly quite disconcerting.