Webpages again
 

OK, a little 'off-list' confusion prompts me to post this explanation of
what the ukra (and ukrav) Webpages http://www.apah69.dsl.pipex.com/
are all about.

Let me first state that I am auditioning kit (speakers) as I type and that I
am almost *always* immersed in music when I'm ****ing about on this group -
just in case anyone thinks I'm a complete saddo with......

OK, Let's not get into that - let me just say it beats just watching the
tonearm. (Especially when I've only got the tuner playing like right now!
:-)

The Webpages - what are they all about?

OK, a year or more ago a few off-list 'conversations' led to the idea that a
Website (similar to those much loved by the Home Theatre lot and the Bubbles
www.aca.gr ) would be a Good Idea for this group. Having the time to do it
and unused server space available, I promptly started to cobble something
together. In true Brit style it took off like wildfire for an hour or so and
has simmered away ever since, doing not a lot, for over a year now. I dunno
about anybody else (feedback on the whole thing has been virtually zero -
another typical Brit trait...) but I have had a number (few dozen) emails
from all over the world asking about stuff on my webpage since I put it up.
(Which is well overdue for a tidy up now)

This group serves a number of different purposes at times from freebie
Helpdesk to Chat Room and has its regulars, a few webpages ain't excessive -
some groups get into coachtrips and gawd knows what else. I like 'em because
other people's kit interests me (actually *all* kit interests me) and I like
to blow the pix up to see how much dust the mucky sods have gone on their
stuff and compare it with my own..... :-)

(There is a *certain* acrylic deck which I think will look like a fekkin'
snowdrift in a few week's time........ ;-)

Anyway, the offer to carry a link to anyone's *audio-related,
non-commercial, non-salacious* webpage/website stands - all anyone has to do
is email me with the link. There's no catch, no cost, no obligation and any
links or material will be removed without hesitation, if I am requires so to
do. They are what you see - no more, no less and no-one will be refused.
(Any link found leading to the Dark Side will be removed immediately I'm
told about it, or discover it myself.) Lastly, I will entertain NO LIABILITY
WHATSOEVER for any consequence from posting a link to anyone's webpage.

The webpages (or links thereunto) will be hosted for all eternity or until I
get fed up with them (whichever transpires soonest) and would be handed over
to a volunteer, as soon as one could be found, should it become necessary.
(The biggest danger to them is a sudden and dramatic loss of interest in
Usenet generally by myself, or terminal disatisfaction with Pipex, when they
would be passed to a volunteer as stated.)

Now, I have just this minute checked my emails and found this.....

-------------------------------

Hi,
i live in italy, i am interested in the valve phono preampl.
Do you still have it?
How much does it cost for shipping to italy?

Bye
Fxxxo
------------------------------------


......which brings me nicely to the subject of 'For Sale or Swap/Wanted'.
(Incidentally, I put the x's in - I am *totally* discrete, if nothing else,
and never 'out' anybody or pass on personal information, in case you
wondered.) Anyone who does have a webpage would be daft not to post their
spare bits for sale or swap or wanted or whatever and I have even wondered
about having a separate page for this purpose. (Although, how long would it
be before it was all buggered up by people too idle to notify me when an
item was sold?) I'm also sure that if anyone had summat up for sale we would
like to know about it, wouldn't we?

That's about it! I don't mention the webpages too often as some anonymouse
slated me for 'spamming' the group when I was trying to get it off the
ground! (I don't want that to happen again, or I'll have to go all through
the faff of ripping someone's arse off in public!)

;-)

Webpages again
 

"Ronnie McKinley" wrote in message
...
In uk.rec.audio "Keith G" wrote:

This group serves a number of different purposes at times from freebie
Helpdesk to Chat Room and has its regulars, a few webpages ain't
excessive -
some groups get into coachtrips and gawd knows what else. I like 'em
because
other people's kit interests me (actually *all* kit interests me) and I
like
to blow the pix up to see how much dust the mucky sods have gone on their
stuff and compare it with my own..... :-)


Oh well in that case :)

Here's a temporary page linking from my main audio page. A piece of
errr kit, here at hone for the moment on a few days auditioning.

http://www.glenbourne-antiques.fsnet...fi/on_test.htm


Yep! That's some good dust - damn near as good as mine! (But not a patch on
a 'certain' acrylic deck I could mention, in a couple of weeks time - you
mark my words! ;-)


If nothing else it'll at least get your blood boiling :)


Naah! - You ever known a vinylhead to get in a piff over someone else's
preferences (other than when they're winding them up)??

