One month ago we asked you, our wonderful readers, if hi-fi is getting better. And 30-ish days on we’ve been staggered by your response, with dozens of comments flooding our communication channels.
And while some of them definitely didn’t stick to our PG-13, no swears policy, there have been a number of interesting, and unexpected, takes in response to our question.
One of the most interesting is that the ongoing vinyl versus CD war is still a hot button topic on many readers' minds.
Vinyl vs CD
The discussion started with regular What Hi-Fi? forum poster “podknocker” who used the upgrade from vinyl to CD as an example of how hi-fi is growing and evolving, writing:
“I've questioned whether new hi-fi is better than the older stuff. CD does sound better than vinyl and I think the vinyl revival is just people getting on a lifestyle bandwagon, or perhaps is just a rejection of new things as a whole. Some people don't like change.”
The only question was whether the hardware is getting better, with podknocker arguing that, while speakers are improving, he’s still very happy with his older CD player.
“I don't think, however, that new CD players sound much better than older ones. The Red Book standard must be over 42 years old now and there's nothing left to add [...] Speakers are better, but many are still average compared to similar priced offerings years ago. New materials and sophisticated computer modelling has improved sound quality. Internal components have finer tolerances and many speakers can deliver incredibly high quality sound, while being very efficient at the same time,” he wrote.
His sentiment led to a wave of “well said” replies including one from forum member “JFC” who chipped in:
“I totally agree with you that CD sounds better than vinyl, which is incredibly overrated! And I grew up with it in the ’60s and ’70s! CD replay has actually come a long way since the early days – Denon, for example, with their creditable Alpha Processing! DSP room correction has been the game changer, certainly the modern processors available today, allowing you to finally achieve high quality sound in your living room.”
However, things then heated up when well-known forum member “djh1697” rushed to vinyl’s defence arguing:
“A decent streaming source and a decent record deck far surpass the sound quality of a CD. Looked-after older vinyl is far better than the new vinyl of today. The LP is now the largest selling physical media in the UK and the USA in both volume and value. Indeed, the record is now used in the measurement of the UK inflation figures.”
This in turn led to a chorus of boo/hurrah for both formats, as has happened for decades.
The consensus is yes!
But, one sliver of common ground among all the back and forth was a feeling that holistically, hi-fi is getting better.
Format-war aside, forum member “dananski” argued this is mainly due to improvements in how companies tune products’ hardware.
“I think hi-fi equipment is getting better, but the broader picture is mixed. For me, I love a neutral sound – where everything is audible in balance and timbre is true to real life. Manufacturers who tailor to that have become better and better at delivering this, at lower and lower prices,” wrote dananski.
Many others, including fellow forum member “FreakyDeaky” agreed, adding that the most obvious improvements are happening at the lower end of the market, which he’s all for.
“These days we have wireless speakers which are excellent, offering great value and perfect for outdoors, parties and casual listening. The arrival of cheap as chips amps, coupled with a set of budget speakers offer an amazing experience for a fraction of the price of a budget system from 20 years ago.”
“But what does this really mean? So the low end of the market has seen incredible leaps forward, but what about the mid to high end? There will always be those who search for the Holy Grail – a money no object set-up which undoubtedly sounds incredible – but for most of us who don’t have the budget for a dedicated listening room at home, a good quality system that sounds 'right' is what we are looking for.”
Our hot take
So, who’s right? Here the answer is complex, and has already been best expressed by our Technical Editor, Ketan Bharadia in his January Mutterings from the Test Room column.
In it he expressed his belief (shared by the wider What Hi-Fi? team) that, yes, hi-fi is getting better. We know that as we review all the latest and greatest products, ranging from affordable streamers to Temptation-level amps, every month. Each year we see clear sonic improvements appear, but that doesn’t mean that your old, much loved amp or floorstanders are “obsolete” or need replacing. We'll hand over to Ketan to explain further.
So is hi-fi really getting better? On the whole, I would have to say yes. The best modern systems reveal far more of the recording and leave less of a fingerprint on the result. But that doesn’t mean older hi-fi components become outmoded in the way software-based products, such as older phones and computers, do.
In my experience, if the product is analogue-based and was considered good when it launched, there is a great chance it will still satisfy today. The build and finish won’t be as slick as something modern, but the thrill of listening to a great piece of music will still be there.
MORE:
These are the best speakers we’ve reviewed
Our picks of the best CD players
We rate the best stereo amps money can buy
