What Are You Buying Right Now? (non-OT version)

SonVolt

Ozzie_Isaac said:

nolaegghead said:

I'm content paying ten bucks a month to spotify.  SWMBO is a collector of albums - LP and CDs.   To each his own.   With DSP you can make a studio edited digital recording sound like it's played on a **** turntable.  If that's your bag, man.

Shots fired.

An LP with the analogue signal is everything, exactly as it was recorded in the studio.  It is impossible that digital technology can in any was come close to that.  The only thing better may be wax cylinders.

I can't tell who's kidding, so I'll bite. I didn't think many artists were recording to tape these days, thought most were working w/digital formats.  If so, how's an LP going to make a difference? It's not bringing back any loss of fidelity right? 

HeavyG

QDude

loco_engr said:

golf shoes

What brand and are they comfortable?

QDude

nolaegghead said:

Friend of mine gave me this sheet panel lift.  Free!

I have the same one.  Just sheetrocked my basement celing with it.

Ozzie_Isaac

SonVolt said:

Ozzie_Isaac said:

nolaegghead said:

I'm content paying ten bucks a month to spotify.  SWMBO is a collector of albums - LP and CDs.   To each his own.   With DSP you can make a studio edited digital recording sound like it's played on a **** turntable.  If that's your bag, man.

Shots fired.

An LP with the analogue signal is everything, exactly as it was recorded in the studio.  It is impossible that digital technology can in any was come close to that.  The only thing better may be wax cylinders.

I can't tell who's kidding, so I'll bite. I didn't think many artists were recording to tape these days, thought most were working w/digital formats.  If so, how's an LP going to make a difference? It's not bringing back any loss of fidelity right? 

I was being sarcastic.  There is definitely a sound difference in LPs.  Some people like it, some do not.  Listening to sound (as opposed to measuring) is a very individual and subjective experience.

You are correct, going from a digital recording to an LP doesn't add content.  It can't.  It will color the sound, but it will not magically make extra information.

I listen only with digital medium.  Streaming, CDs, Blu-ray, etc.  I like a good LP listening session, but I only experience that at friends houses.  When a person thinks about all the links in a chain to record sound, then play it back somewhere else, you will see it is impossible to exactly replicate it.  So I aim for the sound I enjoy within a budget.  I have a good friend with a $100k+ stereo setup.  It sounds absolutely amazing.  Is that something I would replicate or would be "worth it" to me?  No, it is not.  Is it something he gets immense satisfaction out of?  Yes it is, and to him it is worth significantly more than he has spent on it.

saluki2007

Botch said:

Legume said:

For the best sound, you have to reduce the distance from the source to the speaker to your ear.

I am happy we don't see this much, anymore.  

Agreed. I can’t stand Penn State fans. 

saluki2007

New to me Aldi find. Not as much spice as I was hoping for but good none the less. 

Gulfcoastguy

Dies and a couple of boxes of ammo for 6.5 Creedmore. Couldn't get brass any other way. The ammo wasn't cheap either.

ColbyLang

Gulfcoastguy said:

Dies and a couple of boxes of ammo for 6.5 Creedmore. Couldn't get brass any other way. The ammo wasn't cheap either.

Sitting on a little over 1,000 rounds of 135 grain Berger’s in Lapua brass. No more range days until components become more readily available 

Gulfcoastguy

ColbyLang said:

Gulfcoastguy said:

Dies and a couple of boxes of ammo for 6.5 Creedmore. Couldn't get brass any other way. The ammo wasn't cheap either.

Sitting on a little over 1,000 rounds of 135 grain Berger’s in Lapua brass. No more range days until components become more readily available 

One of the two boxes of ammo was was Berger 144 match grade. The other was 140 grain Hornsby controlled expansion.. I will go to a gun show Saturday as I still need a #3 case holder and about another 100 rounds of either brass or ammonia and 140 grain bullets  if possible. That will be enough to start reloading.. The old guy with me kept telling me to have the rifle rebarreled for 308. I told him I was stubborn like that.

Eggin_in_PA

Ozzie_Isaac said:

SonVolt said:

Ozzie_Isaac said:

nolaegghead said:

I'm content paying ten bucks a month to spotify.  SWMBO is a collector of albums - LP and CDs.   To each his own.   With DSP you can make a studio edited digital recording sound like it's played on a **** turntable.  If that's your bag, man.

Shots fired.

An LP with the analogue signal is everything, exactly as it was recorded in the studio.  It is impossible that digital technology can in any was come close to that.  The only thing better may be wax cylinders.

I can't tell who's kidding, so I'll bite. I didn't think many artists were recording to tape these days, thought most were working w/digital formats.  If so, how's an LP going to make a difference? It's not bringing back any loss of fidelity right? 

I was being sarcastic.  There is definitely a sound difference in LPs.  Some people like it, some do not.  Listening to sound (as opposed to measuring) is a very individual and subjective experience.

You are correct, going from a digital recording to an LP doesn't add content.  It can't.  It will color the sound, but it will not magically make extra information.

I listen only with digital medium.  Streaming, CDs, Blu-ray, etc.  I like a good LP listening session, but I only experience that at friends houses.  When a person thinks about all the links in a chain to record sound, then play it back somewhere else, you will see it is impossible to exactly replicate it.  So I aim for the sound I enjoy within a budget.  I have a good friend with a $100k+ stereo setup.  It sounds absolutely amazing.  Is that something I would replicate or would be "worth it" to me?  No, it is not.  Is it something he gets immense satisfaction out of?  Yes it is, and to him it is worth significantly more than he has spent on it.

When referencing LP,  are you utilizing tube amplification or Solid State?  I think Hi Fi has changed due the progression to Solid State.  LP via tube is an experience.  

Ozzie_Isaac

Eggin_in_PA said:

Ozzie_Isaac said:

SonVolt said:

Ozzie_Isaac said:

nolaegghead said:

I'm content paying ten bucks a month to spotify.  SWMBO is a collector of albums - LP and CDs.   To each his own.   With DSP you can make a studio edited digital recording sound like it's played on a **** turntable.  If that's your bag, man.

Shots fired.

An LP with the analogue signal is everything, exactly as it was recorded in the studio.  It is impossible that digital technology can in any was come close to that.  The only thing better may be wax cylinders.

I can't tell who's kidding, so I'll bite. I didn't think many artists were recording to tape these days, thought most were working w/digital formats.  If so, how's an LP going to make a difference? It's not bringing back any loss of fidelity right? 

I was being sarcastic.  There is definitely a sound difference in LPs.  Some people like it, some do not.  Listening to sound (as opposed to measuring) is a very individual and subjective experience.

You are correct, going from a digital recording to an LP doesn't add content.  It can't.  It will color the sound, but it will not magically make extra information.

