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Dear Sir … (Max Townshend)

Published a long time ago Dear Sir Howard (well everything is possible). I look forward to your newsletters, Simply-STAX & Listen Carefully ever since their inceptions. Some of it washes over me yet some of the content sticks with me for months. Thank you. By way of example I relate to a comment you made […]

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GREED: A new route to market for beleaguered and/or greedy audio makers? Part #2 of 3

First published in 2017 It can’t happen here! Oh really? Well ….. take a look at the Dell computer company. They’ve become vast and have done so with having any retailers whatsoever. PCs and laptops are infinitely more complex that audio equipment. All an audio maker needs to do is to have the will and […]

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“Okay, fine. So which piano is the more accurate – the Steinway or the Bosendorfer?” – a deliberately illogical question (to make a point!) by Howard Popeck

Stupid question of course that doesn’t warrant consideration, let alone an answer. Unless of course it is useful as a basis for pondering on the well-intentioned but ultimately futile debate about accuracy – within the current meaning of the word. Only a cretin would fail to recognise that the reproduction of a piano on even […]

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A new route to market for beleaguered and/or greedy audio makers? Part #1 of 3

Howard Popeck ….. I don’t claim to be a futurologist. However sometimes it’s possible to read some signs and occasionally form a view of which way the commercial wind is blowing. And I mean the way that wind is blowing, but not necessarily the speed and strength of that wind. My belief is that with […]

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CUSTOMERS: The customer as a dealer-groupie aka am I just one more on the list?

Normal, counter-intuitive – or what? If in the normal course of events you engage with sufficient people, then inevitably you’ll get to experience a wide cross-section of attitudes and behaviours. And so it is, in the audiophile world. And yes, I do from time to time encounter perverse (well, perverse as far as I’m concerned) […]

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EQUIPMENT ISOLATION SUPPORTS

Hello Howard, wanted to ask what your view of isolation supports etc is? Over many years I have had personal experience of isolations systems from everyone from Russ Andrews, Mana and latterly Townshend Audio. My conclusions are these: Anyone who claims that an isolation support, in your home, at your listening levels will automatically provide […]

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A new route to market for beleaguered and/or greedy audio makers? Part #3 of 3

So now you know my views. Are they interesting views? How do you feel about them? While you are pondering this, given that I’m far from infallible it’s worth considering that although I might be right I could also be wrong: The direct marketing strategy has already worked in the case of Eastern Electric in […]

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HP

PRINCIPAL DESIGN: PD150 speakers, Dr Penfold and possiblity of clones of Linn Sara speakers. Part #2 of 2

I have toyed with the idea of making a few sets and selling them. Any info would be appreciated As for building a few sets of your own, well great – if you want to expose yourself to heartache, deceit, moral corruption from some hi-fi mags, sniping from self-appointed know-it-all ‘experts’ on some forums, sub-contractors […]

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Class A amplification; are the perceived benefits merely an illusion? Howard Popeck expresses a view

A question for Mr. Popeck. Regarding Class A amplification, are the perceived benefits merely an illusion, or are they noticeable? That’s a very difficult question because it’s all dependent on how good the power supply is. A Class A power amplifier needs – basically – a huge power supply to operate properly. I’m not talking […]

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Howard Popeck muses on passion, the lack of status for decent hi-fi equipment and …. a Boss suit.

My pal Laurence owns a £78k Maserati car; magnificent enginering, superb performance and more. Next year the marque will probably announce ‘a huge breakthrough’; the 0-62 mph slashed by 0.3 seconds for another £6K. Laurence, working from home and sometimes preferring to visit his clients by train and/or air travels around 7,000 miles per year […]

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Quill

The amplifier designer hall of fame / “They were the ones that saw the market niches …”

Editor McCauley in conversation with Howard Popeck: So there are more figureheads than gifted designers. Is that what you’re saying? Not quite like that. In my direct personal experience I’ve met more figureheads than gifted designers. But that’s not to say that my experiences are representative of the entire industry. One has to take into […]

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Quill

The amplifier designer hall of fame / Chris Bryant / Antony Michaelson (again) / Allen Boothroyd …

So no, we aren’t coming to the end. Not yet. (Long pause) Okay. I used to sell the Albarry monoblocs. Damn fine sound. Clever designer. Still sounds good today. Not a hero as such but worthy of an honourable mention. Then whoever designed the A&R A60. A truly great product. In its way a classic. […]

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TWEAKS: Differences, improvements and wishful (self-delusory?) thinking – by Howard Popeck

A frequent question I receive is “Will I hear the difference?” My answer is simple. “How should I know?“ A bit curt you might think. At face value, it is. But if you look beneath the superficiality, my answer is both objective and rational, to say nothing of truthful. This is because I am not […]

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RISK / REWARD: Used audio equipment on eBay offered at bargain prices in the USA into the UK. Good idea or what?

Good morning Howard. I have seen new and used audio equipment on eBay offered at bargain prices in the USA into the UK. Good idea or what? Buyer beware! First, remember you will have to pay import duty, plus vat at 20% when the purchase comes into the UK. So add at least 23% to […]

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Howard Popeck wonders if his vinyl records are filters?

You might be surprised by the fact that many new vinyl releases today actually are recorded, mixed and mastered digitally before being transferred to vinyl. Are you? Perhaps not; in which case, no matter. It probably won’t negatively influence what follows here. Many studios today are digital based and it’s easier for musicians to record […]

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KINKS: Yes – I was there – The Kinks, in Manchester in 1968 and then in London

I was fortunate enough in the sixties to see the Kinks live at Manchester University where I was a student at UMIST. They were indeed outstanding and it wasn’t just because of their strange and unusual stage presence, but they really could play their instruments and sing and of course wrote some truly wonderful tunes. […]

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Gigs I really wished I had been to and for whatever reason didn’t get to see. Part #2. Hendrix, Spirit, Love, Jefferson Airplane and …

Being a bit too young at the time though, I dearly, dearly would have loved to have seen the Small Faces live. I’ve seen a number of live performance videotapes of them and they were certainly not a studio-bound band. Whilst it’s true that certain effects in the studio such as phasing and backwards guitars […]

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