Riaa curve

Dear Eldartford: +++++ " You are correct that importance of RIAA frequency accuracy is over rated. The rest of the system, notably speakers, are much less accurate. " +++++

yes, even some cartridges specs are less accurate and this is one way to see that RIAA accuracy.

My overall/whole point of view is different and different not only on the RIAA accuracy but in each link on the audio system chain: almost all of us ( I hope ) want to be nearest to the recording and trying to achieve this goal we need ( between other things. ) accuracy, very low noise, very low distortions, etc, etc. trying to add the less and trying to lose the less all over the audio system chain, at least this is my goal ( of course the enjoying of the music. ) maybe yours is different.

Now, what is the inverse RIAA eq. curve? well it is the main factor why phono stages are a necessity where IMHO the main target in any phono stage must be to deliver an accurate inverted RIAA curve to mimic the one used on the recording to give us a flat frequency response with the gain/low noise/low distortions that our cartridges are asking for.

I don't care what happen after or even before the phono stage link the subject is that in that phono stage things must be working/processed with accuracy in the right way.

If I was thinking like you that there are other audio links with a higher un-accuracies then that spec could be +,- 3-5 db and no body cares anymore about.

But things are not so easy, the RIAA is a curve not a flat line so any single deviation in that curve ( at any frequency ) affects not only that deviation on that discrete frequency but affect almost three octaves!!

Do you think that you can hear a 1db deviation on the RIAA curve at 3Khz?, certainly yes because that deviation affects a wide frequency range and puts a continuous coloration in the sound reproduction ( of course that are people that does not care about, well I care. ), Eldartford I don't know how good are your ears perception but I can tell you that you can ( if your system has the resolution. ) hear even deviations as low as 0.1-0.2db

If that 3Khz deviation was the only frequency that was affected then you maybe can't hear it or detectec it.

Everything the same IMHO the RIAA accuracy makes a wide difference in the quality performance on almost any audio system.

Regards and enjoy the music,
Raul.

Dear Axel: IMHO your tyre example tell me that you don't understand anything what is on my post or you don't really care about and it is nothing wrong with that because you like a person are a unique person as everyone else.

Btw, in our unit we make the RIAA calibration with the unit " hot "/warm to avoide changes due to temperature. Of ourse that in any audio item design we have to work between the parts tolerances, in some way this part tolerances are the limits to.

Regards and enjoy the music,
Raul.

Dear Axel: IMHO all your statements are out of my main/deep point of view, please re-read my post and try to understand what I really mean because maybe I can't explain in the right way.

Btw, I understand that you can't imagine how could you hear a tiny deviation in the RIAA when you never experienced on the same phono stage making RIAA deviation changes. Well, over the time in our design uit I have the opportunity to have that kind of experiences and that's why I know that we can hear those tiny RIAA deviations.

Regards and enjoy the music,
Raul.

Dear Eldartford: I think that you miss my point somewhere because I posted ( between other things. ):

+++++ " I don't care what happen after or even before the phono stage link the subject is that in that phono stage things must be working/processed with accuracy in the right way. " +++++

IMHO I think that any audio device/item designer/manufacturer out there first than all take care what is " happening or not happening " with their designs trying that their designs can be of the best quality performance/accuracy at any level.

An amplifier designer can't design thinking that because the accuracy on the speaker/room is of only 10 db ( deviations. ) then the amplifier accuracy can be at 9-10 db on frequency deviatins, at least I don't thnk that is the way to design/build high-end audio items.

Regards and enjoy the music,
Raul.

Dear Eldartford: +++++ " original point was that 0.1 dB is readily obtainable and more than adequite.... " +++++

adequite?, for whom?. Certainly your " goals " are really different that the ones in other people like me.

How do you know what is adequite and what is not if you never had the opportunity to compare about?, your statement make no sense.

IMHO the mediocrity that surround the audio industry has its origins ( between other things ) in the mediocrity of the whole audio industry goals, there is almost no attitude to be better and why to worry in be better when the customers don't ask for more.

Fortunatelly there are designers like Ralph, my self and others that still care to growing up making better designs out of the mediocrity of the whole audio industry in where the customers are the main part.

I respect your attitude in the RIAA subject, it is an easy one where you don't really cares about where you don't ask for anymore where you don't ask for a better audio items and that attitude is fine with me and fortunatelly does not affect my spirit to improve and be better.

Regards and ejoy the music,
Raul.

Dear Mlsstl: +++++ " Yes, a flat frequency response is a worthy goal. But then so are lots of other characteristics. " +++++

absolutely right, I agree.

+++++ " The goal is not how each one tests by itself in a static environment but rather how they operate in unison when playing music. " +++++

I agree here too.

Both statements are ( between other things. ) an almost a " routine " in the eletronic design whe the designer really cares to improve the quality performance of what already are in the market. IMHO almost no one designer works as if his " unit " lives or will live in a stand alone " stage "/aisle/ static, everyone know the multiple relationship that exist through the whole audio chain and the synergy that is a must to have to otain/achieve a top quality performance.

That's why anyone: customers and designers have to take care that in each link on the audio chain not only exist synergy but that in each link we lose the less on the signal and add the less too trying to preserve the source signal integrity with minimum degradation. IMHO tight RIAA accuracy help to meet those goals.

Regards and enjoy the music,
Raul.

Dear Ralph: Yes, I'm refering to that kid and real synergy and not the one that is commun on the reviewers: " if your speakers are to bright don't use this cartridge that is overbright ", this kind of synergy is not a real synergy but a sum of " errors ".

Regards and enjoy the music,
Raul.