;-)


Yes I know!! a cheap DVDP out of Tesco and a S/H DAC off eBay will sound
just as good :)


Go on then, I'll bite - wossit sound like? (A *very* quick Google came up
with mostly very good reviews, but there was the odd ****e comment - as
usual!) Also a bit pokey on the money front I gather? (You know me with the
little silver disks - I've only got two I play regularly....)

I'm auditioning (you know - trying very hard *not* to want and not
succeeding at all) a pair of speakers right this moment - each the size of a
fag packet with balls as big as a rhinosesseross! (Dynaudio Contour 1.1s)


(Anyway - you're in for it later, when the factories come out, you wait and
see.......!! :-)

Webpages again
 

"Ronnie McKinley" wrote


Here's a temporary page linking from my main audio page. A piece of
errr kit, here at home for the moment on a few days auditioning.

http://www.glenbourne-antiques.fsnet...fi/on_test.htm


Yep! That's some good dust - damn near as good as mine! (But not a patch
on
a 'certain' acrylic deck I could mention, in a couple of weeks time - you
mark my words! ;-)


Dust?? Naw!! I flicked fag ash over it, just for you :)


You forgot the doghairs though - didn't you?




If nothing else it'll at least get your blood boiling :)


Naah! - You ever known a vinylhead to get in a piff over someone else's
preferences (other than when they're winding them up)??

;-)

;)



Yes I know!! a cheap DVDP out of Tesco and a S/H DAC off eBay will sound
just as good :)


Go on then, I'll bite - wossit sound like? (A *very* quick Google came up
with mostly very good reviews, but there was the odd ****e comment - as
usual!)


Sounds like? sounds like the nearest thing a CDP can come to
sounding like a turntable ;)


Hmmm.......

(That'd be a 'first' then! ;-)



Also a bit pokey on the money front I gather? (You know me with the
little silver disks - I've only got two I play regularly....)

S/H (of course) plus I've an existing CDP (still) worth about 500 on
a trade in. Btw, I have very good reasons why I'm thinking, change
my existing CDP (quickly)


Wot? Before 'she' sees the money off on a new kitchen/greenhouse or summat?

:-)

Webpages again
 

On Wed, 25 Feb 2004 20:50:25 -0000, "Keith G"
wrote:

"Ronnie McKinley" wrote

Go on then, I'll bite - wossit sound like? (A *very* quick Google came up
with mostly very good reviews, but there was the odd ****e comment - as
usual!)

Sounds like? sounds like the nearest thing a CDP can come to
sounding like a turntable ;)

Hmmm.......

(That'd be a 'first' then! ;-)

**** - I knew Naims were bad CD players, but I didn't think they were
*that* bad! :-)
--

Stewart Pinkerton | Music is Art - Audio is Engineering

Webpages again
 

On Thu, 26 Feb 2004 11:27:45 +0000, Ronnie McKinley
wrote:

In uk.rec.audio Stewart Pinkerton wrote:

On Wed, 25 Feb 2004 20:50:25 -0000, "Keith G"
wrote:

"Ronnie McKinley" wrote

Go on then, I'll bite - wossit sound like? (A *very* quick Google came up
with mostly very good reviews, but there was the odd ****e comment - as
usual!)

Sounds like? sounds like the nearest thing a CDP can come to
sounding like a turntable ;)

Hmmm.......

(That'd be a 'first' then! ;-)

**** - I knew Naims were bad CD players, but I didn't think they were
*that* bad! :-)

As you very well know that is NOT the general consensus. Some on the negative
side may view the CDX can be a little aggressive at times, but this, in many
cases, can be down to system matching. Personally I didn't find this CDX to
be overly aggressive, but it certainly grabbed my attention ;)

Anyways, tell me about HDCD. In your opinion are the discs worth seeking out
or just "snake-oil" marketing?

(Didn't realize I already had a few HDCD discs in my music collection until
the LED on the Naim CDP read the discs as HDCD)

They were an interesting sideroad that seemed to come to a dead end.
While they're technically interesting, I can't say that I've noticed
any actual improvement in sound quality. YMMV, as I've only heard a
few of them. The best thing HDCD ever did was give us the excellent
PM100 digital filter - especially if you disable the
licensing-required 6dB attenuation of 'Red Book' CD......
--

Stewart Pinkerton | Music is Art - Audio is Engineering

Webpages again
 

On Thu, 26 Feb 2004 19:11:06 +0000, Ronnie McKinley
wrote:

In uk.rec.audio Stewart Pinkerton wrote:

On Thu, 26 Feb 2004 11:27:45 +0000, Ronnie McKinley
wrote:


Anyways, tell me about HDCD. In your opinion are the discs worth seeking out
or just "snake-oil" marketing?