I listen only with digital medium.  Streaming, CDs, Blu-ray, etc.  I like a good LP listening session, but I only experience that at friends houses.  When a person thinks about all the links in a chain to record sound, then play it back somewhere else, you will see it is impossible to exactly replicate it.  So I aim for the sound I enjoy within a budget.  I have a good friend with a $100k+ stereo setup.  It sounds absolutely amazing.  Is that something I would replicate or would be "worth it" to me?  No, it is not.  Is it something he gets immense satisfaction out of?  Yes it is, and to him it is worth significantly more than he has spent on it.

When referencing LP,  are you utilizing tube amplification or Solid State?  I think Hi Fi has changed due the progression to Solid State.  LP via tube is an experience.  

I have listened both ways.  I much prefer tube amplification for LPs.  Tubes have so many limitations that I fully accept the change to solid state.  Your average consumer isn't satisfied with 15min wait for all the gear to come up to temp in preparation for a listening session.

ColbyLang

Gulfcoastguy said:

ColbyLang said:

Gulfcoastguy said:

Dies and a couple of boxes of ammo for 6.5 Creedmore. Couldn't get brass any other way. The ammo wasn't cheap either.

Sitting on a little over 1,000 rounds of 135 grain Berger’s in Lapua brass. No more range days until components become more readily available 

One of the two boxes of ammo was was Berger 144 match grade. The other was 140 grain Hornsby controlled expansion.. I will go to a gun show Saturday as I still need a #3 case holder and about another 100 rounds of either brass or ammonia and 140 grain bullets  if possible. That will be enough to start reloading.. The old guy with me kept telling me to have the rifle rebarreled for 308. I told him I was stubborn like that.

Supply is no better in 7.62 or .308, whichever you prefer. Once I go thru these rounds I’ll buy reloading dies and components. Maybe by then normalcy will have returned. Nothing like $1/ round for 9mm at a gun show!!

Eggin_in_PA

Ozzie_Isaac said:

Eggin_in_PA said:

Ozzie_Isaac said:

SonVolt said:

Ozzie_Isaac said:

nolaegghead said:

I'm content paying ten bucks a month to spotify.  SWMBO is a collector of albums - LP and CDs.   To each his own.   With DSP you can make a studio edited digital recording sound like it's played on a **** turntable.  If that's your bag, man.

Shots fired.

An LP with the analogue signal is everything, exactly as it was recorded in the studio.  It is impossible that digital technology can in any was come close to that.  The only thing better may be wax cylinders.

I can't tell who's kidding, so I'll bite. I didn't think many artists were recording to tape these days, thought most were working w/digital formats.  If so, how's an LP going to make a difference? It's not bringing back any loss of fidelity right? 

I was being sarcastic.  There is definitely a sound difference in LPs.  Some people like it, some do not.  Listening to sound (as opposed to measuring) is a very individual and subjective experience.

You are correct, going from a digital recording to an LP doesn't add content.  It can't.  It will color the sound, but it will not magically make extra information.

I listen only with digital medium.  Streaming, CDs, Blu-ray, etc.  I like a good LP listening session, but I only experience that at friends houses.  When a person thinks about all the links in a chain to record sound, then play it back somewhere else, you will see it is impossible to exactly replicate it.  So I aim for the sound I enjoy within a budget.  I have a good friend with a $100k+ stereo setup.  It sounds absolutely amazing.  Is that something I would replicate or would be "worth it" to me?  No, it is not.  Is it something he gets immense satisfaction out of?  Yes it is, and to him it is worth significantly more than he has spent on it.

When referencing LP,  are you utilizing tube amplification or Solid State?  I think Hi Fi has changed due the progression to Solid State.  LP via tube is an experience.  

I have listened both ways.  I much prefer tube amplification for LPs.  Tubes have so many limitations that I fully accept the change to solid state.  Your average consumer isn't satisfied with 15min wait for all the gear to come up to temp in preparation for a listening session.

I fully agree.  Never cared for LPs until I experienced tubes with Klipsch speakers. 

nolaegghead

This:

(from here)

