New web site - proofreading / comments requested

[rjenkinsgb]

Hi all,
I had an idea for an audio-related web site a decade or two ago, but as with many ideas, it got sidelined by other ideas and projects.
It's basically a response to all the scam & rip-off adverts and reviews for audio related gear.

The recent upsurge in "Home studio" audio gear revived my interest / anger and I've finally got it on line..

If anyone cares to have a look through the content so far & check for typos, technical errors etc., I'd appreciate it.
Also any suggestions for additional comment, or full articles if anyone is feeling generous?

It is here: https://audiophools.org/forum/index.php

It is appearing in some google searches and getting a few hits so far, but not any large numbers just yet.

Thanks,
Robert.

 

[JimB]

Interesting site.

I did not see any howlers in any of the posts that I read.

JimB

 

[rjenkinsgb]

Thanks Jim

 

[alec_t]

Nice site. No obvious mistakes spotted.

 

[DrG]

Equipment choices and how any particular equipment sounds to any individual are very subjective and come down to personal taste - and sounding good to its owner is the most important result with any audio equipment.

Many images used to create or inspire the category icons are from the https://pixabay.com/ site, which hosts images contributed by its used users for anyone to use


However that again is very dependant on the specific design of each type of amplifier and transistor amp can be designed to give just the same sound if that is appropriate.

However, that again is very dependant dependent* on the specific design of each type of amplifier and transistor amp amplifiers can be designed to give just the same sound if that is appropriate.

When do you use amplifier and amp?

* for dependent vs dependant see https://grammarist.com/spelling/dependant-dependent/ and even the "British popular use"

There was a good example a of "valve fanatic" lack...

The Ibanez "Tube Screamer" guitar overdrive pedal is a purely.... Consider Including the Ibenz link The Ibanez "Tube Screamer" guitar overdrive pedal as per the spirit of the Credits sticky.

...but this is then a matter of taste and perception, as in some cases, a moderate level of just the right type of distortion, can give a more pleasing sound.

The final conclusion is: Buy whatever type you prefer- but Listen to examples first before you buy and do not be phooled by exaggerated claims, buzzwords, novelty value or meaningless jargon.

What members are you expecting that need to be told to buy what they prefer?

 

[tvtech]

Audio Power Amplifiers are a whole specialist field of their own. Take Krell for example. They have Power Amps that double their output wattage for every halving of speaker impedance:

For example 300W RMS into 8 ohms continuous.
600W RMS into 4 ohms continuous.
1200W into 2 ohms continuous.

I've actually heard Krell playing when I was still selling hi fi equipment in the Eighties. The one I heard was the KSA 50. Smallest Krell at the time . I literally blew my mind with it's absolute control of the speakers it was driving.

The closest experience I've yet had with actually living a live performance in a normal listening environment.

 

[Nigel Goodwin]

Audio Power Amplifiers are a whole specialist field of their own. Take Krell for example. They have Power Amps that double their output wattage for every halving of speaker impedance:

You mean like pretty well any amplifier?

However, it's not actually 'doubling the power as speaker impedance is halved', it's really the exact opposite - the amplifier is designed to feed it's minimum impedance (in this case 2 ohms) and the output power is halved every time you double the speaker impedance. In fact this isn't really true either, as it will almost certainly output more than half each time you double the speaker impedance.

Power output is simply V squared divided by R, which relationship means they power doubles as impedance halves.

Specifications don't go in nice round numbers - each of those figures above are just the minimum, and it will almost certainly exceed all of them, particularly the higher impedance ones as the lower current means the supply holds up better.

My old Leak Stereo 70 was rated at 35W per channel (hence 70), but that was at less than 0.1% distortion (a good figure for those days), and they would easily put out considerably more than 35W per channel. Mine got used for PA and Discos numerous times, and I've seen quite a few of them used as PA and guitar amps - one fixed disco I went to had even a number of them as the PA (it was at a place called Stoke Hall, rather a nice little residence ).

