"Stewart Pinkerton" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 5 Aug 2004 18:52:11 +0100, "Keith G"
wrote:

"Trevor Wilson" wrote

**I suggest you do what I did: Subject yourself to a blind test,
between two
or three highly regarded amplifiers.

That's so not easy to do in Blighty.....

Yes it is - I have at least two 'highly regarded' amplifiers right
here, a Krell KSA-50 mkII and an Audiolab 8000P. And I can get hold of
another half-dozen within the week.


OK, if you could be arsed to assemble the gear I'd make the effort to come
an d try it, but I simply don't trust my own ears - I accomodate too
quickly. I make my own choices over a period of weeks or months - the winner
is the kit that I keep in the loop or keep going back to!


I chose two SS amps and one tube amp.
Through a modest load, the tube amp was impossible to choose from the
better
of the SS amps. The valve amp was an Audio Research VT100

OK, that's fekkin' impossible for a start....

Excuse me? Care to expand? Remember Keith, a *good* valve amp does
indeed sound just like a good SS amp - why wouldn't it?


I was only referring to 'borrowing' a VT100 (or even getting sight of one,
come to that)!


and, IMO, was the
most accurate valve amp I have ever heard (and tested). Most other
valve
amps are trivially easy to pick, because they distort far too much.

I still say there's plenty of people who ain't too bunched up about
distortion and just enjoy the music....

Sure there are - and most of them listen through SS amps.........


But I thought there is *no* (audible) distortion with ss amps....???

Keith G wrote:

"Tat Chan" wrote in message
...


Some nationalities/countries/races (?) lend themselves to a nickname and
some don't. For example, we have 'Yanks' in the 'US of A' and, er,

or Seppos ...

'Canadians' in 'Canada'...??? (Interesting also that no-one objects to the

Canucks ...

term 'Jap' - as opposed to 'Japanese'...???) And so it goes on....

Well, I use the term Japs myself, I much prefer it to Nips since I feel
that Nip == Nippon which was part of their WW2 empire.


FWIW, while I'm on, I would add that I don't give a FF what colour a person
is but I would admit that I'm getting fed up with seeing my own native
country sagging under the weight of imported Cheap Labour who, due to
increasing weight of numbers, have started to 'feel their oats' and have now

are you talking about illegal labour, or cheaper labour from poorer
countries of the EU?

The Oz govt has tightened migration laws here, so most of the new
migrants are highly skilled (though walking around Sydney, it doesn't
seem to be the case! Then again, a cabbie could be an out of work
nuclear physicist!)


got opinions on what people like me think, say and do. (I'm also getting a
bit fed up of 'ethnics' reporting our news and I don't much care for 'dis,
dat, ting, fink, axe, nutter mean, innit' etc...)

are you refering to ethnic news readers? I don't have cable TV, so I
don't have access to BBC News or Sky News (and thankfully, no access to
Fox News!)

On a side note, I was informed by a person from China that back in the
early 90s when people were learning English, they would emulate the
accent and pronounciation of BBC newsreaders. The current generation
though takes its cues from CNN ...


What ethnic groups need to realise is that they will get/have already got
'nicknames' and what those nicknames mean is *earned* their by their own
behaviour, attitudes and actions - for instance, where I come from the early
negro immigrants were called 'Darkies', now other terms are deemed more
fitting by some......

See my point?

when I was growing up, there was a brand of toothpaste with a black man
on it called "Darkie" ... they have since renamed it to "Darlie".

Well, sometimes nicknames are bestowed unfairly. Myself, I have no
problems with people from other ethnic groups, though I do find that if
I realise the individuals I have contact with from a particular group
are absolute ******s, I find myself wanting to bring out a nickname or
two ...

It has always been my stance that all migrants should try their best to
fit into their new country. Not necessarily total assimilation, but good
enough so that they are part of society.

Myself, I have always wanted to be just another member of society, and I
don't ask for any special favours. I just want to be part of the crowd
at the pub, footy, gig, on the beach, doing my bit for my local
community, etc. It is only when I get singled out for being different
that I get ****ed off.


