The 10 Biggest Lies in Audio by Peter Aczel. Bobs favorite audio writer.

[Ar9Jim 6,056]

Peter is a writer that passed away. He is respected by Bob Carver and is science based. Bob recommended Peter to me. Here is a good introduction to Peter. Enjoy!

 

I agree with what Peter says about vacuum tube products overall as they were, but Bob has improved them significantly since Peter wrote this. Gone are the high heat and high maintenance and soft bottom end due to the common tube amp voltage sag. Definitely not your fathers tube amps. 

 

https://www.ecoustics.com/articles/ten-biggest-lies-audio/

Edited September 6, 2023 by Ar9Jim

[BobTFM35 1,623]

Thanks, Jim, for this article. It will give several (9) things to ponder over for the day or longer. Number 7 struck a nerve and is one that I took a considerable amount of time and energy; almost a whole day, to see if the various ways of amping made any difference.  For me I feel it made a difference.

 

#3 is a good one. Yesterday as I was listening to a variety of CD. I clearly noticed the vast difference between recordings, so much so that I thought that either the left or right channel was having a problem. Nothing was wrong, it was just how the CD was produced I concluded.

 

Power conditioner - I think I'm within 100 ft of the transformer, so I hope that I have a few layers of protection using the Furman units that I have. It's not uncommon for a bird or squirrel meeting its maker around that device.

 

I really like his choice of words in some of the points. 

Edited September 5, 2023 by BobTFM35

[3M_Audio 880]

Thanks for sharing. Nothing in there I really disagree with and I was glad to see he mentioned that speakers do, in fact, need some break-in. I've seen guys buy a driver, right out of the box run some tests to get the TS parameters, build a box, and then later wonder why the low-end seems off.

 

I'd take a slight exception to the power conditioner comments but for a different reason than he talks about. With a well-designed power supply, you should be able to plug it directly into a wall socket, but given the state of the electrical grid, a little defensive action as @BobTFM35 suggested can really help - up to the point of having your protected equipment replaced if bad line power works its way into your house either naturally (lighting strike nearby) or by poor utility maintenance/service. 

 

For all my high-cost electrical items, I run a surge/noise power protector that includes equipment damage coverage. For standalone devices, I like the Tripp Lite Isobar for $40. Metal case, some noise filtering in addition to the usual varistors for surge protection. But it includes $10,000 of insurance coverage for the connected equipment.

 

I've never had to personally file an insurance claim with Tripp Lite (Eaton) as our power quality is pretty good, but a couple of our customers at my previous company did and while it took a little while, they got paid for some fried equipment. As I recall, the incidents were all electrical storm related.

[4krow 5,077]

The first Triplite product that I bought was a long time ago from a surplus store. I believe that it was an isolation transformer. The metal case was heavy as way the rest of the unit. The unit did not ever give trouble, but I never found it to improve my audio experience either. Years later, I bought another unit but it was for keeping the AC voltage at a steady level per many different windings of a special transformer. Perhaps it did its job, but the relays were almost constantly changing at times. Well, so much for having that sort of contraption in an audio system. Apparently a volt or two caused a relay to click to another secondary, and who knows maybe that is a good thing for computers.

 There are a very few audio tweaks that actually could be heard, but then are they improving the sound or just changing it?

 

  With the Korg SP1 tube, I believe that it is the biasing of the tube that causes it to produce different amounts of distortion of the music second harmonic. Some (me included) like the added distortion in some cases, so it would be one of the few tweaks that I would stand behind. If this is what you like to hear in audio, then right or wrong be damned. You have the say so. 

 Of course Bob proved that the sound of his amplifiers could be changed to sound like many others being produced at that time. I still love the idea that someone can walk into a situation and be confident of the outcome. Man, I would have loved to listen first hand at that event.

[Ar9Jim 6,056]

18 hours ago, 3M_Audio said:

Thanks for sharing. Nothing in there I really disagree with and I was glad to see he mentioned that speakers do, in fact, need some break-in. I've seen guys buy a driver, right out of the box run some tests to get the TS parameters, build a box, and then later wonder why the low-end seems off.