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[tvtech]

Nigel you are taking crap.
I don't think you are too clued up on Power Amps.

Read up on NAD 3020 for example. Output stage built for real speakers. Not what what lab reports say.

 

[tvtech]

If you've actually ever been in a Demo invironment watching customers faces when swopping components around you would understand.

I don't believe you ever did that.

 

[DrG]

If only there were a site where you could discuss such audiophile issues.....

As for me, I can't get beyond folks acting like 20-20KHz was the norm, rather than the optimum for humans, and those are healthy 19 year olds (or used to be before so-called healthy 19 year olds didn't also have 9 years of pumping unsafe volumes into their ears through cool little air-phones), not 50+ year-old males that have spent a working lifetime around loud noises and have detectable ranges FAR less than 20-20KHz and with specific frequency deficits within the narrow range that they can still hear.

But then, I am talking, and taking, crap because I always wanted one of these:

Not because they were anything other than phoolish, but just because she just looks so happy....or at the least she looks like she could have made me happy.

 

[rjenkinsgb]

Thanks Alex_T

Thanks DrG, that's a good amount of typos missed bits!
I accept and agree with most items, they have been changed.

The "Buy whichever type" bit is in because the article is specifically relating to two different types of technology.. I'll think about that and see what the others involved feel about it also.

 

[tvtech]

Here is how we rolled.
Linn Sondeck LP12 with m/c cartridge. Input.
Pre Amp Naim Audio
Speakers were AR. Hard to drive.

So above were left in place and not touched

We were seeing what Power Amps can do.

And customers eyes got huge lol. Audio lab was there. At that time Rotel was in the game. Proton too.

And NAD.

Cheap Amps that made real sound.

I will never forget watching people's faces when they relaxed and felt the music.

Imagine how I felt at Pro Sound when I heard the KSA 50. Not our demo room but theirs. Awesome. I still to this day get shivers up my spine. I will never forget that.

Nothing compares when you're heard the best.

So, I'm saying Audio is a hard thing to understand.

Levinson, Krell etc out of most people's reach.
But, hear it once you cannot forget.

That's all I know.

 

[rjenkinsgb]

If only there were a site where you could discuss such audiophile issues.....

As for me, I can't get beyond folks acting like 20-20KHz was the norm, rather than the optimum for humans, and those are healthy 19 year olds (or used to be before so-called healthy 19 year olds didn't also have 9 years of pumping unsafe volumes into their ears through cool little air-phones), not 50+ year-old males that have spent a working lifetime around loud noises and have detectable ranges FAR less than 20-20KHz and with specific frequency deficits within the narrow range that they can still hear.

The aims with this are more towards scam warnings, reality checks and what is actually good at realistic costs - the last thing it needs is "audiophiles" of the type who would give such as these five stars for value!

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There is one regular contributor to audio gear questions on another forum who claims he can hear over 22KHz, in his 50s...

 

[tvtech]

I'm with you mate
Tried to register today... password mess lol

 

[DrG]

Thanks Alex_T

Thanks DrG, that's a good amount of typos missed bits!
I accept and agree with most items, they have been changed.

The "Buy whichever type" bit is in because the article is specifically relating to two different types of technology.. I'll think about that and see what the others involved feel about it also.

Hey listen, and sincerely, I want to respond to that...because I think that your response to my comments are appropriate, nicely phrased and sound sincere. You asked for input and some was provided. I appreciate the acknowledgement and response.

I have done a good deal of professional scientific writing over several decades, publishing a relatively large number of reports in peer-reviewed scientific journals. A much larger number, if you include, collectively, numerous tech. reports, white papers, proposals, briefings and presentations. Of course, I have been a reviewer for the same.

In some respects, sometimes, I am a decent writer....but it NEVER has come easily. It has almost always come from a good deal of re-writing and critical evaluation and with a great deal of time and effort.