To get back on topic - I've got absolutely no problem with Chinky
gear and welcome the opportunity for a) skint Brits to acquire very
decent products like DVDPs at silly cheap prices (which is rendered
necessary by them not having a job due to the imported Cheap Labour -
see above)

well, the cheap Chinese labour can't last for long. The standard of
living will go up there and they will demand wages themselves, which
means that production will shift to another country where labour is
cheap ... hmmm ... "made in Sudan", anyone?

One last point (a deep one, consider it carefully) - with all this
'multicultural society' BS think how arse-grindingly boring this planet will
become when we *do* have 'coffee-coloured people' everywhere, eating,
drinking, playing, listening to, watching, wearing, driving, riding,
worshipping, thinking *exactly* the same stuff......

now that is a marketers dream come true! only one ad campaign for the
whole world!

"Trevor Wilson" wrote

**I dated a Scotswoman for awhile. Yep, I even ate Haggis. She never told
me
what was in it. It tasted fine.


Woah! You think so?

(I'm going to have trouble with your opinions from now on......!!!)

Trevor Wilson wrote:



**I dated a Scotswoman for awhile. Yep, I even ate Haggis. She never told me
what was in it. It tasted fine.


Did you eat haggis in Oz or overseas?

I like haggis. I lived in a Scottish college (it was more than just a
dorm, I think the original plan was for it to resemble the Oxbridge
colleges, but that never took off) while at university, and they used to
wheel out haggis during black tie dinners several times a year (after
reciting Robert Burns' "Ode to a Haggis")

And it turns out the butcher they got the haggis from is just down the
road from where I live now!

"Keith G" wrote in message
...

But I thought there is *no* (audible) distortion with ss amps....???

**I do not believe that for one minute and I doubt that Stewart does,
either. There are lots of examples of crappy SS amps. There are lots of
examples of very good SS amps. There are a bunch of caveats, which most
people do not quite grasp (the following are some gross generalisations):

* Valve amps do not act as Voltage sources. As a consequence, they only work
best into a very limited range of impedances (usually determined by the
tapping on the output transformer). Triodes are more forgiving and pentodes
much less so.
* SS amps act as Voltage sources. As a consequence, they operate well into a
load which has a widely varying impedance (99.9% of all loudspeakers)
* Valve amps (notably Triodes) are more 'forgiving' of difficult loads than
most SS amps. This is the ironic difference between valve and SS amps.
Whilst SS amps can more properly operate speakers (due to their inherently
low output impedance), they can't cope very well with difficult loads.
* Well designed SS amps can not only operate well into a wide range of load
impedances, but can cope with difficult loads as well. This subset of SS
amps is usually quite a small one. It is, perhaps, the subset you should be
listening to, if you really want to hear how a good SS amp can sound.
* SET amps are a con-job.


--
Trevor Wilson
www.rageaudio.com.au

"Tat Chan" wrote in message
...
Trevor Wilson wrote:



**I dated a Scotswoman for awhile. Yep, I even ate Haggis. She never
told me
what was in it. It tasted fine.


Did you eat haggis in Oz or overseas?

**In Oz.


--
Trevor Wilson
www.rageaudio.com.au

Trevor Wilson wrote:

**I dated a Scotswoman for awhile. Yep, I even ate Haggis. She never
told me what was in it. It tasted fine.

http://www.wally.myby.co.uk/haggis/index.htm


--
Wally
www.artbywally.com
www.wally.myby.co.uk

"Tat Chan" wrote in message
...
Keith G wrote:

"Tat Chan" wrote in message
...


Some nationalities/countries/races (?) lend themselves to a nickname and
some don't. For example, we have 'Yanks' in the 'US of A' and, er,

or Seppos ...

'Canadians' in 'Canada'...??? (Interesting also that no-one objects to
the

Canucks ...

term 'Jap' - as opposed to 'Japanese'...???) And so it goes on....

Well, I use the term Japs myself, I much prefer it to Nips since I feel
that Nip == Nippon which was part of their WW2 empire.


FWIW, while I'm on, I would add that I don't give a FF what colour a
person
is but I would admit that I'm getting fed up with seeing my own native
country sagging under the weight of imported Cheap Labour who, due to
increasing weight of numbers, have started to 'feel their oats' and have
now

are you talking about illegal labour, or cheaper labour from poorer
countries of the EU?

