The Audiophile Thread

[BobM]

Most MC cartridges also have a fine line stylus shape. That makes them a bit of a pain to set up properly, but once you do they track better because the ride lower in the groove than a wider shaped stylus would. They also tend to be quieter, if you records are clean.

Phono stages - tubes vs solid state. Solid state stages can be just fine, and are generally less expensive than tubed stages. They also can have a higher output, allowing you to use a low output cartridge without a step up transformer. Tubed stages are pricier, and generally don't have enout output for a low output cartridge, meaning you will need a step up transformer or head amp to boost the signal from the cartridge.

Personally I love the extra beauty and spaciousness of a tubes phono stage. As for adjustability, you don;t need any with a moving magnet cartridge, but with a MC you have to be able to set the appropriate resistance loading for the cartridge or it won't sound right. That is generally done in the phono stage or the step up device.

Yes, it gets complicated, and expensive.

[Firth]

http://www.audioholics.com/blu-ray-a...blu-ray-player

[Jerjo]

I have my doubts about how great this table would sound but damn, it is stylish.

http://www.esquire.com/style/news/a4...es-turntables/

[Pr33t]

I have my doubts about how great this table would sound but damn, it is stylish.

http://www.esquire.com/style/news/a4...es-turntables/

The leather will make it easy to sweep up the bits of shredded wax when you're done playing the album

It is quite nice looking.

[wideopenears]

I spent Tuesday night at a new friend's place, listening to Hi Res digital streamed from Tidal via a Devialet D200 to some Magico S...3's I think?

Pretty sick. We listened to Faure's Requiem, some Brahms, Poulenc, Berlioz, as well as Bad Plus, Peter Gabriel, Genesis, Mali Kora music, Richard Thompson, Stefano Scodonibbio.....Imani Woods.....and John Cage.

The Devialet is pretty crazy, and those Magico's are beastly cool.

[rcarlberg]

Did any one source material stand out as "outstanding"?

[Buddhabreath]

Well, this will have get some audiophiles' hackles raised.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articl...valley-startup

Doesn't make much sense to me other than a big payout for Atkins. Then again, maybe Yu is an audiophile, like Woz is.

This doesn't make me happy. I've built my system around B&W, but more to the point selling a true legacy to somebody out of left-field not even in the business whom you met 30 days ago? Sound like a cash out to me...

[Staun]

Guys, I think we may have covered this but, what am I missing by not using a sub woofer in my sound system? Even when they came into vogue I simply took a pass. Now I know that the overall sound will have more bottom but is this a good or bad thing? I know as well, it's a matter of what you like but just how much do they improve things or don't improve things. Now I can understand if your system is so flat that it may need a little help but doesn't a sub affect all the frequencies? Would you not be better off with using an EQ for instance? What are the pros and cons of using one?

[Staun]

This doesn't make me happy. I've built my system around B&W, but more to the point selling a true legacy to somebody out of left-field not even in the business whom you met 30 days ago? Sound like a cash out to me...

That's exactly what it is and the product will probably suffer.

[Jerjo]

My feeling (and that's all it is) is that a subwoofer is appropriate in only a few cases. A home theater system where the speakers don't supply the necessary rumble, a small system where you have a couple bookshelf speakers with no bottom end to them (like in my office where my little Infinity speakers do fine on mid and upper but have no depth), or those old ribbon speaker set-ups with their transparent upper registers but not enough muscle for bass.

[BobM]

I use 2 subs, primarily because my vintage Apogee Duetta Sig's are old. I need to cut the bottom end off at 80Hz to preserve the ribbons and avoid the "buzzz". 2 sub's allow me to do this without losing anything in dynamics or range.

[wideopenears]

Did any one source material stand out as "outstanding"?

Well, we listened to both Streaming Hi Res files via Tidal, and CD's. And an SACD. Honestly, I couldn't tell the diff...except that one of the streaming things cut out intermittently, LOL. I suppose that's a wifi issue.

[Firth]

I use 2 subs, primarily because my vintage Apogee Duetta Sig's are old. I need to cut the bottom end off at 80Hz to preserve the ribbons and avoid the "buzzz". 2 sub's allow me to do this without losing anything in dynamics or range.

I a X.2 system with 2 independent subs (and amps), the EQ function can adjust the gain and phase vs freq. to come up with a smoother bass response around a room.

