"I don't think that's a really good comparison. You can't really objectively measure literary quality and art is always going to boil down to subjective tastes in any case; thus it's impossible to win any argument about who the greatest writer ever really is. Violins, on the other hand, are engineered products. You can at least in theory precisely control their inputs (say with robotic hands striking the strings in such a way) and precisely measure their outputs (the sound), and determine objectively which is the best. That said I agree with your general point at least as it relates to such products. It shouldn't be shocking that modern designers and manufacturers are able to beat craftsman of centuries ago, given that we now have access to far more knowledge and far more precision techniques than they did. And that would go for any other such product too." - Eric P