"Andy Evans" wrote


snipped it all


Andy, I have snipped your whole reply (much of which I was in agreement
with) to make a (relatively) brief observation in the hope it will help.

We have had a situation in this group recently where a small minority of
'anti vinylists' managed to make the very mention of the subject into
intense arseache for all here for a very long time. Worse yet was the
certain knowledge (according to correspondence I've had) that it was putting
people off the group and getting the group an international rep for
childishness and acrimony. (Which, AFAIAC, may well be the 'norm' in and
therefore OK for rao but not for the UK....... ;-)

As a result a separate vinyl group has been formed and (despite no-one seems
to be able to get on it yet) is showing early signs of taking root. It's my
hope that 'vinylists' who do not subscribe to this group will find their way
into it and that it will grow. Already there has been a marked decrease in
vinyl acrimony here and something of a shift of attitude toward the subject.

Logically, if the 'bashing' tendancies of a similar (dare I say the 'very
same') minority here are going to shift to valves it would make sense to
create uk.rec.audio.valves (hands up the prat who said 'tubes') which I'm
sure Nick G could knock into place in a lunch break....

However we 'valvies' are in a much smaller minority here than I believe the
'vinylists' were and I feel rec.audio.tubes (hands up the prat who said
'valves') is much better placed to serve the needs of UK valve lovers. (I
believe a good number of UK valvies already subscribe there on a regular
basis, in any case.) My take on valves is rather like that of Harley
Davidson riders - 'if ya gotta ask, then you probably wouldn't understand
the answer......'

It's easy to shoot valves down on paper and (IMO) almost impossible to
defend them. I posted earlier this evening that a modest valve amp easily
beat a modest SS amp in a quick comparison tonight with the killer 'valves
and vinyl' combination. I know it was probably all down to the phono stages
but it was 'so big' a blind man could have seen it - IOW, no contest, no
way.....!! It is only an observation and of no importance (or interest,
probably) to anyone else here....

Someone's got to put the brakes on this 'split to the point of destruction'
or we are going to end up with uk.rec.audio.silver.solder one day. I would
(if I may) suggest the best way forward is for the relatively few 'valvies'
here to avoid the contention and simply ignore 'anti valve' remarks. (There
are a good number here who already do just that - me included, normally!) It
certainly doesn't do much good to make a fuss about it if you are going to
be ****ed off by the reactions you get!

Do what I do - switch your amps on before tea, go in a bit later and have a
quiet little smerk to yourself when you spin the first one up!

;-)