I used to record, in stereo, everyday life. i started with a 32MB smartmedia recorder, then to a cheap-ish compact flash recorder, to a minidisc "net" recorder

I used to record, in stereo, everyday life. i started with a 32MB smartmedia recorder, then to a cheap-ish compact flash recorder, to a minidisc "net" recorder - the audio i recorded with that netMD is still impressive to me, it feels like you're actually in the recording that i haven't ever replicated, even with the same microphone on other, more advanced devices like tascam dr-05 and the tascam quad channel, or even line in / mic on a computer, regardless of the sound card. I can go put a pair of headphones and a single AA battery into my MD device and be transported back to my college campus, a few of the industrial companies i worked at, the concerts/performances i was asked to record for friends, or even a small gathering/party/game night. the only stuff i've heard that was recorded by amateurs that comes close (and possibly surpasses, depending on who's running the conversion / editing) is DAT recordings using the microphones shaped like a human head, for "perfect" stereo separation. anecdotal, for sure, but the "compression" - ATRAC - was extremely good, especially at that time. I am aware that CDs have "no compression" on the data, so obviously DAT -> CD would sound better than MD -> CD, but this is my opinion.