(Didn't realize I already had a few HDCD discs in my music collection until
the LED on the Naim CDP read the discs as HDCD)

They were an interesting sideroad that seemed to come to a dead end.
While they're technically interesting, I can't say that I've noticed
any actual improvement in sound quality. YMMV, as I've only heard a
few of them.

The only one I can honestly comment on, Natalie Merchant - 'Ophelia'
playing this now on the CDX the album sounds a whole lot different than
I previously recall it sounding. A lot more dark and sinister :) To some
extent, it almost seems like a whole different recording, like a
different master, or summat? But then again, it may be all in my mind :)

The best thing HDCD ever did was give us the excellent
PM100 digital filter - especially if you disable the
licensing-required 6dB attenuation of 'Red Book' CD......

"disable the licensing-required 6dB attenuation" - in simple terms could
you expand on that? And if disabled what effect should one expect? And,
is this easily achievable on the Naim CDX? And, finally, has this
anything to do with the PIC (programmable integrated circuit)?

If the PM chip is in place, then you should ground pin 15 to disable
the 6dB attenuation which cuts in when *not* playing HDCD. This was a
condition of licensing by Pacific Microsonics, clearly intended to
give an unfair advantage to HDCD. The good news is that this is one of
the best digital filters ever made for normal CD replay.

Removing the atenuation simply raises the output level of 'Red Book'
CD by 6dB, which may give you a slight improvement in dynamic range,
depending on the rest of the output circuitry. Sorry, I'm not going to
recommend any detailed mods to the CDX - you might sue me if it melts!
--

Stewart Pinkerton | Music is Art - Audio is Engineering

Webpages again
 

Ronnie McKinley wrote:

Anyways, tell me about HDCD. In your opinion are the discs worth seeking out
or just "snake-oil" marketing?

HDCD on an HDCD player sounds like a CD but louder.

HDCD on a CD player sounds like a low-power valve amplifier
well overdriven and seriously clipping.

The discs are worth avoiding unless you have an HDCD player.

--
Roger.

Webpages again
 

In message , Ronnie McKinley
writes

Well that may be easier to say than actually to do. I've just discovered
another HDCD which I didn't know I had. Didn't know, because nowhere on the
CD packaging does it say HDCD or indeed any sign of a HDCD logo. That's three
disc so far which have turned out to be HDCD without stating as such. Funnily
enough, all three discs are CD albums by Natalie Merchant (Ophelia - Live NY
and Motherland). These discs are read by the HDCD player as, HDCD.

Anyways, playing these CDs on a non-HDCD player (which I have been doing for
quite while) I certainly didn't notice any over driven distorted valve sound.
Just sounded like a million other CDs. Well like the rest of my CD collection
(several hundred). Playing them now on the HDCD player (see my earlier post
in this thread) I do notice a difference, but IMO it's more than them simply
sounding "louder" don't sound any "louder" than any other CD played on my non
HDCD or this HDCD player, just sound slightly different. The Ophelia album in
particular is quite noticeably different when played on the HDCD player.


I now wonder how many more HDCDs(discs) I may have which like the Natalie
Merchant albums are not labelled as HDCD.


Off the check ... will report back in six months time :)


Having read this, I've just checked my copies of those three, (bought
when they were first released.)

Motherland (62721-2) isn't marked as HDCD.
Ophelia (62196-2) is marked on the back of the case is very small
letters as HDCD.
Live in Concert (62479-2) is marked on the back of the case in larger
letters as HDCD.

As I don't have an HDCD player then I guess it's all a bit academic,
although the recording quality on Ophelia and Motherland isn't of the
highest standard. (Certainly not up to the recording quality of a Sarah
McLachlan CD).
--
Chris Morriss

Webpages again
 

In message , Ronnie McKinley
writes
Although I'm still of the opinion 'Afterglow' wasn't/isn't up to her previous
standard, in both record quality and musical content. Must check if any of my
Sarah McLachlan CDs are HDCD ;)




It is a bit blander than usual, but she has gone back to sounding like
herself (if you see what I mean).

--
Chris Morriss