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4krow

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Everything posted by 4krow

  1. I do appreciate this explanation. Specs and numbers get regularly fouled up by sales staff among others as well. You know, if you say something with enough conviction it assures the listener that your opinion has merit. Again, there is nothing like an in home test for this. Dam all the specs. What does it sound like in your environment? Even then, you better give your opinion some time to settle in.
  2. I remember the first review that I read in Stereophile when it was still a small format Readers digest sort of looking thing. The review was for a set of Altec Lansing speakers that cost $13,000. IIRC, they were 3 way active speakers and very large. Back in that day, I wasn't aware of any company charging that amount for any given speaker, but I was still new to high end audio. J. Gorden Holt tore them a new hole with his review. I don't think that he appreciated any aspect of the speakers and I was taken back by the review in general. I get that you don't care for a design, but to nearly condemn the product from top to bottom almost seemed suspicious to me. Of course I appreciate the honesty that can be given, but at least a bit of diplomacy alongside it would raise my opinion of the reviewer. Another important fact that I try to live by is to consider the source. The source in this case seemed to be a nasty old man who didn't care what other people thought. If you could read past that impression and still try to get some kind of feeling from the reviewer besides being a total ass, it still might have merit. Those like Julian Hirsch however ride the other side of the fence, and I get more from the review but not enough. One of the worst case scenarios were reviews from Consumer Reports, who really should have stuck to washing machine reviews. Lastly, I also do not put a huge amount of weight behind customer reviews because of a sort of expectation bias, lack of knowledge in some cases, and not knowing the total impact of a system (including room) for their listening environment. I completely agree with the in home listening trial if it is allowed by the seller. >>> I have always been a big fan of the Carver challenge. Let's test the listeners as well as the equipment! <<<
  3. It's something how a balance control can be a thread in its own right. I wasn't aware of the issues until I decided to put a balance control in one of my units. In my next build I am going with the stacked volume pots (well, not physically stacked, but you get my meaning), as that solves the balance control issue in an elegant way.
  4. I just ordered a bunch of those pushbutton switches. They look to be neatly placed on the front of those components. How do you like the spring action of these switches? looking closer at the circuit board, I see only 3 leads going to the balance control instead of 6. How does that work? I am happy that you made a unit that has remote SH. A very useful idea. Someday, I will be able to discover how I might be able to place a volume type control in place of the SH IN/OUT switch. Hafler did it to his iteration of SH and it was very useful. Some recordings didn't require as much manipulation as others.
  5. I would like to add an observation about a policy that I try to follow. It is pretty general. When asked, you can comment diplomatically and still make the point. Moreover, it makes less sense to criticize that which cannot be changed, such as a person's height. The clothes that they choose to wear gives latitude however. Yes, this applies elsewhere, especially when asked. "How would you like your amp sir?" "Bottles or sand?" Jim, I have a former friend who had good intention but a poor way of expressing himself. Or was he just playing a game? You see, he could be diplomatic, but he also was the master of left-handed compliments. Sorry, I must make clear that I am not referring to what has been said in this thread (so why post here? It hit a nerve). In my former friend's case, he seemed to think that I didn't know the difference. I am the first to admit that I am way too sensitive, and it is my loss more often than one might think. Especially when you make a product and then put it out there for all to see. You will hear BS both ways. Some will cheer it on like high school cheerleaders. Others will throw stones as if it were to be a poor attempt just because it is different (genius). Still others may give their honest opinion diplomatically.
  6. >>>TP&PM<<< Just got Tom Petty's Dam the Torpedoes in today. Warming up the phono pre now.. Didn't ever own this one before. Also, Paul McCartney's Venus and Mars.
  7. I am in an unspoken group. My extent of Carver gear has been lean. The C-9, H9-AV, Time Lens, C1, an A220 power amp, and one of the CD players, maybe the 390T. Of those units, two stood out. The A220 and the C-9. The H9-AV was a close second though. Firstly, I realize that the rest of the system either likes these units or doesn't for whatever mismatch, match or whatever. Depending on the Carver model that we are discussing, the quality of the older Carver units ranges quite a bit more than I would like. Reminds me of the later Marantz stuff (1980's) that I wouldn't own. Funny to admit, but in between and here and there, I have owned some Chinese or other low quality builds. I can't figure it out but every now and then one of them would sound great. In fact, if they offered it in quality build, it would probably be in my system now. But I cannot or will not own junk even if I like the sound. I am not happy if something is little, light, and has bunch of crap jammed into it. Because of that thinking, I would be happier with the heavier 285 Carver power amp, and that is assuming all things being equal. Jim, I am with you about social media here. There are plenty of forums or websites that I avoid because of how things and topics are handled. It frustrates me and that makes no sense to me, so I leave. If I were in your position I would be beyond frustration. But from my perspective I don't really have to sell anyone on the type of oil in my car, the certain way that my attic is insulated, the gun that I like to own and so much more. If I had to put any of that out there, the instant shit show would occur. Last year was it? When the raffle was going on for that Carver power amp, I actually did hope to win it, but the reason for the raffle was well worth it to me too. I wanted to hear what people were talking about. But you know, I would just as soon buy a different set of drivers for my speaker cabinets just to acoustically match the cabinets a bit better. Yup, I am all over the map. I am too old to be a cheerleader for any one brand.... Just a few that still know how to make quality equipment.
  8. IME, passives are called 'passive' for a reason. When I suggested adding a buffer to a passive that he built for me 30 years ago, at that time he shrugged his shoulders. Then he did it and was very impressed with the result. For whatever reason in that case expecting a good result directly from a CD player to Forte' 3 power amp was as mentioned above, lifeless. I am sure that not all buffers are the same. The least impressive was one that I built years ago using a 6SN7 tube. Suffice it to say that I suspect that it had far more to do with circuit design than choice of tubes used.
  9. wow 3 home runs. good job. Rodriquez is unbeatable.
  10. Steve, There is always more to do out there, right? I am glad to hear that some of us are still around with the curiosity and knowledge to attempt recovery of an older piece of gear. You are most welcome here, and it is always good to get good quality photos of your present projects.
  11. I really thought that I had something cool when I found a PS Audio preamp from the beginning of time. I forget the model, and even tried to work past the kind of circuit board that Jim posted about. To sum up it ended up in the trash, and I put a different circuit in instead. It turned out 'ok' but nothing that I would brag about. Even worse, it had survived a fire, but probably not as well as it looked. The rubber feet were melted. That ought to tell a story right there. After that I mostly stick to kits/designs that I know to trust.
  12. I'll have to find some of those boards that I am referring to. Yes the board material is better than the absolute crap way in the past, but there is just something about a damned near see through thin board that I want nothing to do with. When I accidentally order such a product it never gets built. Don't want my name on it. Funny though, they still find their way into important appliances and other equipment where they don't belong. Not just audio.
  13. They don't make 'em like they used to (I am being faciscious). I am remembering those awkward little transistor radios along with everything else. I don't remember what the boards were like in the TV sets, but I do remember what the insides of my Marantz 1060 looked like. Not something to brag about, I will say that much. First time that I saw something beautiful inside of an amp it was made by Nakamichi. A Ca5 and PA5 set that I had. Blue circuit boards and heavy power supply rails? I mean copper rails. That was the late 80's (memory lapse).
  14. Jim, I agree with so much of what you are saying about circuit boards in this thread. The 'but' is that even today there are those out there that use really crappy boards no matter how well designed, and it just seems that more people would jump on board with better quality boards. As far as I know Glassware Audio has made the finest boards that I have ever worked with. They ARE thick, the traces heavy and even look cool. Here is my issue>> if everything is place in the right orientation, and the right values are used, you are done and it will last a lifetime. OTOH if you have to remove a part for any reason, I can't ever seem to do it successfully. This is because of two things. Mostly it is the through hole plating that can come off right with the lead being removed! Secondly, the new designs have holes so small that apparently it makes removing solder much more difficult. And well hell let me bring another problem while I am at it. The fraking solder used from some factories, is unbelievably crappy! You have to heat it to 900 degrees with a rosebud torch to get it to melt. Now assuming that all of these troubles are taken care of before production begins, it is then that I completely agree with you. Point to point is really challenging at times, especially if you want it to look decent. The one thing that I do love about it is the ability to mechanically attach sockets right to the metal chassis. But when push comes to shove, a properly made board can do all of that.
  15. 4krow