I'll probably be outcast here, but what are everyone's thoughts about blind listening tests of amplifiers? I've built several of my own amps (some of my own design and some from others) and spent a lot of time listening to high-end gear (which I used to sell) from the likes of Audio Research, PS-Audio and others. I firmly believed there were significant audible differences between amps as I'd heard them with my own ears. Then I started to hear about some convincing blind tests and finally conducted my own. I was stunned at the results. I couldn't tell a $300 amp from a $3000 in the store I was working at. Neither could anyone else who worked there. It was a major blow to my audio belief system. I'd always thought Julian Hirsch (main reviewer for Stereo Review) was an idiot for arguing all high quality amps, kept within their power limits, sound the same. It turns out he was right! Since then, I've read Douglas Self's book on amplifier design where he says the same thing--high quality amps with flat frequency response, low noise and low distortion all sound pretty much the same if kept within their power and current capabilities. I can certainly hear the difference between a class A single ended amp (which measure very poorly) and a conventional amp in a blind test. I can even tell the digital amps I've been involved with (Tripath Class T and various Class D designs) from a class AB amp in a blind test but they also have some measurable problems. But, between high quality low distortion conventional amps that measure well, I flunk the test and so does everyone else I know. For a recent non-believer, I used an Onkyo SR500 Dolby Digital receiver--purchased reconditioned for $200 (they're $250 - $300 new) against some well regarded separates. It's rated at 65 watts x 2 stereo per the FTC guidelines into 8 ohms. Distortion is 0.08% from 20-20k from 1 watt to 65 watts into 8 ohms. It has a "direct" bypass feature that supposedly bypasses all the digital/DSP for analog stereo signals. The Onkyo was put up against the well regarded Bryston 4B 300 wpc power amp and a Bryston 2 channel pre-amp. They were driving a pair of expensive floor standing KEF speakers and the source was a high-end Marantz CD player. The person who owns this system is very proud of it and has spent a lot of time getting what he considers to be the best sound possible. I had the Bryston owner pick the level he wanted to do the comparison at while listening to his system. I then used pink noise to level match the Onkyo to his system while he was out of the room. The Onkyo was running in its "Stereo Direct" analog mode. I called him back in to listen, he sat down in the sweet spot and I replayed the same CD track he'd used to pick the levels. He immediately started complaining about how bad the Onkyo sounded. He said it sounded thin, compressed, harsh and a few other things. I smiled and turned the Onkyo off and the music kept playing. He'd said all those negative things about his own Bryston gear! With him red faced, we proceeded to do at least an hour of listening with me swapping cables, or only pretending to, when he requested a switch. He listened to his favorite audiophile CDs. I did lots of swaps and fake swaps and during each would ask him which he thought he was listening to. In the end, his answers were roughly 50% correct which is the same as if he'd been randomly guessing. He even finally admitted, he couldn't tell which was which and WAS only guessing! I took his place and also couldn't hear any difference between the lowly receiver and his prized Bryston gear. For the analytical among you, I've done some input/output null difference testing as well. This is where you use a wide bandwidth analog (even passive) circuit to subtract the level matched (nulled) input from the output of an amplifier driving real speakers using real music--no sine waves or resistors here. The resulting difference signal is made up of ANY distortion or deviation produced by the amplifier. Some distortion analyzers work this way. My null tests have shown that even a modest $250 receiver can manage a -60db or better residual signal driving my relatively difficult speakers to fairly loud volumes. Higher quality amps can easily exceed a -70db null. Those are very low levels of residual distortion. Keep in mind this test reveals ANY kind of distortion--audible or not--including THD, phase distortion, IMD, TIM, slew problems, feedback issues, frequency response deviation, etc. You could argue that you might be able to hear things that are 60db below the signal, but I'm skeptical. It's easy to hear -60db worth of noise during quiet passages of music, but it's downright tough to hear something that's actually 60db below the signal. For those of you who have a volume control calibrated in db, turn it up to a comfortable listening level and then reduce the gain 60db (if you can without shutting the sound off) and see how much is left. It's hard to hear even in a quiet room! I'm not trying to start a flame war here, but I am suggesting those of you who think high quality amps have magical qualities like "warm", "airy", "detailed", "liquid", etc. might want to do some blind testing. Most of the differences I thought I heard evaporated once I didn't know which amp I was listening to and the others can be attributed to other factors. It's been my experience that hardcore audiophiles will dismiss the blind tests as flawed and they refuse to participate in these tests or acknowledge the results. Most of the magazines, of course, don't do them as it would be really bad for ad sales across the board. It's hard for any manufacture to sell a $3000 amplifier when the magazine demonstrates it sounds the same as a $300 one. The same goes for salespeople at high-end dealers. The owner of our store told us to keep our mouths shut as "our test was invalid" when we made our blind discovery. Don't get me wrong here, I'm not saying a $250 amp is all anyone needs. As you spend more money you tend to get more power, higher current capability, bigger power supplies, better construction, longer life, etc. Many of these are especially useful if you have inefficient and/or difficult to drive speakers and like it loud. But listening at the sorts of levels you'd use for critical comparisons, there's usually not enough of a difference to tell quality amps apart in a proper blind test. I'm also not saying that some amps don't have "euphoric distortion" that some people like (i.e. single ended amps). Some amps are measurably different (i.e. have a rolled off high-end). These amps are relatively easy to pick out in a blind test. I also know the thrill of building your own amp and the extra enjoyment you get from having built it. Finally, I've found few people that have actually participated in a proper blind amplifier test. Next time you're evaluating an amp, take a few extra minutes to level match it to a "reference" amplifier and have someone else swap cables in a way that you don't know which you're listening to. If you believe amps have their own "sound", you might be VERY surprised at the results! Comments?

Eggin_in_PA

@nolaegghead.  I had a Pioneer at the time with Bose 301s.. No comparison lol..  I get what you are saying.  

nolaegghead

I always tell people to focus on buying speakers that sound good to you.  Put a disproportional amount of money in your speakers.

And make sure you get the $1000 oxygen-free speaker cables....;)

dbCooper

I enjoy fishing on occasion.  I have never fly fished and doubt I'd ever tie flies.  But I bought this at Goodwill for $3. (1/2 off price) for other uses.  Magnifying lens is missing.  There may be a casting mark on the base.  Anyone one know if that mark has any significance?

Botch

nolaegghead said:

This:

(from here)

I'll probably be outcast here, but what are everyone's thoughts about blind listening tests of amplifiers? I've built several of my own amps (some of my own design and some from others) and spent a lot of time listening to high-end gear (which I used to sell) from the likes of Audio Research, PS-Audio and others. I firmly believed there were significant audible differences between amps as I'd heard them with my own ears. Then I started to hear about some convincing blind tests and finally conducted my own. I was stunned at the results. I couldn't tell a $300 amp from a $3000 in the store I was working at. Neither could anyone else who worked there. It was a major blow to my audio belief system. I'd always thought Julian Hirsch (main reviewer for Stereo Review) was an idiot for arguing all high quality amps, kept within their power limits, sound the same. It turns out he was right! Since then, I've read Douglas Self's book on amplifier design where he says the same thing--high quality amps with flat frequency response, low noise and low distortion all sound pretty much the same if kept within their power and current capabilities. I can certainly hear the difference between a class A single ended amp (which measure very poorly) and a conventional amp in a blind test. I can even tell the digital amps I've been involved with (Tripath Class T and various Class D designs) from a class AB amp in a blind test but they also have some measurable problems. But, between high quality low distortion conventional amps that measure well, I flunk the test and so does everyone else I know. For a recent non-believer, I used an Onkyo SR500 Dolby Digital receiver--purchased reconditioned for $200 (they're $250 - $300 new) against some well regarded separates. It's rated at 65 watts x 2 stereo per the FTC guidelines into 8 ohms. Distortion is 0.08% from 20-20k from 1 watt to 65 watts into 8 ohms. It has a "direct" bypass feature that supposedly bypasses all the digital/DSP for analog stereo signals. The Onkyo was put up against the well regarded Bryston 4B 300 wpc power amp and a Bryston 2 channel pre-amp. They were driving a pair of expensive floor standing KEF speakers and the source was a high-end Marantz CD player. The person who owns this system is very proud of it and has spent a lot of time getting what he considers to be the best sound possible. I had the Bryston owner pick the level he wanted to do the comparison at while listening to his system. I then used pink noise to level match the Onkyo to his system while he was out of the room. The Onkyo was running in its "Stereo Direct" analog mode. I called him back in to listen, he sat down in the sweet spot and I replayed the same CD track he'd used to pick the levels. He immediately started complaining about how bad the Onkyo sounded. He said it sounded thin, compressed, harsh and a few other things. I smiled and turned the Onkyo off and the music kept playing. He'd said all those negative things about his own Bryston gear! With him red faced, we proceeded to do at least an hour of listening with me swapping cables, or only pretending to, when he requested a switch. He listened to his favorite audiophile CDs. I did lots of swaps and fake swaps and during each would ask him which he thought he was listening to. In the end, his answers were roughly 50% correct which is the same as if he'd been randomly guessing. He even finally admitted, he couldn't tell which was which and WAS only guessing! I took his place and also couldn't hear any difference between the lowly receiver and his prized Bryston gear. For the analytical among you, I've done some input/output null difference testing as well. This is where you use a wide bandwidth analog (even passive) circuit to subtract the level matched (nulled) input from the output of an amplifier driving real speakers using real music--no sine waves or resistors here. The resulting difference signal is made up of ANY distortion or deviation produced by the amplifier. Some distortion analyzers work this way. My null tests have shown that even a modest $250 receiver can manage a -60db or better residual signal driving my relatively difficult speakers to fairly loud volumes. Higher quality amps can easily exceed a -70db null. Those are very low levels of residual distortion. Keep in mind this test reveals ANY kind of distortion--audible or not--including THD, phase distortion, IMD, TIM, slew problems, feedback issues, frequency response deviation, etc. You could argue that you might be able to hear things that are 60db below the signal, but I'm skeptical. It's easy to hear -60db worth of noise during quiet passages of music, but it's downright tough to hear something that's actually 60db below the signal. For those of you who have a volume control calibrated in db, turn it up to a comfortable listening level and then reduce the gain 60db (if you can without shutting the sound off) and see how much is left. It's hard to hear even in a quiet room! I'm not trying to start a flame war here, but I am suggesting those of you who think high quality amps have magical qualities like "warm", "airy", "detailed", "liquid", etc. might want to do some blind testing. Most of the differences I thought I heard evaporated once I didn't know which amp I was listening to and the others can be attributed to other factors. It's been my experience that hardcore audiophiles will dismiss the blind tests as flawed and they refuse to participate in these tests or acknowledge the results. Most of the magazines, of course, don't do them as it would be really bad for ad sales across the board. It's hard for any manufacture to sell a $3000 amplifier when the magazine demonstrates it sounds the same as a $300 one. The same goes for salespeople at high-end dealers. The owner of our store told us to keep our mouths shut as "our test was invalid" when we made our blind discovery. Don't get me wrong here, I'm not saying a $250 amp is all anyone needs. As you spend more money you tend to get more power, higher current capability, bigger power supplies, better construction, longer life, etc. Many of these are especially useful if you have inefficient and/or difficult to drive speakers and like it loud. But listening at the sorts of levels you'd use for critical comparisons, there's usually not enough of a difference to tell quality amps apart in a proper blind test. I'm also not saying that some amps don't have "euphoric distortion" that some people like (i.e. single ended amps). Some amps are measurably different (i.e. have a rolled off high-end). These amps are relatively easy to pick out in a blind test. I also know the thrill of building your own amp and the extra enjoyment you get from having built it. Finally, I've found few people that have actually participated in a proper blind amplifier test. Next time you're evaluating an amp, take a few extra minutes to level match it to a "reference" amplifier and have someone else swap cables in a way that you don't know which you're listening to. If you believe amps have their own "sound", you might be VERY surprised at the results! Comments?