 

I'd take a slight exception to the power conditioner comments but for a different reason than he talks about. With a well-designed power supply, you should be able to plug it directly into a wall socket, but given the state of the electrical grid, a little defensive action as @BobTFM35 suggested can really help - up to the point of having your protected equipment replaced if bad line power works its way into your house either naturally (lighting strike nearby) or by poor utility maintenance/service. 

 

For all my high-cost electrical items, I run a surge/noise power protector that includes equipment damage coverage. For standalone devices, I like the Tripp Lite Isobar for $40. Metal case, some noise filtering in addition to the usual varistors for surge protection. But it includes $10,000 of insurance coverage for the connected equipment.

 

I've never had to personally file an insurance claim with Tripp Lite (Eaton) as our power quality is pretty good, but a couple of our customers at my previous company did and while it took a little while, they got paid for some fried equipment. As I recall, the incidents were all electrical storm related.

Having worked with Eaton on some aircraft systems, they are above the audiophile engineering BS.. Science based company, no bull.

Edited September 6, 2023 by Ar9Jim

[Ar9Jim 6,056]

Thought that was James Hetfield for a moment.

[John Smallwood 227]

I thought Ethan Winer addressed the wire issue nicely with this YouTube post:  

  

[John Smallwood 227]

I think the Null Test is essentially what Bob Carver did with two amplifers in the Carver challenge.  

[Ar9Jim 6,056]

Sure was John. Have asked Bob about that.

 

Also used null testing when investigating MQA he writes "Null test, she don't lie".

 

Edited September 10, 2023 by Ar9Jim

[John Smallwood 227]

I have noticed that Tidal has stopped promoting the MQA designation.  

[halfbaked 167]

It always amazes me how many people will take the word of an Audiophile Critic rather than simply listening and decide if your ears hear are really pleasing you. 

[Ar9Jim 6,056]

1 hour ago, halfbaked said:

It always amazes me how many people will take the word of an Audiophile Critic rather than simply listening and decide if your ears hear are really pleasing you. 

I learned the hard way. I had 2 -M400s and a C1 in the late 1980s. My brother in law hooked me up with guy selling them used. I loved that Carver system. It was out of my budget if not for finding a crazy good deal from a (once) wealthy guy with a coke issue, selling cheap. Sad but true.

 

Had that system a couple years and kept reading audio magazines and specifications like they are a science of their own.. Resistive load test numbers.

 

So the Adcom GFA 555 had better numbers than the Carver. If I could sell the Carver I could get the new Adcom that should sound even better..

 

I sold the Carver gear, went to Columbia A/V and bought a new GFA 555 and Adcom preamp I don't remember the model # .

 

Damn that was one of the biggest disappointment of my life.. I sold the Carver and was stuck with the Adcom.. I couldn't afford to get the Carver back again for 20 years, while raising kids and living the dream.

 

Every time I turned on that Adcom, I kicked my own ass for 20 years. 

 

This is why we sell with the in-home Carver Amp Challenge. People have to hear Bob's work.

 

Reading test numbers and reading audiophile magazine reviews of the "special" amp of the month, bit me in the ass to put it bluntly. The media in my case was more harm to my enjoyment of the hobby than good. The GFA 555 review was worse than worthless for me. It cost 20 years of enjoyment.

 

You have to hear audio products for yourself because the media is not in the business of looking out for you.. If an audio company won't let you hear it without charging a restocking fee, if the sonic value is not there. I walk away. Why pay a $1000 restocking fee on a $5000 product. We want customers to compare with no restocking fee. Its best for Bob Carver and the great customers.

 

 

 

Edited September 15, 2023 by Ar9Jim

[halfbaked 167]

Funny I went through an experience that is relatable. I was going to get the ALS back in 1989. Just then my life was thrown in personal matters and walked away from everything. Even music and audio for twenty years.
 

I will say it was very soulful to get back into audio and music. Funny how life sometimes brings you back to where you started. Now about finding a couple of ALS’s would answer my last audio regret. Or at least put them up against what I have now. Then the last regret could be answered.

 

That will happen in its due course. Until then I am satisfied.