    Might as well give it a shot. I was just looking at one the other day abnd missed it.

  16. In the news today a fire truck was destroyed by a derailed train. Investigation is pending.
  17. I don't know where to start with such idiot acts like these. The setup couldn't be more dangerous. Blowing molten metal in the way of a giant 'herd' of batteries and thinking to do it again and again. Flammable material all over the area. I even see a propane tank in the background. Hell, looks like I could go on and on as he tries just about every chance with different materials just to see the sparks, smoke, and maybe even a cool explosion? So when he finally succeeds and burns down an entire area, I can't have sympathy for that. I quit watching halfway through.
  18. Good to hear directly from the horse's mouth. Thanks. Good questions, and now an understanding of the difference in thinking that this man has. It makes me feel better about some of the things that I do in life. I don't always follow the rules (like way back in the day that I started to use 100% synthetic oil in my engines, and nobody agreed with that thinking around here at the time). It is also fine to be proven wrong at times as long as it isn't in some sort of attack. The audio world is just like the rest, holding on to some things because somebody in a lab said, "There, now see? This product doesn't measure up." Have you tried it in real iife? Nope.
  19. AC/DC Back in Black--- CD vs MQA. This is my first experience with MQA. This music is being streamed over some music service, dunno dun care. Just want to say that so far it is obvious on my system that I prefer MQA. Much more dimensional. Keeps me wanting to hear more.
  20. "its got a good beat and I can dance to it." I bet Dick Clark just wanted to slap them kids silly for saying that. But folks, really, it is all that we are wanting, right? I just want to hear something that I like. I am not so concerned as to what alleyway you came from to get it to me.
  21. True enough. I look for older recordings just for that reason. This is not to say that many of the Mo-Fi stuff of mine doesn't sound great as well, but I have become leery of the 'now digitally remastered' crap whether on vinyl or CD or whatever.
  22. When building my first DHT (3S4 tube) from BottleHead, I was so surprised that for about $130+ a bunch of other parts, you could build something that sounded way better than many more expensive units out there. The specs sucked if you were so inclined to read them. I built several more and sold each one to a very satisfied customer, one customer at a time. Several years later, I discovered yet another DHT (SP1 tube) made by Korg, and the result was pretty much the same. Specs sucked, sound was unbelievable. It is important to note that I have built two different designs for this SP1 tube, and the deciding factor is not the specs in each case but rather how the circuit itself is implemented. Yes, one sounds better than the other even though it is designed around the same tube. Same dirty specs but the difference being either using an IC or discreet transistors. Another difference is the power supply itself. One uses double the voltage and happens to be the better sounding unit to my ears. One more note: Each designer realized that the sound could be varied by means of an adjustment pot for the tube, resulting in quite a difference in sound. It increased or decreased different harmonics, either second or third order in relation to each other. The sweet spot is up to you. I usually leave it at a certain setting, resulting in the least amount of THD distortion (which is still close to 1%).
  23. Don't fret AJ, I will send it along right after I have made some kind of improper connection, resulting in a fire. Then you wile get to see the circuitry after it is burned in.
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