I am a fan of the DVD-A and Bluray multi-channel recordings released by AIX Records https://www.aixrecords.com/ .  Its founder, Dr. Mark Waldrep, also teaches audio engineering in southern California.  AIX only records to digital, do not use digital reverbs (only using a good recording room and careful mic placement), no compression/EQ, and mix "live". Their disks are my "show-off" disks, they sound wonderful and "real".  They do NOT copy 40-year-old reel-to-reel "masters" onto the Newest Technology, which is essentially making a near-perfect copy of an old, flawed recording.  
 
He sends out emails that I'm subscribed to, and I'm pretty sure he quoted the above post awhile back.  He also quoted one "audiophile" associated with "The Absolute Sound" magazine (an expensive, glossy, thick magazine that hawks 3/4-ton subwoofers, special anti-resonant pucks that you can lay your multi-thousand dollar speaker wires on to keep them off the floor, and even a $17,000, three-foot power cord that connects your amp to the outlet in your wall (connected with $0.55/ft wire from Lowe's behind the wall).  Anyway, that TAS "audiophile" claimed that an ionic "shell" (not explained by physics) gradually forms over the amp, speaker and power cables, over a period of weeks, that any true audiophile with good ears could hear like Night and Day!  If you try to "A/B" two amps (or whatever) that shell is shattered, and therefore useless.  (does any of this sound like recent explanations of a past president, or the fictional TV show from Jan 6?)    
 
I agree with Carey, spend the money on speakers that sound good to your ears (I had Advents for 30 years, Monitor Audio Silvers in my current system, and Tannoy Reveals in my studio).  
 
During a GTG in Houston, about a dozen members of my audiophile forum got to do a blind listening, based on Sources.  We listened to four different recordings of the same song, and we all took notes, took a survey, and passed in our sheets.  I easily identified the first recording as an LP (as did just about everybody), based on pops, clicks, and a very slight wow.  Everyone loved the 2nd, and the 3rd, recording, no real preference.  The fourth recording, almost everyone named as their favorite.  I wrote down on my survey, "This sounds a lot like the 3rd recording, just a bit louder".  
HAH!  I was right.  First was an LP, second a CD, third an .mp3, and fourth, the same .mp3, boosted in volume by 3 dB!!  
The real surprise, to me though, was I couldn't hear the difference between a CD and an .mp3.  Dr. Waldrep has since done a semi-formal survey, and most of his crowd couldn't hear the difference, either.  He doesn't record to DVD-A or Bluray anymore (but, he doesn't record at ALL anymore... ).  
 
The real sad point of all my ramblings, is that: the older most of us get, the more expensive toys we can afford; but, the older we get, the less accurately we can hear (my tinnitus now has two tones, and they're getting louder :sad:)  A do-over on this life would be nice, but that's not in the cards....

SonVolt

Another smoker spotting at the 6:45 minute mark. Mine's the double-sided with the round tank end on it.  I'm assuming that's the front door stops that Paul's confused about. 

https://www.instagram.com/tv/CO1ED6zBeQR

GrateEggspectations

Botch said:

nolaegghead said:

This:

(from here)

