…….. but then uncomfortable when we speak of it in absolute terms

Paul McGowan: We’re comfortable suggesting sound is subjective when it comes to our differences in perception, but then uncomfortable when we speak of it in absolute terms. In other words, we believe the source of sound to be absolute. The perception of sound a matter of personal choice. The dictionary describes subjective as a central philosophical […]

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UK mains plugs MUST be approved!

This IMPORTANT forum thread starts as follows: Hi, My name is Ann from the PlugSafe safety campaign. I know there have often been discussions here about mains plugs and fuses; I would like to clarify a few issues. Mains plugs supplied in the UK for domestic use MUST comply with BS1363-1 and MUST be approved […]

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STAX: SRA-14S

Dear Howard. Grateful for your views as to whether the captioned extension cable (6-pin in/female & 5-pin out/male) will work with a pair of SR-3 earspeaker into the normal socket of a SRA-14s. Many thanks in advance. I am finding this a very difficult question to answer with any confidence. First, despite many years of […]

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STAX: Useful information regarding the use of STAX Omega 2 earspeakers

Howard Popeck writes: Part of the considerable expense of the Omegas is the fact that the driver membrane is phenomenally thin, in fact thinner than STAX have ever built before. Around 1.6 microns thick. Far lighter than even the thinnest tissue paper. Consequently the membrane can respond to draughts, sudden movements of air and so […]

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PS AUDIO: What is this defense mechanism? It’s not in your ears but rather your brain

I learned a new word from one of my readers this morning: conflate.  It means confusing two messages together and apparently that’s what I did yesterday in my post; so I’ll start by clearing the conflation up. I first defined what I believe Listener Fatigue is and then went on to describe how music communicates […]

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ARCAM: A&R Cambridge Arcam Alpha amp

The thread starts ….. Hey, I was just in a nearby charity shop, and they had the aforementioned amp selling for £15. It’s pretty old-looking – I’d say early 80s vintage. It had a phono stage, switched/unswitched speakers outs, and all the controls on the front had little blue “bits” sticking out of them. The […]

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CONVERSATIONS WITH COLIN: Impedance – match of pre / power amps

Dear Colin, impedance match of preamp and main amp. I am considering mating a McIntosh Mc602 with a Bat Vk 51se. I noticed the input impedance on the Mc602 is 10K. While most Bat amps are much higher. Do you see a problem with this? It seems I remember at Stereophile I used to know […]

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STUDIO GRADE HEADPHONES: Why don’t audio engineers use high-end headphones?

James Harwood replies … Audio engineers typically do use high-end headphones, just not high-end consumer headphones. There is a difference from headphones that are meant for studio use (mixing) vs. what is used for listening to music (consumer). The difference is the frequency response. Most consumer headphones are made to either boost or reduce frequencies […]

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SCV Announce UK Distribution of Triangle

Today on 1st July 2021 SCV are thrilled to announce a new partnership with HiFi loudspeaker manufacturer Triangle. We are excited to begin this partnership with SCV Distribution. Its premium audio team has a proven track record building market share for high-quality audio brands and we look forward to building this partnership together and bringing […]

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TOWNSHEND ENGINEERING: Howard Popeck speaks at length to people with interesting things to say: Max Townshend

From our archives : Howard Popeck: Not many people know you’re a qualified engineer. What engineering discipline was your first degree? Max: Bachelor of Engineering, Electrical, specialising in communications. Where did you study? University of Western Australia So what happened after that? I accepted a commission in the Royal Australian Air Force where I was […]

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