[rcarlberg]

Well, we listened to both Streaming Hi Res files via Tidal, and CD's. And an SACD. Honestly, I couldn't tell the diff...except that one of the streaming things cut out intermittently, LOL. I suppose that's a wifi issue.

Oops, what I meant was, "Was any one song or album outstanding as source material for showing off the Magico S3s?" I'm always on the search for showcase music.

[wideopenears]

Ah! hmmm.......the Faure Requiem was cool, great soundstage/imaging. Not sure about the source info, recording, etc., though.

The Scodonibbio recording was mine--New Albion records, "The Voyage that never Ends," and it sounded like the upright bass was right there in the room with us.

[rcarlberg]

Ah! hmmm.......the Faure Requiem was cool, great soundstage/imaging. Not sure about the source info, recording, etc., though.

Grrr. Kinda critical details!

[wideopenears]

Yeah, I know..... my host was pulling stuff up on Tidal, and I didn't take good notes.

[Jerjo]

Marilyn Monroe audiophile.jpg

[simon moon]

Guys, I think we may have covered this but, what am I missing by not using a sub woofer in my sound system? Even when they came into vogue I simply took a pass. Now I know that the overall sound will have more bottom but is this a good or bad thing? I know as well, it's a matter of what you like but just how much do they improve things or don't improve things. Now I can understand if your system is so flat that it may need a little help but doesn't a sub affect all the frequencies? Would you not be better off with using an EQ for instance? What are the pros and cons of using one?

The biggest pros are, that having speakers specifically designed and only reproducing ultra low frequencies, frees up your mains to only have to reproduce down to mid bass, they sound cleaner.

The other pro, which is just as important, is that, the amp driving your mains does not have to try to amplify the low frequencies, so its job becomes much easier. You get lower distortion, more headroom, more power to your mains.

[BobM]

The third pro is that the placement of that bass driver does not have to be the same as the placement of the mid/tweeter, as it would be if they were both in a single cabinet. Each has an optimized location in the room (remember bass is non-directional but treble is very directional). Using 2 subs helps equalize standing waves in the room, improving bass performance even more.

[Dave (in MA)]

An article about an audiophile listening club in London,

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/31/ar...piritland.html

Kind of a boring musical playlist, though.

[Jerjo]

I was just reading the same article. Yeah, the playlist could use some work but I suppose they're trying to be diverse for a young crowd. Still, it's an encouraging trend and exposes more people to the idea that listening to music means more than listening through your phone.

[rcarlberg]

The third pro is that the placement of that bass driver does not have to be the same as the placement of the mid/tweeter, as it would be if they were both in a single cabinet. Each has an optimized location in the room (remember bass is non-directional but treble is very directional). Using 2 subs helps equalize standing waves in the room, improving bass performance even more.

The "bass is nondirectional" idea was promoted in the 1950s but has been quite thoroughly debunked since then.

Using 2 subs helps DOUBLE standing waves in the room, unless you wire one of them out of phase!

[simon moon]

The "bass is nondirectional" idea was promoted in the 1950s but has been quite thoroughly debunked since then.

Using 2 subs helps DOUBLE standing waves in the room, unless you wire one of them out of phase!

Actually, Dr. Earl Geddes pretty much proved the advantage of a "subwoofer swarm", Several subs, distributed asymmetrically around the room. Dr. Linkwitz also agrees with multiple subs, but uses a different approach to Dr. Geddes.

"We must look for ways that will reduce the variability of the peaks and dips in both the frequency response as well as the
response around the room. The reason for this is that if the response is different at every
point then EQing the sound at one point will only make it worse at another point – there
is no EQ that can correct the situation except for a single point. On the other hand if we
could reduce the variability of this response from point to point then we could apply
some EQ and correct the entire problem. Statistically this comes about by using averages
– by using multiple LF sources that will average out to a smoother spatial variation which
can then be EQ’d for a total global solution."


http://www.gedlee.com/downloads/Philosophy.pdf

[rcarlberg]

"We must look for ways that will reduce the variability of the peaks and dips in both the frequency response as well as the response around the room. The reason for this is that if the response is different at every point then EQing the sound at one point will only make it worse at another point – there is no EQ that can correct the situation except for a single point."

Yep, that's pretty much the textbook definition of a standing wave.