I'll probably be outcast here, but what are everyone's thoughts about blind listening tests of amplifiers? I've built several of my own amps (some of my own design and some from others) and spent a lot of time listening to high-end gear (which I used to sell) from the likes of Audio Research, PS-Audio and others. I firmly believed there were significant audible differences between amps as I'd heard them with my own ears. Then I started to hear about some convincing blind tests and finally conducted my own. I was stunned at the results. I couldn't tell a $300 amp from a $3000 in the store I was working at. Neither could anyone else who worked there. It was a major blow to my audio belief system. I'd always thought Julian Hirsch (main reviewer for Stereo Review) was an idiot for arguing all high quality amps, kept within their power limits, sound the same. It turns out he was right! Since then, I've read Douglas Self's book on amplifier design where he says the same thing--high quality amps with flat frequency response, low noise and low distortion all sound pretty much the same if kept within their power and current capabilities. I can certainly hear the difference between a class A single ended amp (which measure very poorly) and a conventional amp in a blind test. I can even tell the digital amps I've been involved with (Tripath Class T and various Class D designs) from a class AB amp in a blind test but they also have some measurable problems. But, between high quality low distortion conventional amps that measure well, I flunk the test and so does everyone else I know. For a recent non-believer, I used an Onkyo SR500 Dolby Digital receiver--purchased reconditioned for $200 (they're $250 - $300 new) against some well regarded separates. It's rated at 65 watts x 2 stereo per the FTC guidelines into 8 ohms. Distortion is 0.08% from 20-20k from 1 watt to 65 watts into 8 ohms. It has a "direct" bypass feature that supposedly bypasses all the digital/DSP for analog stereo signals. The Onkyo was put up against the well regarded Bryston 4B 300 wpc power amp and a Bryston 2 channel pre-amp. They were driving a pair of expensive floor standing KEF speakers and the source was a high-end Marantz CD player. The person who owns this system is very proud of it and has spent a lot of time getting what he considers to be the best sound possible. I had the Bryston owner pick the level he wanted to do the comparison at while listening to his system. I then used pink noise to level match the Onkyo to his system while he was out of the room. The Onkyo was running in its "Stereo Direct" analog mode. I called him back in to listen, he sat down in the sweet spot and I replayed the same CD track he'd used to pick the levels. He immediately started complaining about how bad the Onkyo sounded. He said it sounded thin, compressed, harsh and a few other things. I smiled and turned the Onkyo off and the music kept playing. He'd said all those negative things about his own Bryston gear! With him red faced, we proceeded to do at least an hour of listening with me swapping cables, or only pretending to, when he requested a switch. He listened to his favorite audiophile CDs. I did lots of swaps and fake swaps and during each would ask him which he thought he was listening to. In the end, his answers were roughly 50% correct which is the same as if he'd been randomly guessing. He even finally admitted, he couldn't tell which was which and WAS only guessing! I took his place and also couldn't hear any difference between the lowly receiver and his prized Bryston gear. For the analytical among you, I've done some input/output null difference testing as well. This is where you use a wide bandwidth analog (even passive) circuit to subtract the level matched (nulled) input from the output of an amplifier driving real speakers using real music--no sine waves or resistors here. The resulting difference signal is made up of ANY distortion or deviation produced by the amplifier. Some distortion analyzers work this way. My null tests have shown that even a modest $250 receiver can manage a -60db or better residual signal driving my relatively difficult speakers to fairly loud volumes. Higher quality amps can easily exceed a -70db null. Those are very low levels of residual distortion. Keep in mind this test reveals ANY kind of distortion--audible or not--including THD, phase distortion, IMD, TIM, slew problems, feedback issues, frequency response deviation, etc. You could argue that you might be able to hear things that are 60db below the signal, but I'm skeptical. It's easy to hear -60db worth of noise during quiet passages of music, but it's downright tough to hear something that's actually 60db below the signal. For those of you who have a volume control calibrated in db, turn it up to a comfortable listening level and then reduce the gain 60db (if you can without shutting the sound off) and see how much is left. It's hard to hear even in a quiet room! I'm not trying to start a flame war here, but I am suggesting those of you who think high quality amps have magical qualities like "warm", "airy", "detailed", "liquid", etc. might want to do some blind testing. Most of the differences I thought I heard evaporated once I didn't know which amp I was listening to and the others can be attributed to other factors. It's been my experience that hardcore audiophiles will dismiss the blind tests as flawed and they refuse to participate in these tests or acknowledge the results. Most of the magazines, of course, don't do them as it would be really bad for ad sales across the board. It's hard for any manufacture to sell a $3000 amplifier when the magazine demonstrates it sounds the same as a $300 one. The same goes for salespeople at high-end dealers. The owner of our store told us to keep our mouths shut as "our test was invalid" when we made our blind discovery. Don't get me wrong here, I'm not saying a $250 amp is all anyone needs. As you spend more money you tend to get more power, higher current capability, bigger power supplies, better construction, longer life, etc. Many of these are especially useful if you have inefficient and/or difficult to drive speakers and like it loud. But listening at the sorts of levels you'd use for critical comparisons, there's usually not enough of a difference to tell quality amps apart in a proper blind test. I'm also not saying that some amps don't have "euphoric distortion" that some people like (i.e. single ended amps). Some amps are measurably different (i.e. have a rolled off high-end). These amps are relatively easy to pick out in a blind test. I also know the thrill of building your own amp and the extra enjoyment you get from having built it. Finally, I've found few people that have actually participated in a proper blind amplifier test. Next time you're evaluating an amp, take a few extra minutes to level match it to a "reference" amplifier and have someone else swap cables in a way that you don't know which you're listening to. If you believe amps have their own "sound", you might be VERY surprised at the results! Comments?

I am a fan of the DVD-A and Bluray multi-channel recordings released by AIX Records https://www.aixrecords.com/ .  Its founder, Dr. Mark Waldrep, also teaches audio engineering in southern California.  AIX only records to digital, do not use digital reverbs (only using a good recording room and careful mic placement), no compression/EQ, and mix "live". Their disks are my "show-off" disks, they sound wonderful and "real".  They do NOT copy 40-year-old reel-to-reel "masters" onto the Newest Technology, which is essentially making a near-perfect copy of an old, flawed recording.  
 
He sends out emails that I'm subscribed to, and I'm pretty sure he quoted the above post awhile back.  He also quoted one "audiophile" associated with "The Absolute Sound" magazine (an expensive, glossy, thick magazine that hawks 3/4-ton subwoofers, special anti-resonant pucks that you can lay your multi-thousand dollar speaker wires on to keep them off the floor, and even a $17,000, three-foot power cord that connects your amp to the outlet in your wall (connected with $0.55/ft wire from Lowe's behind the wall).  Anyway, that TAS "audiophile" claimed that an ionic "shell" (not explained by physics) gradually forms over the amp, speaker and power cables, over a period of weeks, that any true audiophile with good ears could hear like Night and Day!  If you try to "A/B" two amps (or whatever) that shell is shattered, and therefore useless.  (does any of this sound like recent explanations of a past president, or the fictional TV show from Jan 6?)    
 
I agree with Carey, spend the money on speakers that sound good to your ears (I had Advents for 30 years, Monitor Audio Silvers in my current system, and Tannoy Reveals in my studio).  
 
