Forgive me for using the term “soul” because I don’t mean it in a disrespectful or religious manner – but for lack of a better term – I mean a life of its own. I think we all agree machines have personalities and they invoke feelings and emotions in us and for many they can […]
Month: March 2020
Found 84 results
https://music.tutsplus.com/tutorials/interview-with-engineer-jim-pavett–audio-4063
Anonymous writes: This may invoke some negative criticism though i am willing to take it on the chin. I write of a personal experience that may or may not have been experienced in the past by others. About six years ago i was given the cold shoulder by friends of many years standing. At the […]
Paul McGowan writes: People don’t change, but circumstances do. It’s always interesting to me when I hear someone wring their hands and point out that people aren’t the way they used to be. They’ve changed. I think typical of what you might hear is something like this: They no longer appreciate good music. They’re perfectly […]
When news broke that Sony is set to cease production of MiniDisc stereo systems, most people’s reaction was ‘you mean they still made those?’ David Crookes looks at other gadgets that refuse to die. MORE
How can fuses possibly make a difference? I’m in no way an expensive cable believer, but I do think you need to find something fit for purpose. A fuse is basically a few mm of thin tin wire, so how and why do these sell, and for so much! [TL: moderating comment: it is […]
Paul McGowan writes: In our comments section of PS Tracks magazine I mentioned how we in the high-end got what we bargained for when we chose the lowest price over service and advice. I thought it would make a good post on its own. Dealers have always discounted. Even back in the days of famous […]
“…. but please don’t think that buying online means you can have something for a weeks w@nk and then return for a full refund………….” MORE
Paul McGowan writes: This subject is actually very interesting because this class of amplification device is at the core of almost everything in audio today and while simple on the surface, there’s lots to know. Therefore I will break this up into a bunch of little posts to help you assimilate the info one day […]
Paul McGowan Perhaps the best audio experience you could have would be to drag your stereo system to the original concert hall where a particular recording was made, setup on the same stage and play the recording back. You would be sitting in your favorite seat in the concert hall and the sound would be […]
The d’appalito designs are unique in speaker topology and often popular amongst designers. Why do they exist, what do they accomplish, and how do they work? Watch Now Paul McGowan
Gentlemen. I read your website with great interest and will do so again. I find there is a great gulf between having an interest in HiFi and the actual purchasing process which can be time consuming and frustrating, your approach bridges that divide and long may you continue. Thank you for your kind comments. Yours, […]
Paul McGowan writes: In my previous post Jittered, we used a water flow analogy to further our understanding of jitter and how to make it go away. You’ll remember that jitter is all about timing and making sure that the digital audio bits arrive on schedule without any slow downs or speed ups to their […]
“Hi. Following my sudden immersion in the Tube world , with the Eastern Electric Avant Pre amp , I discovered what I missed for a few years .. great musicality and obvious fun with music. Tube rolling has been a very troubled way of spending money .. and yet interesting. However , the only thing […]
Paul McGowan writes: I’ve been thinking recently about our discussions on tone controls a few weeks ago. Initially I objected when a commenter suggested we could use tone controls selectively to improve recordings. That seemed to violate the purity of the recording. After all, isn’t the goal to get as close to what the […]
“I have been reading a lot about matching speraker cable and interconnect and am wondering if this is strictly true. Also I have been hearing that a lot of you use mogami (but I think this is for Naim).” MORE
Paul McGowan writes: David Pogue, one of my readers, suggested to me “the cheapest tweak” that he’s ever tried and I thought it might be interesting, this fine Sunday morning, to give this tweak a try if you’re looking for something to do. The tweak concerns extreme toe in of the loudspeakers – toe in […]
I have just realised that ‘Six Moons’ now has an official policy of demanding that any manufacturer who wants a review has to buy advertising space….In advance. The stated reason is that Six Moons wants the money. It expects to be paid for what it does. Is that pretty blatant? Or a simple admission that […]
Paul McGowan writes: I think we all understand the importance of power supplies in audio equipment – as everything we listen to in our systems starts out as DC voltage in the first place. Power amps are particularly sensitive to power quality for reasons I’ve detailed in past posts – and of all power amp […]
Paul McGowan writes: Perhaps the most expensive option a designer has to control the gain is called a stepped attenuator. These devices can range from the reasonably simple to the ultra exotic and expensive. Cello’s 59 step platinum attenuator as well as Ayre’s 66 stepped device are exotic, expensive hand built beauties that exemplify […]
How important is brand synergy in matching components? This not only includes amps and preamps but also digital sources from a particular brand, say Arcam or Kell. Is this “synergy” important just for impedance purposes or is there an additional sonic benefit of having everything matching? Thanks. Take a look HERE
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John Watkinson writes: Today’s loudspeakers are nowhere near as good as they could be, due in no small measure to the presence of “traditional” audiophile products. But no progress can be made when science is replaced by bizarre belief structures and marketing fluff, leading to a decades-long stagnation of the audiophile domain. It’s a scenario […]