larryi
Responses from larryi
| Anyone Still Using Zerodust It is hardly the only way to clean a cartridge, therefore, until matters are cleared up to a sufficient degree, I would not use something that can be the cause of so much problems. It is not just the deposits I would worry about. I would worry ... | |
| Microphonic from Vacuum Tubes? I doubt that tube dampers will do anything for the cause of the popping noise. This is a problem with a tube, a problem with a tube socket (this is the most common source of such problems) or a problem somewhere else where a charge builds up and ... | |
| When someone tells you it's a $40,000 amp, does it sound better? A $58 resistor from Vishay—I hope at that price it doesn’t sound like a Vishay. I saw listings for film caps that cost more than $1,000 each for the second to the top of the line (for a quote on the top line, you have to call). I have a headphon... | |
| Microphonic from Vacuum Tubes? Does the loud pop occur in just one channel or both channels, and if in both, does this happen simultaneously in both channels? Does it happen when the music is playing at high volume levels or under other consistent conditions, or is it seemingl... | |
| When someone tells you it's a $40,000 amp, does it sound better? The price of top end gear does not bear that tight a relationship to the cost of the parts. The pricing is value-based. The builder compares the performance of the gear to other gear on the market and sets the price based on how it sounds as com... | |
| Vintage vs. New, Risk vs. Reward The very best systems I've heard were primarily "vintage," but this term is not easily defined and can be more complex than simply the age of the component. These systems were new builds, but most of the components of the speakers and the electro... | |
| Electrostatic Speakers Vs. Horn/component Tweeter The panels on ML speakers are hard to damage to the point of failure, They do not suffer from arcing like Quads do, for example. I know of only one instance where a friend’s ML panel failed. The owner stored the speakers in a garage for several... | |
| What is the Best Sounding Stand Mount Speaker in the world? What qualifies as a stand mounted speaker? I noticed someone mentioning the Harbeth 40.2 XD. It is a box on a stand, but, it is a big box on a stand and is meant to be treated as a big speaker--placed in big room, well away from the walls. My l... | |
| When someone tells you it's a $40,000 amp, does it sound better? A great amp will shine even with modest speakers. A friend told me about the day he was working at an audio shop where they used a really good amp with a range of lower priced speakers, including a pair of old and battered Polk speakers, and ever... | |
| When someone tells you it's a $40,000 amp, does it sound better? Amortizing R&D cost, marketing cost, etc. is one way to set price, but price can be set on perceived value. No matter the cost to build, if you make something that you think performs extremely well, you might set your price based on this perc... | |
| Don’t over power condition! There is something wrong with at least one of the components involved. Even if there is such a thing as over conditioning, there should not be such a gross manifestation of a problem. It sounds like the conditioner is not working correctly. | |
| When someone tells you it's a $40,000 amp, does it sound better? It doesn't matter what price point one picks, there is simply no amp that can do it all, be the best under all circumstances and please everyone's taste. Yes, expensive, high-powered amps may be for some people, but, there are a few examples of b... | |
| When someone tells you it's a $40,000 amp, does it sound better? I don’t think it takes months of break in, and any decent dealer will make sure things are properly set up and functioning and not use break in as an excuse. It is true that it is hard to do meaningful auditions; to some extent experience helps i... | |
| When someone tells you it's a $40,000 amp, does it sound better? Ultimately, it is a matter of taste, and it is entirely possible for a much cheaper amp to fit one’s taste better than an expensive amp and that is not a knock on the expensive amp. This Saturday I talked with a shop owner who just completed a sa... | |
| When someone tells you it's a $40,000 amp, does it sound better? I suppose there is a price point beyond which any design can be built with a reasonable profit margin. What that is is not so clear. Some designs can be surprisingly expensive when it comes to parts. The input and output transformers on my amp a... |