During a GTG in Houston, about a dozen members of my audiophile forum got to do a blind listening, based on Sources.  We listened to four different recordings of the same song, and we all took notes, took a survey, and passed in our sheets.  I easily identified the first recording as an LP (as did just about everybody), based on pops, clicks, and a very slight wow.  Everyone loved the 2nd, and the 3rd, recording, no real preference.  The fourth recording, almost everyone named as their favorite.  I wrote down on my survey, "This sounds a lot like the 3rd recording, just a bit louder".  
HAH!  I was right.  First was an LP, second a CD, third an .mp3, and fourth, the same .mp3, boosted in volume by 3 dB!!  
The real surprise, to me though, was I couldn't hear the difference between a CD and an .mp3.  Dr. Waldrep has since done a semi-formal survey, and most of his crowd couldn't hear the difference, either.  He doesn't record to DVD-A or Bluray anymore (but, he doesn't record at ALL anymore... ).  
 
The real sad point of all my ramblings, is that: the older most of us get, the more expensive toys we can afford; but, the older we get, the less accurately we can hear (my tinnitus now has two tones, and they're getting louder :sad:)  A do-over on this life would be nice, but that's not in the cards....

Longest posts I’ve seen during my time on this forum. 

SonVolt

I kept waiting for it to tell me they saved a bundle of money on their car insurance by switching to Geico. 

Botch

GrateEggspectations said:
Longest posts I’ve seen during my time on this forum. 

May be audiophile excitement, or COVID burnout.  Or retirement boredom (on my side).  

Ozzie_Isaac

Botch said:

nolaegghead said:

This:

(from here)

I'll probably be outcast here, but what are everyone's thoughts about blind listening tests of amplifiers? I've built several of my own amps (some of my own design and some from others) and spent a lot of time listening to high-end gear (which I used to sell) from the likes of Audio Research, PS-Audio and others. I firmly believed there were significant audible differences between amps as I'd heard them with my own ears. Then I started to hear about some convincing blind tests and finally conducted my own. I was stunned at the results. I couldn't tell a $300 amp from a $3000 in the store I was working at. Neither could anyone else who worked there. It was a major blow to my audio belief system. I'd always thought Julian Hirsch (main reviewer for Stereo Review) was an idiot for arguing all high quality amps, kept within their power limits, sound the same. It turns out he was right! Since then, I've read Douglas Self's book on amplifier design where he says the same thing--high quality amps with flat frequency response, low noise and low distortion all sound pretty much the same if kept within their power and current capabilities. I can certainly hear the difference between a class A single ended amp (which measure very poorly) and a conventional amp in a blind test. I can even tell the digital amps I've been involved with (Tripath Class T and various Class D designs) from a class AB amp in a blind test but they also have some measurable problems. But, between high quality low distortion conventional amps that measure well, I flunk the test and so does everyone else I know. For a recent non-believer, I used an Onkyo SR500 Dolby Digital receiver--purchased reconditioned for $200 (they're $250 - $300 new) against some well regarded separates. It's rated at 65 watts x 2 stereo per the FTC guidelines into 8 ohms. Distortion is 0.08% from 20-20k from 1 watt to 65 watts into 8 ohms. It has a "direct" bypass feature that supposedly bypasses all the digital/DSP for analog stereo signals. The Onkyo was put up against the well regarded Bryston 4B 300 wpc power amp and a Bryston 2 channel pre-amp. They were driving a pair of expensive floor standing KEF speakers and the source was a high-end Marantz CD player. The person who owns this system is very proud of it and has spent a lot of time getting what he considers to be the best sound possible. I had the Bryston owner pick the level he wanted to do the comparison at while listening to his system. I then used pink noise to level match the Onkyo to his system while he was out of the room. The Onkyo was running in its "Stereo Direct" analog mode. I called him back in to listen, he sat down in the sweet spot and I replayed the same CD track he'd used to pick the levels. He immediately started complaining about how bad the Onkyo sounded. He said it sounded thin, compressed, harsh and a few other things. I smiled and turned the Onkyo off and the music kept playing. He'd said all those negative things about his own Bryston gear! With him red faced, we proceeded to do at least an hour of listening with me swapping cables, or only pretending to, when he requested a switch. He listened to his favorite audiophile CDs. I did lots of swaps and fake swaps and during each would ask him which he thought he was listening to. In the end, his answers were roughly 50% correct which is the same as if he'd been randomly guessing. He even finally admitted, he couldn't tell which was which and WAS only guessing! I took his place and also couldn't hear any difference between the lowly receiver and his prized Bryston gear. For the analytical among you, I've done some input/output null difference testing as well. This is where you use a wide bandwidth analog (even passive) circuit to subtract the level matched (nulled) input from the output of an amplifier driving real speakers using real music--no sine waves or resistors here. The resulting difference signal is made up of ANY distortion or deviation produced by the amplifier. Some distortion analyzers work this way. My null tests have shown that even a modest $250 receiver can manage a -60db or better residual signal driving my relatively difficult speakers to fairly loud volumes. Higher quality amps can easily exceed a -70db null. Those are very low levels of residual distortion. Keep in mind this test reveals ANY kind of distortion--audible or not--including THD, phase distortion, IMD, TIM, slew problems, feedback issues, frequency response deviation, etc. You could argue that you might be able to hear things that are 60db below the signal, but I'm skeptical. It's easy to hear -60db worth of noise during quiet passages of music, but it's downright tough to hear something that's actually 60db below the signal. For those of you who have a volume control calibrated in db, turn it up to a comfortable listening level and then reduce the gain 60db (if you can without shutting the sound off) and see how much is left. It's hard to hear even in a quiet room! I'm not trying to start a flame war here, but I am suggesting those of you who think high quality amps have magical qualities like "warm", "airy", "detailed", "liquid", etc. might want to do some blind testing. Most of the differences I thought I heard evaporated once I didn't know which amp I was listening to and the others can be attributed to other factors. It's been my experience that hardcore audiophiles will dismiss the blind tests as flawed and they refuse to participate in these tests or acknowledge the results. Most of the magazines, of course, don't do them as it would be really bad for ad sales across the board. It's hard for any manufacture to sell a $3000 amplifier when the magazine demonstrates it sounds the same as a $300 one. The same goes for salespeople at high-end dealers. The owner of our store told us to keep our mouths shut as "our test was invalid" when we made our blind discovery. Don't get me wrong here, I'm not saying a $250 amp is all anyone needs. As you spend more money you tend to get more power, higher current capability, bigger power supplies, better construction, longer life, etc. Many of these are especially useful if you have inefficient and/or difficult to drive speakers and like it loud. But listening at the sorts of levels you'd use for critical comparisons, there's usually not enough of a difference to tell quality amps apart in a proper blind test. I'm also not saying that some amps don't have "euphoric distortion" that some people like (i.e. single ended amps). Some amps are measurably different (i.e. have a rolled off high-end). These amps are relatively easy to pick out in a blind test. I also know the thrill of building your own amp and the extra enjoyment you get from having built it. Finally, I've found few people that have actually participated in a proper blind amplifier test. Next time you're evaluating an amp, take a few extra minutes to level match it to a "reference" amplifier and have someone else swap cables in a way that you don't know which you're listening to. If you believe amps have their own "sound", you might be VERY surprised at the results! Comments?

