So which is it, and why?
For me it's definitely the 1970s since that decade seems to encompass some real technical progress alongside the heavy, quality build carried over from the 60s.
I like 70s amplifiers and especially the better Japanese receivers which just look so right, and even the cheaper ones are so well built. It was the decade of illuminated meters and displays, the high point for direct drive, it saw some stunning advances in quality cartridges, and it was mercifully free, for the most part of the divisive politics which really took root in the uk audiophile industry in the decade to come.
For me it's definitely the 1970s since that decade seems to encompass some real technical progress alongside the heavy, quality build carried over from the 60s.
I like 70s amplifiers and especially the better Japanese receivers which just look so right, and even the cheaper ones are so well built. It was the decade of illuminated meters and displays, the high point for direct drive, it saw some stunning advances in quality cartridges, and it was mercifully free, for the most part of the divisive politics which really took root in the uk audiophile industry in the decade to come.