Paul McGowan writes: Some of my readers may remember I have the insanely big Infinity IRS loudspeakers on the way from Vestal New York. News that I am changing my reference system to that of a 30 year old loudspeaker has raised more than a few eyebrows amongst you and some even question my sanity. […]
Month: January 2021
Found 37 results
Looks interesting, particularly the cassette deck.
Paul McGowan writes: A great writer once said in a note to his friend: “I apologize for the long letter. I didn’t have time to write you a shorter one.” That note was from someone who commented on the site and I have been thinking about it for a couple of weeks now: why is […]
The Lone Ranger had them. They are required for the killing of a werewolf. Audiophiles search for them. A silver bullet is a metaphor for a simple, magical, solution to a difficult problem. Like penicillin. As hard as we search, and as much as we’d like to find a magical fix for our system’s shortcomings, […]
Paul McGowan writes: I have always considered the balance control on a preamplifier like a useless apendage – even worse, the extra componentry required for its implementation degrades the sound. Why would anyone want a balance control? How many people actually ever use it? Come on, be honest, isn’t your balance control set dead-center? Recently […]
Paul McGowan writes ….. In my mind, I am mostly right about stuff—wrong only on occasion. But then my wife, Terri, keeps better score—which she says now stands at about 50/50. Guess I was wrong about the score, too. To that point, I have always referred to the wall behind the loudspeakers as the rear […]
PS Audio makes world famous AC regenerators called Power Plants that deliver perfect new AC power to improve system performance. These are based on class A/B amplifier technology. Why not use the more efficient Class D? Watch Now Paul McGowan
Paul McGowan writes: Do you remember applying green paint to CD edges? Placing steel VPI bricks on top of equipment? Placing small pillows in each corner of the ceiling? Using a tape demagnetizer on CD’s? Pointing a static zap gun at LP’s before playing them? I do. All these tweaks worked but I don’t use […]
Does anyone have one of these – in full working order – for sale? Thanks. HP https://en.audiofanzine.com/analog-multitrack/stellavox/SP8/user_reviews/ http://www.audio-ideas.com/reviews/analog-sources/analog-recorders.html http://museumofmagneticsoundrecording.org/ManufacturersStellavox.html https://www.radiomuseum.org/r/stellavox_portable_tape_recorder_sp8.html
Paul McGowan: How many tweaks and improver gadgets do we buy with the claim of being better? Most of them. But do they really make things “better”? Better than what? I buy organically grown food whenever I can. It’s more expensive, but it’s better. Better than what? Let’s face it. Tweaks, improvers, organically grown food […]
All rooms are reflective, bouncing sound off walls, ceilings, and floor. But those reflections are unnatural and never existed in the recording in the first place. Wouldn’t a totally dead room be better sounding?
Paul McGowan writes …. With all the ranting and raving I do about the importance of subwoofers you’d think we were in the business of selling them. But, we’re not. My passion for certain subjects knows few bounds. I understand people’s hesitations with them: the added clutter of multiple boxes, PITA to set up, expensive, unnecessary. […]
Paul McGowan writes: In an earlier post we talked about how most of us aspire to have a dedicated listening room but don’t have the real estate to build one. Instead, we have the shared living room to work with. Problem with this is the need for the loudspeakers to be placed 1/3 the way […]
From the archives: I am visiting the high-end show in Tokyo at the moment and last night, between demonstrations of the system, I was wandering the halls of the show when the strains of one of my all time favorite operas came drifting down the hall. La Boheme, as performed by Renata Tebaldi in 1951 […]
Paul McGowan writes: In my post “Through and open window” I mentioned that if I am walking down the street and hear a piano through an open window I know immediately if that’s the sound of a real piano or a recorded one. Odd that we can do this even from affar and through a […]
When I peer into my camera’s ground glass I am intent on one thing. Sharp focus. When I check the clock for my 9:45 meeting I focus on the second hand and ignore the hour. I can tell you if I am late or early but not what time it is. When we narrow our […]
Paul McGowan writes: Ever notice how we all tend to gravitate towards the safe solution? It’s something I am certainly consistent with. We are more comfortable following Stereophile’s Recommended Component list (just to be safe), we keep our preamp’s balance control right in the middle (safer, in case we’re wrong), we use the recommended filter […]