I am a fan of the DVD-A and Bluray multi-channel recordings released by AIX Records https://www.aixrecords.com/ .  Its founder, Dr. Mark Waldrep, also teaches audio engineering in southern California.  AIX only records to digital, do not use digital reverbs (only using a good recording room and careful mic placement), no compression/EQ, and mix "live". Their disks are my "show-off" disks, they sound wonderful and "real".  They do NOT copy 40-year-old reel-to-reel "masters" onto the Newest Technology, which is essentially making a near-perfect copy of an old, flawed recording.  
 
He sends out emails that I'm subscribed to, and I'm pretty sure he quoted the above post awhile back.  He also quoted one "audiophile" associated with "The Absolute Sound" magazine (an expensive, glossy, thick magazine that hawks 3/4-ton subwoofers, special anti-resonant pucks that you can lay your multi-thousand dollar speaker wires on to keep them off the floor, and even a $17,000, three-foot power cord that connects your amp to the outlet in your wall (connected with $0.55/ft wire from Lowe's behind the wall).  Anyway, that TAS "audiophile" claimed that an ionic "shell" (not explained by physics) gradually forms over the amp, speaker and power cables, over a period of weeks, that any true audiophile with good ears could hear like Night and Day!  If you try to "A/B" two amps (or whatever) that shell is shattered, and therefore useless.  (does any of this sound like recent explanations of a past president, or the fictional TV show from Jan 6?)    
 
I agree with Carey, spend the money on speakers that sound good to your ears (I had Advents for 30 years, Monitor Audio Silvers in my current system, and Tannoy Reveals in my studio).  
 
During a GTG in Houston, about a dozen members of my audiophile forum got to do a blind listening, based on Sources.  We listened to four different recordings of the same song, and we all took notes, took a survey, and passed in our sheets.  I easily identified the first recording as an LP (as did just about everybody), based on pops, clicks, and a very slight wow.  Everyone loved the 2nd, and the 3rd, recording, no real preference.  The fourth recording, almost everyone named as their favorite.  I wrote down on my survey, "This sounds a lot like the 3rd recording, just a bit louder".  
HAH!  I was right.  First was an LP, second a CD, third an .mp3, and fourth, the same .mp3, boosted in volume by 3 dB!!  
The real surprise, to me though, was I couldn't hear the difference between a CD and an .mp3.  Dr. Waldrep has since done a semi-formal survey, and most of his crowd couldn't hear the difference, either.  He doesn't record to DVD-A or Bluray anymore (but, he doesn't record at ALL anymore... ).  
 
The real sad point of all my ramblings, is that: the older most of us get, the more expensive toys we can afford; but, the older we get, the less accurately we can hear (my tinnitus now has two tones, and they're getting louder :sad:)  A do-over on this life would be nice, but that's not in the cards....

I agree with Carey, the key being low distortion, flat frequency response, and stay within the power capabilities of the amp and they will all sound the same.

An amp should not add or detract from a recording, it should neutral.  For lack of a better term, the tube amp smoothed out the LPs.  I enjoy like the combo tube w/LP.

I do not fall into the special cable and vibration cable stands crowd. Cables make a difference, but you hit the end of measurable/noticeable returns very early, like <$50. I love reading the ad copy though.  The special cone of electrostatic shielding sounds awesome.  Blind sound tests make all high end accessory people very nervous.

Ozzie_Isaac

Botch said:

GrateEggspectations said:
Longest posts I’ve seen during my time on this forum. 

May be audiophile excitement, or COVID burnout.  Or retirement boredom (on my side).  

It was the best post ever too.

WeberWho

Ozzie_Isaac said:

Botch said:

nolaegghead said:

This: 

(from here)

I'll probably be outcast here, but what are everyone's thoughts about blind listening tests of amplifiers? I've built several of my own amps (some of my own design and some from others) and spent a lot of time listening to high-end gear (which I used to sell) from the likes of Audio Research, PS-Audio and others. I firmly believed there were significant audible differences between amps as I'd heard them with my own ears. Then I started to hear about some convincing blind tests and finally conducted my own. I was stunned at the results. I couldn't tell a $300 amp from a $3000 in the store I was working at. Neither could anyone else who worked there. It was a major blow to my audio belief system. I'd always thought Julian Hirsch (main reviewer for Stereo Review) was an idiot for arguing all high quality amps, kept within their power limits, sound the same. It turns out he was right! Since then, I've read Douglas Self's book on amplifier design where he says the same thing--high quality amps with flat frequency response, low noise and low distortion all sound pretty much the same if kept within their power and current capabilities. I can certainly hear the difference between a class A single ended amp (which measure very poorly) and a conventional amp in a blind test. I can even tell the digital amps I've been involved with (Tripath Class T and various Class D designs) from a class AB amp in a blind test but they also have some measurable problems. But, between high quality low distortion conventional amps that measure well, I flunk the test and so does everyone else I know. For a recent non-believer, I used an Onkyo SR500 Dolby Digital receiver--purchased reconditioned for $200 (they're $250 - $300 new) against some well regarded separates. It's rated at 65 watts x 2 stereo per the FTC guidelines into 8 ohms. Distortion is 0.08% from 20-20k from 1 watt to 65 watts into 8 ohms. It has a "direct" bypass feature that supposedly bypasses all the digital/DSP for analog stereo signals. The Onkyo was put up against the well regarded Bryston 4B 300 wpc power amp and a Bryston 2 channel pre-amp. They were driving a pair of expensive floor standing KEF speakers and the source was a high-end Marantz CD player. The person who owns this system is very proud of it and has spent a lot of time getting what he considers to be the best sound possible. I had the Bryston owner pick the level he wanted to do the comparison at while listening to his system. I then used pink noise to level match the Onkyo to his system while he was out of the room. The Onkyo was running in its "Stereo Direct" analog mode. I called him back in to listen, he sat down in the sweet spot and I replayed the same CD track he'd used to pick the levels. He immediately started complaining about how bad the Onkyo sounded. He said it sounded thin, compressed, harsh and a few other things. I smiled and turned the Onkyo off and the music kept playing. He'd said all those negative things about his own Bryston gear! With him red faced, we proceeded to do at least an hour of listening with me swapping cables, or only pretending to, when he requested a switch. He listened to his favorite audiophile CDs. I did lots of swaps and fake swaps and during each would ask him which he thought he was listening to. In the end, his answers were roughly 50% correct which is the same as if he'd been randomly guessing. He even finally admitted, he couldn't tell which was which and WAS only guessing! I took his place and also couldn't hear any difference between the lowly receiver and his prized Bryston gear. For the analytical among you, I've done some input/output null difference testing as well. This is where you use a wide bandwidth analog (even passive) circuit to subtract the level matched (nulled) input from the output of an amplifier driving real speakers using real music--no sine waves or resistors here. The resulting difference signal is made up of ANY distortion or deviation produced by the amplifier. Some distortion analyzers work this way. My null tests have shown that even a modest $250 receiver can manage a -60db or better residual signal driving my relatively difficult speakers to fairly loud volumes. Higher quality amps can easily exceed a -70db null. Those are very low levels of residual distortion. Keep in mind this test reveals ANY kind of distortion--audible or not--including THD, phase distortion, IMD, TIM, slew problems, feedback issues, frequency response deviation, etc. You could argue that you might be able to hear things that are 60db below the signal, but I'm skeptical. It's easy to hear -60db worth of noise during quiet passages of music, but it's downright tough to hear something that's actually 60db below the signal. For those of you who have a volume control calibrated in db, turn it up to a comfortable listening level and then reduce the gain 60db (if you can without shutting the sound off) and see how much is left. It's hard to hear even in a quiet room! I'm not trying to start a flame war here, but I am suggesting those of you who think high quality amps have magical qualities like "warm", "airy", "detailed", "liquid", etc. might want to do some blind testing. Most of the differences I thought I heard evaporated once I didn't know which amp I was listening to and the others can be attributed to other factors. It's been my experience that hardcore audiophiles will dismiss the blind tests as flawed and they refuse to participate in these tests or acknowledge the results. Most of the magazines, of course, don't do them as it would be really bad for ad sales across the board. It's hard for any manufacture to sell a $3000 amplifier when the magazine demonstrates it sounds the same as a $300 one. The same goes for salespeople at high-end dealers. The owner of our store told us to keep our mouths shut as "our test was invalid" when we made our blind discovery. Don't get me wrong here, I'm not saying a $250 amp is all anyone needs. As you spend more money you tend to get more power, higher current capability, bigger power supplies, better construction, longer life, etc. Many of these are especially useful if you have inefficient and/or difficult to drive speakers and like it loud. But listening at the sorts of levels you'd use for critical comparisons, there's usually not enough of a difference to tell quality amps apart in a proper blind test. I'm also not saying that some amps don't have "euphoric distortion" that some people like (i.e. single ended amps). Some amps are measurably different (i.e. have a rolled off high-end). These amps are relatively easy to pick out in a blind test. I also know the thrill of building your own amp and the extra enjoyment you get from having built it. Finally, I've found few people that have actually participated in a proper blind amplifier test. Next time you're evaluating an amp, take a few extra minutes to level match it to a "reference" amplifier and have someone else swap cables in a way that you don't know which you're listening to. If you believe amps have their own "sound", you might be VERY surprised at the results! Comments?

