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How did this happen? I think I’ve turned into an audio SNOB!


Daddyjt

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6 minutes ago, Butcher said:

 

I still have my LPs. I'd like to hear the difference between an original pressing of Women and Children First and the remastered CD(s). 

 

As an aside, this was my first VH album and also my favorite. Although there was only the one charting song off that LP, I think that overall it represents VH at full flower. Exemplary arrangements, David's voice was flawless and full of character (and before he'd become a caricature of himself), and each instrument came through brilliantly. 

 

I used to have it in vinyl...but gave it away years ago. I agree with you... it's an excellent album. Underrated...just like Fair Warning. 

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On 12/20/2020 at 8:19 PM, Nahash5150 said:

 

I used to have it in vinyl...but gave it away years ago. I agree with you... it's an excellent album. Underrated...just like Fair Warning. 

 

Ah, Fair Warning is excellent indeed. Mean Streets comes to mind, as does Unchained. The former has this wild, galloping easiness to it that builds up into a full on riot. The latter explodes right out of the box, burns as a bright flame, and makes me wish it was at least a minute longer. 

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1 hour ago, Butcher said:

 

Ah, Fair Warning is excellent indeed. Mean Streets comes to mind, as does Unchained. The former has this wild, galloping easiness to it that builds up into a full on riot. The latter explodes right out of the box, burns as a bright flame, and makes me wish it was at least a minute longer. 

The bass line in Unchained is a thing of rockin’ beauty...

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23 minutes ago, johnrotten said:

Sounds about right.

Really man? The title of this thread was obviously tongue-in-cheek, sorry if that was lost on you. So the quest for great sound makes one a snob - noted. Most of us can enjoy different kinds of music, for different kinds of effect - you should try it. In this particular thread, I was speaking of the quest for audio perfection, which is one of the things I do with this hobby.  Another would be jamming an AC/DC concert at “just like being there” levels.  Yet another would be pursuing straight-up “wow factor” with dub-step or blue man group. 
 

Funny, you didn’t pull up this old thread of mine: 🤘

 

 

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On 12/17/2020 at 11:15 AM, Dadvw said:

Great story as usual @Butcher! I love it! 
I can relate to the going into the stereo store and hearing and being drawn in by the great sound. It’s how I started my journey........grin

 

I remember going into the stereo store in Champaign, IL, a place called Good Vibes. Seeing all the cool stuff and listening along with people who had money in the "separates" rooms. Some of those pieces and brands were indelibly burned into my mind, Carver being one. I had a couple interesting pieces back in the day and unfortunately got ride of them. Among them was a SAE 2200 amp, a Technics SL 1600 turntable and Pioneer C-21 preamp. I still lust for the latter and its matching amp.

 

I sometime wonder if vintage audio isn't the (relatively) poor man's version of 60's muscle cars scene.  Two or three Carver amps are a lot more reasonable than a '68 Camaro Z-28 with matching numbers... 

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12 hours ago, TJActual said:

 

 

I sometime wonder if vintage audio isn't the (relatively) poor man's version of 60's muscle cars scene.  Two or three Carver amps are a lot more reasonable than a '68 Camaro Z-28 with matching numbers... 

Lol, I agree. Since I don’t hunt or fish, cheaper than a truck, boat, camper, guns, 4 wheeler.......etc........grin

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This may sound rather snobbish but it is not intended that way.  Just like there are folks who never learned plumbing, auto mechanics, fine wine or the intricacies of any other field, there are many who have never had the opportunity to educate their ears as to what sounds good and what does not. If someone has never heard real live people playing instruments in person, are they able to tell which recorded and then reproduced version of a performance sounds the most accurate or real?  If all someone has ever listened to is snippets of sounds that have been stitched together is there a set of "better" sound characteristics to try to achieve as their goal?  Is there a time when just plain louder is better without regard for timbre?

 

I suppose I am a sound snob because I do know what sounds real and I do have a strong preference for it.  Very little brings more happiness than finding a new CD or LP  that is well recorded and a great performance of good material. In a perfect world everything would be like this. Unfortunately, that is not the majority of what I listen too.  There is too much other music I like that is just plain lousy recordings.  I have CD's of early Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald & Eartha Kitt recordings.  These were mono recordings that only exist now as transfers from 78rpm records.  I consider Ella to be the greatest female jazz singer of all time and if this is the only way to listen to these performances then so be it.  Another example came up earlier in the thread. The first Van Halen album is very poorly recorded. As much as that can annoy me at times, it is still Eddie Van Halen.  I like the material and performance too much to let the poor recording stop me from enjoying it. (This is one of those times when maybe louder is better...) 

 

 

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Indeed.  Allow me to offer another instance that relates to yours, if merely tangentially. 

 

I recently took upon myself the burden of setting up a system for an old friend. To be more specific, we've been friends for many a year, and he's got more than a few years behind him. Still, he yearns for a good sounding stereo and I aim to steer him in a direction that's a good value and pleasing to the ears. I coached him into buying an NAD integrated, much the same as mine. Upon hearing said amp with several different speakers, I've established that the power circuit needs to be refreshed at a minimum. Without getting into audio snobbery, just take my word when I say it must be done for the good of all. 

