How important is nostalgia?

I was listening to our Audio Note Kegon amplifiers, which use a 300B tube.

Now, in general, I prefer the sound of the 211 tubes, found in the Ongaku and Gaku On, and now the Jinro, amplifiers.

But there was something about the 300B sound that really appeals to me.

It *seems* like it reminds me of the sound and feelings I get when I think of the 60s. Nostalgia is an interesting emotion – and hard to describe and hard to know how other people relate to their own nostalgic feelings. And a lot of it is probably just ‘lost youth’.

But this particular 300B sound – and all 300B amps will be sound different, and very few will have the kick-ass control these amps have over the speakers [making for tighter, more accurate dynamics] – but this sound reminds me of old James Bond movies [which seemed luxurious and futuristic back-in-the day], and people who smiled on the street [in Boulder, people walk around in this preoccupied, politely apathetic state-of-mind], bright colors [what happened to all the colors, anyway?], and endless possibilities [they are still endless, but I am too tired to consider all of them realistic anymore].

Of course, this nostalgia giving rise to enjoyment of the 300B is not limited to ‘sound’, but to music genres as well [classic rock anyone?]. Even Jazz leaves me nostalgic – for the time 10-15 years ago when we were just starting out on this audiophile journey.

And, check this out… if you want to like Rap, or Opera [and don’t already]. Just play it for awhile, the wait a few years, and then play it again. The nostalgia you will feel THEN for the music you play TODAY will make the music much more enjoyable. Weird but true, huh? 🙂