almarg
Responses from almarg
| MC LOADING & STEP UP DEVICE Cincy Bob -- Art Dudley's writeup was perhaps worded a bit misleadingly, and I want to make sure it's clear that the load impedance seen by a cartridge working into that transformer is NOT 3 ohms. It is, to a close approximation, the input impedan... | |
| Finding a little warmth from Benchmark1 USB DAC This goes against your anti-tube bias, but I suspect that adding an inexpensive but good quality one-tube line stage, such as this one from Antique Sound Labs for $345 (new), would be a more effective fix than changing interconnects, power cords, ... | |
| USB DACs with 24/192 via USB I think differences between 24/96 & 192 would have to be very slight.That would be my instinct as well, and I would expect that differences in implementation and quality would generally overshadow the difference in sample rate.Compared to redb... | |
| Variac differences and use Hi Rodman -- Those sound to me like good instructions for a new build, using new parts. And I note that you listed "connect ... output" prior to "play the sucker," which avoids the possibility of inductive kickback problems in the output xfmr, whi... | |
| Leach Super Amp As you've probably seen from his profile at Georgia Tech's website, Professor W. Marshall Leach, Jr., is a highly distinguished academician in the field of electrical engineering. Around 1980 he had his own company, "LSR&D, Inc." which manufac... | |
| RIP J Gordon Holt Yes, this is very sad news. RIP. | |
| Pass Amps Class A operation I would add to the previous comments that perhaps the most significant factor is the dynamic range of the music you are listening to. The fact that much popular music is highly compressed dynamically (i.e., at a fairly constant volume) will make r... | |
| Variac differences and use Some additional explanation which I think is lacking in the writeup I quoted above:The voltage across an inductance, and the current flowing through it, are related by the equation V = L x (dI/dt)where V is voltage, L is inductance, I is current, ... | |
| Variac differences and use Hi Bob,There is a pretty good explanation of why it is dangerous to operate a tube amplifier unloaded in item 15 of this faq, and I've quoted the relevant paragraphs below: The crux of the problem lies in the inductive nature of the output tranny.... | |
| USB DACs with 24/192 via USB I'll take 24/48 over 20/192 any day. 24-bit has 16 times the amplitude resolution as 20-bitI would respectfully disagree, Johnny, and I certainly wouldn't apply that as a general rule. At best I think it would depend on the dynamic range of the mu... | |
| cable burn-in / system burn-in Shadorne wrote: Another factor could be stiffening of the compliance of your speaker drivers after months of no use ... If you listened to music on other systems ... If the room has changed or the position of equipment/istening position has change... | |
| Monoblocks vs Bi-amping You'll want to read the post dated 2-19-09 in this thread, by the noted designer Steve McCormack. Among other things, he makes a strong case for why vertical biamping is generally preferable to the horizontal biamping arrangement you are contempla... | |
| Tube sound Comes, mainly, from? Pre or Power? What then is the rational behind tube pre + Solid powerApart from the fact that there are many who believe that that combination can provide the best sound (and I am NOT one of them, as I indicated), and apart from the practicality/ease of use fac... | |
| Tube sound Comes, mainly, from? Pre or Power? I agree with everything Tvad said, including his concluding statement indicating that there are lots of differing opinions as to tube preamp + solid state power amp vs. solid state preamp + tube power amp.I'll add that I have never encountered, an... | |
| Unipivot and suspended TT? Fwiw, I've never sensed any issues using a 1980's Magnepan Unitrac tonearm on a SOTA Sapphire turntable.Regards,-- Al |