I am a fan of the DVD-A and Bluray multi-channel recordings released by AIX Records https://www.aixrecords.com/ .  Its founder, Dr. Mark Waldrep, also teaches audio engineering in southern California.  AIX only records to digital, do not use digital reverbs (only using a good recording room and careful mic placement), no compression/EQ, and mix "live". Their disks are my "show-off" disks, they sound wonderful and "real".  They do NOT copy 40-year-old reel-to-reel "masters" onto the Newest Technology, which is essentially making a near-perfect copy of an old, flawed recording.  
 
He sends out emails that I'm subscribed to, and I'm pretty sure he quoted the above post awhile back.  He also quoted one "audiophile" associated with "The Absolute Sound" magazine (an expensive, glossy, thick magazine that hawks 3/4-ton subwoofers, special anti-resonant pucks that you can lay your multi-thousand dollar speaker wires on to keep them off the floor, and even a $17,000, three-foot power cord that connects your amp to the outlet in your wall (connected with $0.55/ft wire from Lowe's behind the wall).  Anyway, that TAS "audiophile" claimed that an ionic "shell" (not explained by physics) gradually forms over the amp, speaker and power cables, over a period of weeks, that any true audiophile with good ears could hear like Night and Day!  If you try to "A/B" two amps (or whatever) that shell is shattered, and therefore useless.  (does any of this sound like recent explanations of a past president, or the fictional TV show from Jan 6?)    
 
I agree with Carey, spend the money on speakers that sound good to your ears (I had Advents for 30 years, Monitor Audio Silvers in my current system, and Tannoy Reveals in my studio).  
 
During a GTG in Houston, about a dozen members of my audiophile forum got to do a blind listening, based on Sources.  We listened to four different recordings of the same song, and we all took notes, took a survey, and passed in our sheets.  I easily identified the first recording as an LP (as did just about everybody), based on pops, clicks, and a very slight wow.  Everyone loved the 2nd, and the 3rd, recording, no real preference.  The fourth recording, almost everyone named as their favorite.  I wrote down on my survey, "This sounds a lot like the 3rd recording, just a bit louder".  
HAH!  I was right.  First was an LP, second a CD, third an .mp3, and fourth, the same .mp3, boosted in volume by 3 dB!!  
The real surprise, to me though, was I couldn't hear the difference between a CD and an .mp3.  Dr. Waldrep has since done a semi-formal survey, and most of his crowd couldn't hear the difference, either.  He doesn't record to DVD-A or Bluray anymore (but, he doesn't record at ALL anymore... ).  
 
The real sad point of all my ramblings, is that: the older most of us get, the more expensive toys we can afford; but, the older we get, the less accurately we can hear (my tinnitus now has two tones, and they're getting louder :sad:)  A do-over on this life would be nice, but that's not in the cards....

Blind sound tests make all high end accessory people very nervous.

Is this similar to checking diamonds? Asking for a friend. 

https://youtu.be/YXc4OHv0saQ

Don't even ask how I stumbled across this video. I honestly have no idea....

PigBeanUs

WeberWho said:

https://youtu.be/YXc4OHv0saQ

Don't even ask how I stumbled across this video. I honestly have no idea....

I watched this all the way through. 

Have learned ALL the lingo. Gonna try this out tomorrow at the mall. Look for my vid. 

Wish me luck

SonVolt

SonVolt's daily smoker build progress update #432.

https://instagram.com/p/CO2iJIIh4AP/embed/

fishlessman

dbCooper said:

I enjoy fishing on occasion.  I have never fly fished and doubt I'd ever tie flies.  But I bought this at Goodwill for $3. (1/2 off price) for other uses.  Magnifying lens is missing.  There may be a casting mark on the base.  Anyone one know if that mark has any significance?

i tie flies and have never seen a vise like that.  looks like something used in a machine shop testing area or used to hold dial indicators

alaskanassasin

It’s called the third hand. Works great for soldering