Try hooking up a 1950s phone.
You won’t believe how crisp and clear the sound is.
In the early years of this century, I used a 1959 rotary phone and loved it for the sound and for the feel of the receiver in my hand. The phone was solidly built.
Unfortunately, most of the calls I make today are to businesses that use voice mail, so I have to use a modern phone.
I don't know which is worse--the party lines of the 1950s or the voice mail of today.