Best audio advance in last decade?

[Colonel7]

Interested to hear what members think on this. As someone without a system for 25 years and just dipping my toes in again, I learn new things every day from this site--many of which seem to have occurred or at least come down greatly in price or availability or ease of use only recently. So what would it be?

 

[digitalfrost]

DRC/DSP.

 

[Cahudson42]

Planar headphone development

 

[pos]

ASR

 

[q3cpma]

Good and cheap class D amps are a boon for active speakers. KEF and Genelec helping the coaxial technology push the SOTA further (or did Cabasse do it before with La Sphere?). Bass directivity control becoming more common in Hi-Fi or studio monitors.

 

[levimax]

No advancement in actual sound quality but much better price performance ratio for all electronics. Speakers have gone both ways.... many great value/ performance speakers especially active speakers (probably best advance in last 10 years) but classic large heavy passive speakers have gone the other direction i.e. very expensive.

 

[Bamboszek]

There was huge leap in DAC performance and price. 9$ USB dongle basically providing full transparency. Hi-end quality headphone AMPs and DACs are dirt cheap these days.

 

[ahofer]

Class D is great - for cost and efficiency, not a leap in sound quality. As suggested up-thread, it will lead to better active speakers, which have a lot of advantages.

For me it's been streaming. I went into detail in another thread, but having nearly the entire library of recorded music available all the time is an extraordinary change. I used to go to record libraries.

Accessible DSP + measurement technology is also big.

I think the research by Toole & Olive deserves honorary mention.

 

[anmpr1]

Solid state storage requiring no moving parts.

 

[Colonel7]

For me it's been streaming. I went into detail in another thread, but having nearly the entire library of recorded music available all the time is an extraordinary change. I used to go to record libraries.

It is so easy. I had taken the trouble to rip some cds to FLAC and find I never play them. Streaming is so convenient and the recommendations are often worth trying.

 

[watchnerd]

MDS-36 and LPR90

 

[Colonel7]

MDS-36 and LPR90

Knew I'd be surprised by some advance but R2R!

 

[watchnerd]

Knew I'd be surprised by some advance but R2R!

Two newish formulas, available newly manufactured, in 1 mil long play thickness, in the last 10 years.

As compared to the dark years of the early 2000's, when folks were scrounging for NOS tapes.

 

[witchdoctor]

This is an easy question. You can now stream "hirez" of your choice from the vendor of your choice with the hirez capable equipment of your choice and have instant access to millions of hirez tracks of your choice, instantly. You can listen to them at any location, with any hirez capable equipment, for one low subscription fee. Amazing!!

 

[witchdoctor]

No advancement in actual sound quality but much better price performance ratio for all electronics. Speakers have gone both ways.... many great value/ performance speakers especially active speakers (probably best advance in last 10 years) but classic large heavy passive speakers have gone the other direction i.e. very expensive.

My experience is SQ has been improved through studios remastering recordings in hirez formats.

 

[Beershaun]

IMHO:
1) streaming high quality music.
2)(edited to specify more recent mainstream adoption) room correction and peq software going mainstream and affordable for end consumers.
3) provably audible transparent DACs for less than $500.
3) hypex and purifi class D amplifiers

 

[watchnerd]

IMHO:
1) streaming high quality music.
2)room correction and peq software
3) provably audible transparent DACs for less than $500.
3) hypex and purifi class D amplifiers

Only a few of those are new in the last 10 years.

 

[Beershaun]

Only a few of those are new in the last 10 years.

The OP stated their gear is 25 years old. If so then it does not have any of the things I mentioned and they are valid recommendations in that context. Even if they break the 10 year rule.

 

[watchnerd]

The OP stated their gear is 25 years old. If so then it does not have any of the things I mentioned and they are valid recommendations in that context. Even if they break the 10 year rule.

Okay, cheater.

 

[waynel]

DRC