 

He's had a few pair of my speakers at his house, along with one of my amps, and my NAD acting as preamp, to stand-in for his while I adjusted a few things on it and built an order sheet for refresh parts. He was at a loss for why he didn't like one pair of speakers, so I tried to instruct him on critical listening. I'd brought along a few of my favorite test CDs and played a bit. As I began to talk about a particular track and what to listen for (usually its the magic cowbells or marimba or whatever, which one should notice floating in space about 6-8 feet ahead), he just waved his hand and said "I don't know about any of that, I just want the speakers to sound good". 

 

So, imagine my frustration as I wanted to give him a 5 minute course in exactly what to look for out of a good system, and he just wants it to "sound good". I was at an impasse: he thought that "sounds good" was the end of it all, and here I felt he would be able to make better decisions if he just knew why the bits sounded good in the first place. 

 

Deep breath, and soldier on. I'm going to upgrade his amplifier and be done with it. 

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19 hours ago, Butcher said:

Indeed.  Allow me to offer another instance that relates to yours, if merely tangentially. 

 

I recently took upon myself the burden of setting up a system for an old friend. To be more specific, we've been friends for many a year, and he's got more than a few years behind him. Still, he yearns for a good sounding stereo and I aim to steer him in a direction that's a good value and pleasing to the ears. I coached him into buying an NAD integrated, much the same as mine. Upon hearing said amp with several different speakers, I've established that the power circuit needs to be refreshed at a minimum. Without getting into audio snobbery, just take my word when I say it must be done for the good of all. 

 

He's had a few pair of my speakers at his house, along with one of my amps, and my NAD acting as preamp, to stand-in for his while I adjusted a few things on it and built an order sheet for refresh parts. He was at a loss for why he didn't like one pair of speakers, so I tried to instruct him on critical listening. I'd brought along a few of my favorite test CDs and played a bit. As I began to talk about a particular track and what to listen for (usually its the magic cowbells or marimba or whatever, which one should notice floating in space about 6-8 feet ahead), he just waved his hand and said "I don't know about any of that, I just want the speakers to sound good". 

 

So, imagine my frustration as I wanted to give him a 5 minute course in exactly what to look for out of a good system, and he just wants it to "sound good". I was at an impasse: he thought that "sounds good" was the end of it all, and here I felt he would be able to make better decisions if he just knew why the bits sounded good in the first place. 

 

Deep breath, and soldier on. I'm going to upgrade his amplifier and be done with it. 

Apparently he doesn't have "Magic Ears", like us!   

 

Actually it is "Magic Brain", ready to pounce on the least bit of offensive material the ears gather. 

 

We have it.

 

They don't. 

 

Much easier on the wallet if you don't. 

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I remember my first real stereo - Marantz 2270 receiver, some AR speakers and a Dual turntable. What a jump from the aftermarket Blaupunkt FM radio in my car. Instantly enjoyed that system and learned to appreciate the clarity,  definition and dynamics and cant ever go back. Maybe it's that thought that makes us snobs. As much as I (we) enjoy it, for some people it just doesnt register or isnt important or they havent taken the time to really check it out. My kids think that music off their phone is nirvana. But they value convenience and portability for their fast pace life. When I was introduced to high quality music reproduction, there were no computers, video games or cell phones so it was really the only show in town. As active as we were, it probably doesnt compare to today. Maybe that allowed us to get deeper and deeper into it and that could be interpreted as snobbery? 

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On 2/23/2021 at 2:54 PM, bfg4wd said:

Sometimes I cringe when a visitor will request a terribly recorded album, or an album in terrible shape.

This brings to mind when I serve a fine red wine and the guest requests ice cubes to be dunked into the exquisite appelation.  I, without hesitation, reclaim said vino and return to the guest a new glass brimming with ice and a wine that can only be properly aged in a box.

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8 minutes ago, PhilDent said:

This brings to mind when I serve a fine red wine and the guest requests ice cubes to be dunked into the exquisite appelation.  I, without hesitation, reclaim said vino and return to the guest a new glass brimming with ice and a wine that can only be properly aged in a box.

I didn’t ask for ice, but I did ask if the Justin Isosceles should be refrigerated 🤫

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13 minutes ago, Daddyjt said:

I didn’t ask for ice, but I did ask if the Justin Isosceles should be refrigerated 🤫

It should be stored at a constant cool temperature for sure.

 

This post was not targeted at you Mark, but I would never put ice in Isosceles.  That being said, if you enjoy your fine wine with ice, go for it.  If it's my wine - not happening.

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1 hour ago, PhilDent said:

It should be stored at a constant cool temperature for sure.

 

This post was not targeted at you Mark, but I would never put ice in Isosceles.  That being said, if you enjoy your fine wine with ice, go for it.  If it's my wine - not happening.

What I did not understand until I had more than a sip of the wine, is that the question of what to do with the “left-overs” is moot - there are no left-overs😉

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