Soundsmith - Thank you to everyone.

It is obvious and always has been obvious that Peter is, in no particular order.. an amazing engineer, technician, innovator and artist.
MillerCarbon, is the German word you were looking for: Fahrvergnugen? 😄

No, w the Straingauge, Peter is going for the straight resolution angle. Because w resolution comes natural warmth, lifelike speed, dynamic contrast, tonal density and differentiation, and timbral accuracy.

That's what I gleaned from Uwe's review. That's what I thought was supposed to be the goal of all our gear- to reveal. Not to be warm, or cold, or any particular way at all. To not even be there. That at least to me is the ideal. Which is why its in my system description. https://systems.audiogon.com/systems/8367  

Of course we never truly get there. We fall short, always. But that's the aim. Then yes a lot of records, even some treasures, will be revealed to be less than perfect. Oh well the recording engineers have all the same problems. Some do better than others. Even if they do a really good job it can still be screwed up later- look how many crap pressings there are! But that still leaves the magic. Here and there. Which when you do come across it, always seems to me, the less your system imposes the more of the magic you get. 

So yeah my impression is the Strain Gauge is the bomb. Figures. Like everything else. Whenever I narrow it down to the best, its nowhere to be found. By which I mean no way to audition. You just have to take a pass.... or bite the bullet.  

I'm wondering that too. I was on my way to NY to drop off my Beogram TX after talking to Peter . The following day all this virus hit NY in the news and I halted. Hopefully I'm not to late . 

Peter,

Are you leaving us?

Q

MC, you do know that after WW2, when Germany was in ruins, and the British Civil Service went over there, expecting the population to be on it's knees, what they found were the people literally rebuilding their car factories from the rubble w their bare hands.
Within 5 years, they were already ahead of us. By the 80s, esp w the release of the VW Golf, they were in a whole different race. And today, the Germans spend whole weekends visiting their car factories, seeing the synergy of engineering and lifestyle as a patriotic display.
Peter in his own way is taking a hyper engineering approach. Not for him the typical Japanese warm Koetsu signature of the typical European cool and collected Clearaudio signature.
No, w the Straingauge, Peter is going for the straight resolution angle. Because w resolution comes natural warmth, lifelike speed, dynamic contrast, tonal density and differentiation, and timbral accuracy.
Despite him being American, this is almost German uber engineering married to art...basically, life.
And the Straingauge is the closest source component I've owned that's got me closer to the life of performances on lp.

Wish I could say the poetry surprises me, but not from Peter. Not after hearing his a record is a beautiful woman metaphor.

Oh and I found the SG thread over at whatsbestforum.com and found a surprise in there from Peter. See, over in the Soundsmith having issues thread, a discussion inexplicably now closed, I had said the Strain Gauge has the look of a purpose made scientific instrument. So what a pleasant surprise to read Peter in the other thread saying there are two camps, the musical instrument camp and the scientific instrument camp, and his SG is the first to be mostly in the scientific instrument camp.

To you Peter I will say how your work reminds me of a story told among Porsche owners. It is said the German people have a word for when functional engineering is elevated to such a sublime level it merges with and becomes art. I don’t know the word. Don’t even know if the story is true. But it would be nice if it is. We would know what to call what you do.

Peter, just to reiterate, we don't all go around on Möbius Loops of steel trap logic. Some of us actually need to live a bit. And listen to music. So, ignore the shrill noise from some, and be assured you, your employees, your operation...however it's run Lol...really totally valued by those of us who see in you a true artisan, happy to share, and producing products examples of which we can all afford
I'll aim to keep a bit more contact w you prior to sorting my SG repl stylii in short order.

My love does not set me free

But holds me down upon my knees

Upon the dirt, amongst the shoots

Hidden here within the trees

 

To weep so deep inside of war

To cry so loud outside of love

Till I become a river flow

Which into all other rivers go

 

If I could cry to water Spring

To wash each seed and whisper (grow!)

And thus become part of nurturing

So all the spring my heart could know

 

Through deepest soil my soul bestowed

If I could feel each shoot break free

I would feel the ice and snow

Recede into eternity

Peter Ledermann   

Nice poem, but not all humans are unkind, fortunately.

I think he does, hence the poem. 

Peter many of us appreciate what you do for the audio community. Ignore the detractors and know that you and your employees are valued by us.

Thanks for sharing your poetry, Peter!

Wow, poetry and music, as they are the same. What a beautiful morning. Thanks to all. Enjoy the music

Pretty good, Peter. Reminds me of my favorite poem, Wordsworth's Daffodils  

I wandered lonely as a cloud  
That floats on high o'er vales and hills,  
When all at once I saw a crowd,  
A host, of golden daffodils;  
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,  
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.    
 
Continuous as the stars that shine  
And twinkle on the milky way,  
They stretched in never-ending line  
Along the margin of a bay:  
Ten thousand saw I at a glance,  
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.     
 
The waves beside them danced; but they  
Out-did the sparkling waves in glee:  
A poet could not but be gay,  
In such a jocund company:  
I gazed—and gazed—but little thought  
What wealth the show to me had brought:  
 
For oft, when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils.

Peter, I can safely say, yr fans weren't expecting that.
Beautiful.