To this day, however, my reflexive response to any criticism of something I have written is....%$#@ you %$#@ your XXXXXX and %$#@ the XXXX that %$#@&* your XXXXXX to give birth to you. Through necessity (you would be surprised at how many people don't care to hear my reflexive response ) I learned to give my reflex a bit of time and then ask myself honestly whether or not the suggested change improves the writing. I do not believe that for most people this is an easy place to get to and that is why I am mentioning as much. You are, apparently, already there and I hope you would agree. If someone can not get to that place, they will find it very difficult to improve their writing (maybe they can just use software and not have to deal with humans at all).

So, I wanted to get that out.

As for the general idea of the site - sure - why not? Debunking through education is a hallmark of critical thinking. I hope that I will always be for that!

As for a caution, know that if it becomes successful, it will be a HUGE time sink for you...a trap.

As for suggestions...not being an audiophile but being a long-time lover of a great deal of music, two things I would like to see...

1) An honest and credible discussion of human hearing written by someone (not me) with the required SME. As I already posted, I have a hard time getting over the realities of that, relative to what can be some comparatively minor differences in equipment - but, again, I am not an audiophile - think Silvertone, not Marantz.

2) An honest and credible discussion of mp3 and those lossless standards/protocols. While I think that all of that EE experience is obviously valuable, it is also from being part of the evolution of the industry and keeping modern (state-of-the-art as you said somewhere) may be important for attracting the under 100 crowd.

After all - even that bone phone has become modernized:

Japan's new bone phone | ThingsAsian

TOKYO, Jan 21, 2004 - Japanese telecom carriers, pioneers of Internet-capable and picture-snapping handsets, have now come up with the world's first mobile phone that enables users to listen to calls...

thingsasian.com

http://www.everydayhearing.com/hearing-technology/articles/bone-conduction-headphones/

 

[DrG]

There is one regular contributor to audio gear questions on another forum who claims he can hear over 22KHz, in his 50s...

All he needs to do is scan and post the results of his audiogram and if it is as he says, I will say, WOW, that is cool. Then I will ask if he has any idea what the frequency of people in their 50s that can hear 22KHz.

Failing those two bits, what's the point?

 

[rjenkinsgb]

my reflexive response to any criticism of something I have written is....%$#@ you %$#@ your XXXXXX and %$#@ the XXXX that %$#@&* your XXXXXX to give birth to you.

I know I'm as likely to screw up as the next person (but hopefully I'm quick enough to usually hide the evidence before it's seen).
I'm always open to constructive input, critical or otherwise.


I've done quite a bit of writing myself, but magazine article type material in the late 70s & early 80s, before the business took over most of my time.

These are a couple of mine, back in the days of hand-taped circuit boards:

https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-Practical/Television/80s/Television-Servicing-UK-1983-04.pdf

https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-Practical/Television/80s/Television-Servicing-UK-1984-05.pdf

1) An honest and credible discussion of human hearing written by someone (not me) with the required SME. As I already posted, I have a hard time getting over the realities of that, relative to what can be some comparatively minor differences in equipment - but, again, I am not an audiophile - think Silvertone, not Marantz.

2) An honest and credible discussion of mp3 and those lossless standards/protocols. While I think that all of that EE experience is obviously valuable, it is also from being part of the evolution of the industry and keeping modern (state-of-the-art as you said somewhere) may be important for attracting the under 100 crowd.

Excellent ideas!
I'll have to do some serious searching for the hearing info and material I can get permission to include.

The audio compression stuff is something I can do myself, over some days or weeks as time permits.

 

[Nigel Goodwin]

Nigel you are taking crap.
I don't think you are too clued up on Power Amps.

Read up on NAD 3020 for example. Output stage built for real speakers. Not what what lab reports say.

Sorry, but I think it's you who's talking crap - and if you can't do the simple maths for calculating power output then you're never going to understand audio.

 

[tvtech]

https://www.krellonline.com/

If you want more I've spec sheets and service manuals for some of them.

 

[tvtech]

Including the KSA 50 I spoke about yesterday.
Have fun and educate yourself Nigel.