I have no problem with intentional falsification of the sound and picture. I think the point of digital is to make those effects happen at only one stage and not two. Once digital is advanced enough, it seems like you can apply software filters to make it resemble film as much as you want, but the source will be cleaner so you have more options.

As far as just audio, I do agree that a lot of CDs do sound too sterile, but I'm not sure it has to do with an all-digital process. There are enough DDD recordings out there that sound full and live. But even if it is an inadequacy of the CD format, wouldn't using tube amps and warmer speakers "fix" the sterile, cold sound? Having a pre-warmed source seems redundant?

I'm just finding it amusing that a Pioneer SX-1080 is now a sought-after piece of audio gear.

I grew up in the 80's. I vividly remember that my father had one of those. Googled the pix, and yep, that's exactly it. I also remember that the volume knob got 'scratchy' over time and it was eventually replaced with something else.

I liked the lights and toggle switches, and so I rescued it from the dust-bin and used it for a summer as the warp-drive controller or navigational system in my spaceship that I had in the basement of our house. That SX-1080 played an important role in many missions to other planets, as well as fending off countless evil aliens.

What, didn't every 8-year-old boy have a spaceship in their basement?

And now, 25 years later, I wonder if it's still in my parent's basement somewhere.... I'll have to go look. Funny if that thing still fires up, and to see if I can correct that scratchy volume with a bit of Radio-Shack cleaner....



Thanks for the memories!

So far I've been able to fix 100% of the scratchy sounding volume knobs I've encountered over the years by using one simple method. Keep turning it back and forth. This will clean it up and your as good as new. It only takes about a minute to do this.

HaHa! that made me laugh!

Then you really need to check out how people are using PS3 laser diodes to make their own toy phasers that show a true beam of light instead of just a dot on the wall.

DIY PS3 Phaser

I LOVE those monster amps of the late 70's! The watt race was on the some really cool equimpment was made. What's nice and makes them so attractive today (besides the power) is that they are rebuildable. They're are quite a few companies that will recondition them (clean contacts & switches, replace lights, even resolder broken/weak circuits). Analogue audio purists love them as well to listem to the good old records and reel to reel.

or perhaps it was just ahead of it's time knowing that 1080 would be an important number some day.