This is the next in an occasional series of recorded brief conversations between Howard and myself during snatched time between deadlines and other time issues. Neil: Howard? Howard: Yes! (faking irritability) N: it’s that time again! (faking sarcasm) H: Oh …… good (faking sarcasm) N: So, whatever happened to tone controls? You know, the bass […]
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Really? Re Soft Machine, I sat through too many of their live tedious ramblings at too many 1960’s free gigs waiting for Pink Floyd as the headline act. There were murmuring that some hapless audience members would sooner bite their own heads off rather than sit through another experience. Mind you, the same was said […]
Neil, As a listener, a civilian if you like and not an editor how important, in your view, is it for a speaker design to sound full bodied and detailed at low sound pressure levels? Well I think it’s rather important that, because so many people live in our overcrowded island in restrictive circumstances where […]
The internet radio station calmradio.com Tchaikovsky 128 kbps Wonderful music via this free station.
The CD from Joan Armatrading: “Into The Blues” Damn good it is too! Earlier today was Suzanne Vega’s “99.9F” CD. All of it. Twice! Terrific! More music like this HERE
Neil McCauley / editor in chief – my point of view: Overview Yesterday I received an email reminding me that one of the best means of evaluating equipment is fatigue. Yes, I know that sounds counterintuitive but I guess we’ve all experienced our system’s sounding so good that we could listen for hours. And we […]
If you are selling from home and a potential buyer wants to visit to see/hear the item, then you might want to consider my safety tips: 1. When a person phones, gently quiz them on what they know about the brand. If they know little, then ask them how the came to select it. If […]
Neil McCauley asks Howard Popeck: What were the best reproduced sounds you ever heard in the early days? Not easy to answer. Depends on one’s definition of best. If you take just listenability i.e. the customer’s sound is so good right now that I’m not going to unpack my demo gear, then it would have […]
Hmm. Okay So anyway, a little while later were ushered into the listening room and were confronted by man-sized monoliths we later came to know as The Apogee, from Apogee. And a pair of the previously mechanically buzzing power amps, powered up with the preamp at max without a source playing and mechanically silent. Seeing […]
Previously Not only is the Editor’s decision final, but … His decision is not up for debate or interpretation. Let me explain. Years ago it was not uncommon for a reviewer to act as a talent scout for a magazine. He / she might have spotted a new maker and/or new technology at a show […]
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. […]
Neil McCauley asks Howard Popeck Howard, Historically, what did you mean by ‘accidental magic’? Well …….. a combination of equipment that previously you’d not encountered and which sounds right immediately. Unusual combinations. Amps and speakers that just by chance sound magical together – even though the makers probably hadn’t used each other’s equipment. That kinda […]
I’m still knocked out by The Jayhawks “Tomorrow The Green Grass” . If you love gentle but far from bland country-rock, you really should get this. I got mine off eBay for £3.70 plus postage. Some tracks are indescribably beautiful. Neil McCauley More music like this HERE
The hard (but fun) work behind the scenes in our editorial office becomes more enjoyable through listening to music in the background. Our playlist varies of course, depending on the prevailing mood. Sometimes it’s predominantly blues, rarely jazz, occasionally Mozart, and so on. And sometimes like today, a bit of a mixed bag. The music […]
Q: So Howard, you’ve from time to time mentioned, in the context of receivers, the “good old days”. What does that mean? In the “good old days” the electronics for a hi fi system was all in one box that usually included a power amp, preamp and radio tuner. They were very convenient. Q: Convenient, […]
Neil, have you been surprised by the effects of different types of mains cable and IEC termination on the sound that comes from electronics driving speakers? I have been rather surprised because I don’t reckon I have anything like the acuity of some of my friends for acoustic things, I will usually arrive at conclusions; […]
Is it possible that the lack of congruency between measurement and sound quality in speaker systems is merely because there are parameters that have yet to be measured? What? Ah, oh yes, I get it …. I think. Oh yes, I believe that absolutely. I mean there was a time when harmonic distortion in amplifiers […]
Neil, regarding digital room equalisation, is it a gimmick or does it have some application in domestic situations? I have heard these things in operation and I suppose that if you are prepared to spend any time experimenting and moving loudspeakers then it’s a good shortcut to a sort of middling performance. But by and […]
Neil … have you experienced your system sounding different, in the same room, at different times of the day and indeed at weekends and week days? Oh very much so, yes. One of the crushing things that you feel when you need to calm you and encourage you in life for music and you go […]
Q: Hi Neil. Some makers are extolling the virtue of seemingly unlimited amplifier power as a requirement for un-restricted system dynamics. Logical or merely smart marketing? A: Well I suppose it must depend on a number of things. Let’s take the things that it depends on. Sound pressure level – that you hear in your […]
Michael Vronsky writes: Neil; if you were, say, a speaker designer then what would be more important to you when designing , the final subjective sound or the measurements? Oh, I’m afraid very much the sound. I don’t despise or ignore measurements which are essential in the course of designing the thing. They give you […]
Michael Vronsky asks: Neil; Do you think the market for audiophile quality is diminishing, or static or expanding? If I believe the reports I read it’s been diminishing under the onslaught of alternative ways of spending money on home entertainment like home cinema and video games etc. I think there is a very serious core […]
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 […]