iamjohngalt

"talented musician, and rather enjoyable to listen to. " That is what matters. I hope she can convince others that the jazz "standards" she sings are much more than elevator music.

How the World Listens to Music https://www.statista.com/chart/32880/share-of-hours-spent-engaging-with-music/ IFPI's landmark Engaging with Music 2023 report provides insight to the music industry from the perspective of fans, with survey data of over 43,000 internet users across 26 countries. It found that on average, respondents listened to 20.7 hours of music each week, up from 20.1 hours per week in 2022. IFPI also reveals that on average, people listen to eight or more different genres and use seven or more different methods to engage with music. As the following chart shows, audio streaming now makes up the biggest share in terms of methods used for listenership. Just under a third (32 percent) of all the hours that people spent engaging with music in 2023 was under the umbrella term of audio streaming, including subscription and free tiers such as Spotify, Apple Music and Melon. The second most popular method was video streaming (31 percent), which includes long-form and short-form videos found on platforms such as YouTube and TikTok, while the third most popular was music on the radio (17 percent), including live broadcasts, catch up and internet radio stations.

Given the pittance any of the streamers have to pay performers, it's about time. (Meanwhile, due to the lawyers at Disney corrupting politicians, performers still have to pay royalties on every sale to the lazy grandchildren of long dead composers.)

I agree that any reviewer who receives advertising funding from the companies he reviews has a conflict of interest. From the point of view of the reviewer that isn't the only concern. Any reviewer who gives a bad review on equipment will likely not be given another chance to review products from that company. Other companies will also hesitate to send their products as well, and that could be the end of the reviewer's career. (How many bad reviews have you read from major audio reviewers?) I know I wouldn't send my products for a 'science' review because Amir's testing is actually counter-productive for the audio customer's purchase decision. Making a judgement on any audio gear without listening to the gear is irrational and foolish. Amir is misleading anyone reading his testing conclusions.

Thanks for posting the very interesting video, @Ar9Jim. He hits the mark when he says "SINAD alone doesn't really tell you much." What he never says but should have said is, many of the differences in the results measurements between the so-called best hardware and so-called lesser hardware are not audible to any human ears and making any purchasing decision based on those differences is foolish. He does say that hardware with nearly identical measurements can sound completely different. That may be the most important point of the video and one that is rarely made to consumers. Measurements should at the very least be supplemented by advising what is and isn't audible to human ears. Do audio web sites need a warning label like on cigarettes and on pharmaceutical ads?

That's my ears' favorite combination, too, Jim, assuming a competent recording and music that I enjoy. 👍

Does vinyl sound better than CD? Which do you prefer, the sound of a vinyl record or that of a CD? It is a topic that has spurred many a heated debate… While we won’t argue your preference, when discussing which format sounds better from a technical perspective, there is a clear winner. In today’s video, Disc Makers CEO Tony van Veen discusses which format delivers superior sound by addressing a number of key factors, including: - Dynamic range - Volume - Bass - Analog warmth - Player environment - Wear

Vinyl Sales Surpass CDs For The First Time Since 1987 https://www.zerohedge.com/personal-finance/vinyl-sales-surpass-cds-first-time-1987

For excellent entertainment, I can recommend the Jack Reacher series of books by Lee Child. https://www.jackreacher.com/us/the-jack-reacher-books-in-order/ Lee Child has referred to Reacher on multiple occasions as a 'knight-errant'[9][12] and in an interview for Time magazine describes the character as: "(He's) two things in one. On the surface, he is an ex-military cop who is suddenly dumped out into the civilian world. He doesn't fit in, and he spends his time wandering America, seeing the things that he's never had time to see before. He's trying to stay out of trouble, but masterfully once a year getting into trouble. He's also the descendant of a very ancient tradition: the noble loner, the knight errant, the mysterious stranger, who has shown up in stories forever… He is a truly universal character... I'm writing the modern iteration of a character who has existed for thousands of years." These are also great books to take on a vacation or to have by the hammock or on the screened porch for summer.

Unintended Consequences by John Ross The novel includes a fascinating history of the "gun culture" in the US, and factual history of the federal government's actions, both legal and illegal, against people who enjoy their 2nd amendment rights. Examples: Bonus Army March on Washington, D.C. (1932) Warsaw Ghetto Uprising (1943) Battle of Athens, Tennessee (1946) Ken Ballew raid (1971) 1985 MOVE bombing in Philadelphia (1985) FBI shootout in Miami, Florida (1986) The characters are complex and heroic, and the plot moves along well. I found it difficult to put it down once I started reading it. It has become a cult classic and books are selling for north of $100, with signed copies for much more. (The author passed away in 2022.) See link below for a free download. Free download: https://archive.org/details/unintended-consequences-by-John-Ross

I couldn't agree more, AJ, as you probably guessed from my nickname here. Listening to the complete audio book of Atlas Shrugged is a fantastic way to drive coast to coast, too. (OK, it would probably take several such drives to hear it all.)

Congrats on the amp purchase and welcome to the neighborhood!

Sir Brian May joked that his knees 'just about' held out at the ceremony at Buckingham Palace https://www.rt.com/pop-culture/573014-queen-brian-may-knighted/

We watched and enjoyed it a couple months ago. It didn't show white men as weak, stupid villains and women as the saviors of humanity. That's enough to set off the Holly weird biased critics. For comparison look at how the male heroes of the show Seal Team are irrationally treated by the writers as confused, irresponsible morons while their female characters are mistreated victims, unappreciated geniuses.

Rest in Peace, Judith Durham.

Hi, Don, I had no replies in 2 weeks, so I decided there wasn't enough interest to invest the time required for the project. At this point there isn't time to put such a project together for a premium quality result. Sourcing the cases, controls, inputs/outputs,wiring, etc and building/testing a prototype is a significant undertaking (and we needed to order enough units to keep the costs per unit down.)

Interstate Angel - Hailey Ann Smith https://www.theepochtimes.com/angel-on-i-85-breaks-out-her-grand-harp-in-traffic-jam-gives-impromptu-concert-for-weary-motorists_4586847.html

Is there any discussion of a DIY project for this year's Carver Fest? If anyone has an interest, I was thinking about a Class D monoblock amp project using Hypex NCore NC500 (500w/ch into 4 ohms, 370w/ch into 8 ohms) or Hypex NC250 (250w/ch into 4 ohms, 130w/ch into 8 ohms) modules. Amps using those modules have received good reviews and I have one that I think sounds good. They are more detailed (less tubey sounding) compared to Carver solid state transfer mod amps. These modules have power transformers built in and that somewhat simplifies the build. Hypex offers a kit using a slightly different module (500w/ch iinto 4 ohms) for 600 euros per channel. I think we could do it for around $400-$500/channel with enough participation. The cases would be of Chinese manufacture to keep costs down. These Hypex modules prefer XLR inputs, btw. (Hypex is raising prices at the end of June, so we could save some on that part if enough people commit to do this.) It's just an idea though. I'm not trying to push anyone into this at all.

Lao Sue : New Song And Music Video By Tony King, Lyrics By Caitlin Johnstone (a very astute political blogger in Australia)