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http://www.npr.org/2011/03/05/134256...the-audiophile

"There are still people willing to drop a large chunk of their income on the best audio equipment available, says music professor Mark Katz. "That said," he adds, "the landscape — or perhaps soundscape — has changed."

Then came the barbaric revolution.

Loudness became more important than clarity. The richness and warmth of a recording was replaced by tinniness and splash.