[PhilcoPhan1936]

I have a large collection of 1920s jazz and big band and old radio shows. This is what got me interested in antique radios- I wanted something period to listen to my music and shows on. I have an SSTRAN, I ordered and built it about 3-4 years ago now. It works great. I have most of the audio library converted to MP3 at 192kbps. I know MP3 is not lossless, but it sounds pretty darn good, either through my iMac, the radios, or feeding it through to my hi-if amp (although it's not currently set up). I do notice the period music often sounds better through the radios than more modern music. The period stuff has a nice, warm full tone to it. The modern stuff loses its "ooomph" in the overall dynamic range. I think that has more to do with the limited period audio circuitry in the radios, and running it through the AM transmitter. (Most of my working radios are 1930s Philcos). I'm curious how things will sound through, say, one of my later models, like my Philco 48-472 AM/FM set? The discussion has come up in The Old Time Radio Researchers group I'm in of starting to encode the shows in FLAC, which is supposed to be a newer lossless universal file format. I just received the Bob Bennett CD I mentioned earlier in this thread. I'm curious to see if there is a noticeable difference in quality if I import that to my iTunes in a lossless format?
I'm thinking about adding a jack to my working radios, so I can directly plug in my iPhone or iPad. My 1936 Philco 116PX has a switch for radio/phonograph. It would be relatively simple to install a cut-off 1/8" mini jack to that circuit to add a direct input. I'm curious how much better things will sound going direct, compared to over AM? Particularly the more modern music?

As to the quality of music in modern days, to say nothing good is being produced now, I think is looking at the glass half empty. I have a handful of contemporary artists I love and will still buy their albums whenever they come out with something new, like Bob Bennett. It's sometimes fun, and always thought provoking and uplifting music (to me, and to some family and close friends I share it with, anyway). Sometimes it's not the complexity of the music, but the simpleness of the music and the message and talent of the musicians and singers that make it worthwhile and quality.