Years ago, when Harry Weisfeld was running VPI and probably before son Matt was yet born, there was the Magic Brick. The Magic Brick isn’t all that complicated. Essentially a transformer without windings. Underneath the wood exterior are steel laminations like those in a transformer. The idea is to redirect and focus magnetic fields in […]
AUDIO The Insider
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What can we ask of an electrician to ensure good AC power from our home when it comes to our listening rooms, and how important is that power? Watch Now
Hopefully: 1. You’ll agree that it’s essential that your amplifier or amplifiers being auditioned should be as close to tonally consistent across the spl (volume) band as possible i.e. no bass, or mid or treble emphasis (or dropout) as the volume is changed. 2. That the only fair comparison between any two components (amps in […]
After 50 years of working with audio gear, it’s easy for me to forget not everyone knows the basics. I’ll do my best to help remedy that. A few days ago we got into fuses, a subject that helped me realize not everyone knows there are two basic types. Fast and slow. A fast fuse […]
Previously So hopefully you’ve agreed that logically the two amplifiers must at all times be compared at identical SPLs? Good. Now then I’m not suggesting that you are exposed to a fixed spl throughout demo – unless you want to. Before revealing a simple strategy to bypass this all too common problem let’s consider how […]
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 […]
By Larry Archibald J. Gordon Holt C.J. Huss • Posted: May 5, 1985 In 1985 and 1986, an argumentative thread ran through Stereophile’s pages, discussing the benefits or lack of double-blind testing methods in audio component reviewing, triggered by J. Gordon Holt’s review of the ABX Comparator. As this debate is still raging nearly 15 […]
Hi. A well known valve supplier and I have discussed putting (a new valve amplifier line) into production. Given your experiences with valve amplification would you be interested in selling same amps? Well, I think it fair to say and with some regret too that currently the economic situation facing the UK audiophile industry in […]
Welcome back. Starting work on part #2 I now face a decision. Should I outline some of the inconvenient and self-administered psychological problems involved in making decisions about anything in general and stereo in particular? Or should I address one per day with a strategy of how to address each – or should I […]
Battery University™ is a free educational website that offers hands-on battery information to engineers, educators, media, students and battery users alike. The tutorials evaluate the advantages and limitations of battery chemistries, advise on best battery choice and suggest ways to extend battery life. The material is based on “Batteries in a Portable World – A […]
If you own a CD it is perfectly legal to sell that CD. It’s your property. It is also perfectly legal for you to make a copy of that CD for your own use on your iPod, a server or computer. You do not have the legal right to copy the CD and sell or […]
I remember my first trip to Hong Kong back in the 1990s. Breakfast that morning was to be fruit, Miso soup, rice, and salted plum. When the server brought my plate out I was pleasantly surprised to see my fruit, a lovely orange/yellow mango, opened for the eating like the top half of a ball […]
I remember the first time I heard the improvements brought by an upgraded fuse. It was a few years ago and our German distributor, Jurgen, was visiting. We were in the middle of a listening session and he asked if I might be up for an experiment. Of course! He pulled the top off the […]
Turn the preamp level all the way up and use the DAC for volume control or the opposite? Turns out it all depends on what kind of preamp you have and how much attention was paid to its controls. Watch Now
On the periphery of exotic upgrades is the external power supply. Sometimes this supply is bigger and more powerful than what’s standard inside products, but more often than not it’s simply the only means of powering a product. A wall wart is a great example. In my experience, the first use of an external power […]
I am often asked if a particular system setup is appropriate for a genre of music. Or, put another way, would this or that amp or speaker be a good choice for Jazz? Or this one or that one for classical? Rock? Of course, the obvious answer is we want a system that does it […]
I remain flummoxed as to how the industry wound up separating studio monitors from home audio. Both have the same task of reproducing music as accurately as possible. Yet the way they are marketed is so very different. Pro monitors, as they are referred to (because professionals wouldn’t want to think about amateur home speakers for their studios) […]
You can find information and knowledge on just about any subject in the world. Just Google it. Have a math problem? There are online calculators at the click of a mouse. Need a chemical formula? No problem. Design a room for best sound quality? It’s a few clicks of the mouse away. With a bit […]
Navigating through the different types of communicators inside and outside the company can be challenging. For example, when speaking to our engineering group we use what I would term precise language. In this vernacular, a rectifier tube is radically different than an amplifier tube. A thick film resistor sounds and performs differently than its thin film counterpart. The language is precise and one […]
People, like amplifiers, are biased. In an amplifier, the bias means we’ve turned on the circuit in a specific direction in anticipation of the signal. This, as opposed to no bias—where the circuit is off until there is a signal present—is a much more welcoming approach. The circuit is on and as soon as the […]
Hi Howard, I have a pair of Meridian M1 mk2, I am the original owner . I’ve definitely got it right now modules for the 101. I bought them back a few of years ago but didn’t have the room, time or money to do them justice. They are now sitting in a cupboard rather […]