Mapman, thanks for your comments.
I think there probably is some sort of point where the odd ordered distortion is not detectable. The problem is, we can hear that which is very difficult to measure! So how do we tell?? Test instruments don't seem to be able to help us.
We do indeed.
I think it can be cured too... BTW you might want to read Nelson Pass's article on distortion: https://passlabs.com/articles/audio-distortion-and-feedback
I think this article is a wonderful tutorial in what the amplifier designer is up against.
Most of us here have been listening for decades. I've been into audio since the 7th grade (1970), and playing in bands and orchestras since the 6th grade (string bass). I run a recording studio, have three solo albums and play keyboards with a band on two more albums. I've cut LPs for commercial release on our own LP mastering lathe.
Regarding the lathe: we cut a lacquer when testing the lathe that used the same cut repeated 4 times on one side, each cut with its own lockout groove. The way the cuts differed was by the kind of amp that was used for each cut. The first was using the stock transistor amps for the cutter head, the rest were using three different tube amps including our own. What was nice about this lacquer is we could play the differences between the amps for anyone, on any system (FWIW the solid state amp being obviously brighter and less detailed than the other amps...). Several people have suggested putting this out as an audiophile demo LP. I'm not so sure about that- might be a small market...
I think there probably is some sort of point where the odd ordered distortion is not detectable. The problem is, we can hear that which is very difficult to measure! So how do we tell?? Test instruments don't seem to be able to help us.
Odd order harmonics from NF might be quite nasty relative to others as suggested, but that does not mean there is no way to get the negative effects into a range that is not significant, at least for most. No amp is perfect, I think we would agree on that?
We do indeed.
I think it can be cured too... BTW you might want to read Nelson Pass's article on distortion: https://passlabs.com/articles/audio-distortion-and-feedback
I think this article is a wonderful tutorial in what the amplifier designer is up against.
Most of us here have been listening for decades. I've been into audio since the 7th grade (1970), and playing in bands and orchestras since the 6th grade (string bass). I run a recording studio, have three solo albums and play keyboards with a band on two more albums. I've cut LPs for commercial release on our own LP mastering lathe.
Regarding the lathe: we cut a lacquer when testing the lathe that used the same cut repeated 4 times on one side, each cut with its own lockout groove. The way the cuts differed was by the kind of amp that was used for each cut. The first was using the stock transistor amps for the cutter head, the rest were using three different tube amps including our own. What was nice about this lacquer is we could play the differences between the amps for anyone, on any system (FWIW the solid state amp being obviously brighter and less detailed than the other amps...). Several people have suggested putting this out as an audiophile demo LP. I'm not so sure about that- might be a small market...