If you could only pick one major advancement in Audio since the mid 80s what would it be?

[mikusguitarius]

Minidisc digital recording the best advancement for me. Today in 2024 I have and record minidiscs. And the SACD is the other advancement in audio, better than the DVD Audio.

Agreed. Minidisc was a great little format… as a Walkman and as a car unit.

 

[MTB Vince]

The advent of genuinely useful acoustic treatment tools from companies like ASC (Tube Traps) and RPG along with the renaissance in research into small room acoustics which led to their creation. "Acoustic wedge/waffle foam" and egg cartons stapled to walls which were prevalent prior to this point were finally outed for being the none/poor performers they actually are...

 

[scottm18]

Without a shadow of the doubt I would say DVD-Audio / SACD. The best ones sound is good is almost anything out there... I know because I picked up all the great ones back in the day. And much easier to work fantastic mixes with five channels versus a ridiculous 47 like today's convoluted Mch/Atmos mess.

Such a shame it was not adopted...especially since when it came out both formats were $14.99...exactly the same price as a CD! Kind of like people who tried to run 3D on a 40" TV and killed that, you can't hear high resolution audio properly on a Yamaha HTIB.

 

[barfle]

Pursuant to previous posts regarding double blind evaluation of sample rates, audio gear, etc. This one is going to require the ‘double Tommy’ method of testing (blind, deaf, and dumb). Currently available on ebay.

Clearly, these are bogus. The only ones that work are made of ivory and platinum.

 

[mandrix]

Clearly, these are bogus. The only ones that work are made of ivory and platinum.

...and probably cheaper! lol.

 

[atrocity]

The ability to make your own recordings on the same permanent media record companies use (CD).

Magnetic tape was not very permanent.

I just digitized a reel recorded off WFSU Tallahassee in 1960!

 

[ssully]

HDMI.

 

[mandrix]

I just digitized a reel recorded off WFSU Tallahassee in 1960!

Now that's in my neck of the woods. Tallahassee that is.

 

[aludra]

Brickwall Limiting and Autotune /s

 

[peloton]

Without a doubt, the MQA format.
Thank you, folks...you've been a great audience. Please be sure to tip the wait staff and drive home safely!

 

[mandrix]

Without a doubt, the MQA format.
Thank you, folks...you've been a great audience. Please be sure to tip the wait staff and drive home safely!

Too much to drink, eh?

 

[mandrix]

The absolute greatest achievement in music is that there are enough of we old farts still alive to have lived commercial surround sound from the very beginning to now.
Not one of my favorite sports these days, but one of the founders of NASCAR, Bill France, (Daytona Speedway) used to reply when asked how he was doing, "every day my ass is above the grass is a good day".
Ain't it so. Ain't it so. (People under the...well you pick it...age...can disregard)

 

[MidiMagic]

I just digitized a reel recorded off WFSU Tallahassee in 1960!

Every reel to reel tape I owned disintegrated. Either the oxide fell off or the rubber backing stuck to the oxide. I had better luck with TDK cassettes. Others failed in various ways.

 

[kfbkfb]

1987: Pro-Logic - standardized decoding of Dolby Surround encoded content.

Even with the poor mono compatibility of Dolby Surround and the 7kHz limit in the surround channel. I think it was a missed opportunity to not produce more albums (all genres) that were Dolby Surround encoded, with Pro-Logic decoding, sound placements would be predictable, more like discrete surround sound.


Kirk Bayne

 

[barfle]

The absolute greatest achievement in music is that there are enough of we old farts still alive to have lived commercial surround sound from the very beginning to now.
Not one of my favorite sports these days, but one of the founders of NASCAR, Bill France, (Daytona Speedway) used to reply when asked how he was doing, "every day my ass is above the grass is a good day".
Ain't it so. Ain't it so. (People under the...well you pick it...age...can disregard)

I like to say that I’m still on the right side of the daiseys.

 

[Rich Graf]

IMHO I would have to say that it was DTS: Headphone X! The ability to have 11 channels of sound in a stereo headphone was mind-blowing and this came out about 2 years before Dolby Atmos. Just to hear the speaker call-outs in a different position in a crappy pair of stereo headphones wired to my cell phone back in the day was truly a marvel of science and for me, it changed my life and brought me back to when I was a kid and would listen to headphones under the covers, so my parents wouldn't know I was up late at night listening to music!

 

[CINERAMAX]

My latest epiphany, after 14 million dollars worth of 9 theaters since 2009. What I wrote to the General Manager of Elipson, about the Planet L:

16 Planet L Atmos music is perhaps by a long run the finest 3D audio I have ever heard. The script of Atmos music comes out so coherently (and I am talking Marantz AV10 with Amp 10 and 8 pairs of 1k euro Planet L's) that under $25,000, it has surpassed those 12 million dollar award-winning systems. In short, don't waste your money. The room is square and it is not treated, but positioning the speakers like I do, decoupled from the walls, helps a lot. The sphere shape speaker measured the best out of all shapes in a 1952 American study. Apparently, they still do.

So the next great thing to happen to our hobby is like balls to the walls literally but not economically—they're a bargain. If Elipson makes me my own version, rest assured that I will advertise these as an indispensable Atmos complement, to the best of my abilities and advertise on this forum.

 

[surroundsoundman]

Monster cables...

 

[CINERAMAX]

Tributaries.

 

[Sal1950]

The absolute greatest achievement in music is that there are enough of we old farts still alive to have lived commercial surround sound from the very beginning to now.

Yep, but the forever age old problem remains.
The young-lings THINK they know everything and refuse to learn from us befuddled geezers.

I originally voted CD, and for home reproduction still believe that.
But going back a bit further I have to add it was Digital Recording.
Just about every recording engineer that was around back then has made the same comment.
They were amazed, it was the first time they couldn't tell the difference between the pure straight microphone feed and the recording playback.
That says something.