The Oz govt has tightened migration laws here, so most of the new
migrants are highly skilled (though walking around Sydney, it doesn't
seem to be the case! Then again, a cabbie could be an out of work
nuclear physicist!)

**I know what you mean. My masseusse is a (female) Polish wrestler of
olympic quality (she wrestles men, here in Oz, due to the lack of female
competition. She usually beats the men, too. It really ****es them off.
Sidenote: She looks more like a model than a wrestler.



got opinions on what people like me think, say and do. (I'm also getting
a
bit fed up of 'ethnics' reporting our news and I don't much care for
'dis,
dat, ting, fink, axe, nutter mean, innit' etc...)

are you refering to ethnic news readers? I don't have cable TV, so I
don't have access to BBC News or Sky News (and thankfully, no access to
Fox News!)

On a side note, I was informed by a person from China that back in the
early 90s when people were learning English, they would emulate the
accent and pronounciation of BBC newsreaders. The current generation
though takes its cues from CNN ...

**I dated a Chinese girl a few years ago. I recall going to meet her (93
year old) grandmother. Here was this tiny Chinese woman, who, when she
spoke, sound as though she was born and raised in Wagga Wagga (which she
was). And, as they say in Wagga Wagga: "Don't call Wagga Wagga, Wagga."



What ethnic groups need to realise is that they will get/have already
got
'nicknames' and what those nicknames mean is *earned* their by their own
behaviour, attitudes and actions - for instance, where I come from the
early
negro immigrants were called 'Darkies', now other terms are deemed more
fitting by some......

See my point?

when I was growing up, there was a brand of toothpaste with a black man
on it called "Darkie" ... they have since renamed it to "Darlie".

Well, sometimes nicknames are bestowed unfairly. Myself, I have no
problems with people from other ethnic groups, though I do find that if
I realise the individuals I have contact with from a particular group
are absolute ******s, I find myself wanting to bring out a nickname or
two ...

It has always been my stance that all migrants should try their best to
fit into their new country. Not necessarily total assimilation, but good
enough so that they are part of society.

**A reasonable desire. I visited some newly arrived Vietnamese guys once.
none could speak any English. The only word we had in common was: "Beer". We
got on just fine, after that. :-)


Myself, I have always wanted to be just another member of society, and I
don't ask for any special favours. I just want to be part of the crowd
at the pub, footy, gig, on the beach, doing my bit for my local
community, etc. It is only when I get singled out for being different
that I get ****ed off.

**You'll fit in just fine ion most areas of Sydney. I'm in Hurstville and I
am in the minority ethnic group (Anglo).



To get back on topic - I've got absolutely no problem with Chinky
gear and welcome the opportunity for a) skint Brits to acquire very
decent products like DVDPs at silly cheap prices (which is rendered
necessary by them not having a job due to the imported Cheap Labour -
see above)

well, the cheap Chinese labour can't last for long. The standard of
living will go up there and they will demand wages themselves, which
means that production will shift to another country where labour is
cheap ... hmmm ... "made in Sudan", anyone?

**Dream on. There are 1.3 Billion Chinese who desire a better standard of
living. That will take quite a few years. India is likely to be the next low
cost manufacturing nation.


One last point (a deep one, consider it carefully) - with all this
'multicultural society' BS think how arse-grindingly boring this planet
will
become when we *do* have 'coffee-coloured people' everywhere, eating,
drinking, playing, listening to, watching, wearing, driving, riding,
worshipping, thinking *exactly* the same stuff......

now that is a marketers dream come true! only one ad campaign for the
whole world!

**Yup. Cars are kinda like that right now.


--
Trevor Wilson
www.rageaudio.com.au

"Wally" wrote in message
...
Trevor Wilson wrote:

**I dated a Scotswoman for awhile. Yep, I even ate Haggis. She never
told me what was in it. It tasted fine.

http://www.wally.myby.co.uk/haggis/index.htm

**I'm not clicking on that link.


--
Trevor Wilson
www.rageaudio.com.au

Trevor Wilson wrote:

**I dated a Scotswoman for awhile. Yep, I even ate Haggis. She never
told me what was in it. It tasted fine.

http://www.wally.myby.co.uk/haggis/index.htm

**I'm not clicking on that link.

Why not?


--
Wally
www.artbywally.com
www.wally.myby.co.uk