The strange 75-year quest to build the ultimate home speaker
Ever since the first crackle of a needle as it made contact with vinyl in 1948 (Mendelssohn's Concerto in E Minor), music lovers have been in pursuit of a refined listening experience. The journey of hi-fi has been marked by extraordinary leaps in technology and inventive adaptations by audiophiles in pursuit of the perfect sound.
We trace the evolution of hi-fi from the heyday of the 1950s to immersive audio to high-resolution streaming.
The early days: vinyl and valves
When vinyl replaced shellac in 1948, the fidelity journey began. Reproducing sound, rather than simply capturing it, meant minimising distortion, accentuating detail and creating a balance between bass, mids, and treble. Vinyl LPs also allowed for longer playing times (shellac was restricted to 3–5 minutes) and offered a wider dynamic range.
