Is Hi-Fi delusional?
 

On 18 Oct 2004 11:15:13 GMT, ohawker (Andy
Evans) wrote:

Re Stewart and Variacs:

- apologies here, it appears my Variac is an autoformer, I had presumed it was
an isolation transformer. This leaves the question, why does it appear to have
a beneficial effect? And, of course, what better effect could be achieved with
a similar size isolation transformer? Has anybody tried putting two toroids in
series with their highest secondaries tied together? This has been recommended
elsewhere. Andy

Bear in mind that every single piece of Hi Fi kit you own has an
isolation transformer built in. Adding more doesn't increase the
isolation in any way. As to why a Variac should have a beneficial
effect is anybody's guess - mine would be that including it somehow
changes the grounding arrangements for the better.

d
Pearce Consulting
http://www.pearce.uk.com

Is Hi-Fi delusional?
 

In article ,
Andy Evans wrote:
- apologies here, it appears my Variac is an autoformer, I had presumed
it was an isolation transformer. This leaves the question, why does it
appear to have a beneficial effect? And, of course, what better effect
could be achieved with a similar size isolation transformer? Has anybody
tried putting two toroids in series with their highest secondaries tied
together? This has been recommended elsewhere.

The likely benefits - if any - are by removing artifacts outside the 50 Hz
mains waveform. But this is rather more easily and cheaply achieved by
normal methods.

--
*Upon the advice of my attorney, my shirt bears no message at this time

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

Is Hi-Fi delusional?
 

So always be suspicious of any activity that involves misuse of terms, or
extensive borrowing and mis-applying. You are always being bull****ted

I don't think such a generalisation is warrented, though I can't deny always
being suspicious in these days of spin. There is certainly a kind of vocabulary
which is designed to sell products - a good example is "de-toxes the system and
kick starts digestion" which I read on a diet book this morning. But I think
wine tasters, however funny and however inaccurate (I've seen 13 different
fruits used to describe the same wine) are genuinely striving to convey in
another language what really belongs to a different sense, whether taste,
hearing or whatever. Metaphor has its place. Even scientists do it - white
noise, pink noise, little green men...

=== Andy Evans ===
Visit our Website:- http://www.artsandmedia.com
Audio, music and health pages and interesting links.

Is Hi-Fi delusional?
 

Bear in mind that every single piece of Hi Fi kit you own has an isolation
transformer built in. Adding more doesn't increase the
isolation in any way

I'm in the middle of trying to read up on this, but so far I have come across
arguments for 'more iron' i.e. a very large isolation transformer. Haven't yet
read why. I'm googling on "isolation transformer" and finding sites like:
http://www.smpstech.com/qa/qa0002.htm

=== Andy Evans ===
Visit our Website:- http://www.artsandmedia.com
Audio, music and health pages and interesting links.

Is Hi-Fi delusional?
 

On 18 Oct 2004 12:24:43 GMT, ohawker (Andy
Evans) wrote:

So always be suspicious of any activity that involves misuse of terms, or
extensive borrowing and mis-applying. You are always being bull****ted

I don't think such a generalisation is warrented, though I can't deny always
being suspicious in these days of spin. There is certainly a kind of vocabulary
which is designed to sell products - a good example is "de-toxes the system and
kick starts digestion" which I read on a diet book this morning. But I think
wine tasters, however funny and however inaccurate (I've seen 13 different
fruits used to describe the same wine) are genuinely striving to convey in
another language what really belongs to a different sense, whether taste,
hearing or whatever. Metaphor has its place. Even scientists do it - white
noise, pink noise, little green men...

You miss my point. Scientists generally try and use words to aid in
conveying meaning. Where they use metaphor, it is because there is no
sensible alternative. By contrast the bull**** industries (like wine)
use incorrect words (nose, bouquet) despite the fact that there is
already an entirely accurate word (smell) available. The idea is to
obfuscate rather than inform. High end audio does this.

d
Pearce Consulting
http://www.pearce.uk.com

Is Hi-Fi delusional?
 

"Fleetie" wrote in message
...
"Keith G" wrote
(Björk - Telegram)

(Note to Fleetie - You need bigger bass drivers or a sub, not a bigger
amp....)

I'd tend to disagree, Keith.

It's painfully evident that my current valve amp has insufficient
headroom to handle Bjork's obsession with deep bass.


OK


A 150W amp
would allow me to play some of her songs with the vocals at a
decent level, without the bass clipping to ****.


No argument there!


Which is what happens
now if I try to listen to some of her tracks at such a volume that
the vocals are loud enough to sound really good.


Some of the tracks on Telegram are well distorted in the recording. I'm not
sure which ones from memory, but it would be no chore if you wanted me to
check!! ;-)



A sub would *not* improve matters.


I would have thought it would if you are on your Dynaudios (?) - if they are
anything like the Contours they will guzzle valve power and don't have the
deepest bass in the world. (Ie, nice low notes but no real 'air pressure' -
last night, the pounding in the chest/gut made me feel queasy and that's
without any clipping whatsoever... ;-)


I know for a fact I need a bigger amp. If you could come here and
hear it, I think you'd know what I mean.


If you lived up to, say, 20-30 miles nothing would give me greater pleasure.



Anyway, I'm gonna have to wait until I can afford a bigger power
amp. :-(


:-)

Is Hi-Fi delusional?
 

On 18 Oct 2004 12:27:16 GMT, ohawker (Andy
Evans) wrote:

Bear in mind that every single piece of Hi Fi kit you own has an isolation
transformer built in. Adding more doesn't increase the
isolation in any way

I'm in the middle of trying to read up on this, but so far I have come across
arguments for 'more iron' i.e. a very large isolation transformer. Haven't yet
read why. I'm googling on "isolation transformer" and finding sites like:
http://www.smpstech.com/qa/qa0002.htm


Well, I see what they say, and you can check for yourself if you need
better isolation. Disconnect all the inputs from the power amp, and
turn the volume control right down. Now have a listen to the speakers
and check what you hear. A bit of hum is normal, and unaffected by
better isolation. Likewise a bit of hiss will be there, and is nothing
to do with isolation. On the other hand, if you hear random pops and
squeaks they may - just may - be coming along the mains.

This would be very unlikely though, because not only does the power
supply in the amplifier do a hugely successful job of eliminating
mains-borne crap, but the amplifier itself is designed to reject any
signals appearing on the power line. Between the two of them you will
be hard-pressed to find a need for work on the British mains.

Single-ended designs like a SET are a different matter, and possess
none of the desirable attributes of power line rejection.

d
Pearce Consulting
http://www.pearce.uk.com

Is Hi-Fi delusional?
 

Single-ended designs like a SET are a different matter, and possess
none of the desirable attributes of power line rejection.

My amps are PP, but without global negative feedback. How does this rate?
Incidentally, my speakers are quiet, no pops or squeeks. Thanks for the
information - it's good to get help on this ng. Andy

=== Andy Evans ===
Visit our Website:- http://www.artsandmedia.com
Audio, music and health pages and interesting links.

Is Hi-Fi delusional?
 

You miss my point. Scientists generally try and use words to aid in
conveying meaning. Where they use metaphor, it is because there is no
sensible alternative.

No, I do get your point. I'm just taking a more optimistic viewpoint of those
who use descriptors within what we could loosely call 'the arts' (relating in
this instance to music and culture). My database of 16PF profiles within the
arts make it clear that artists (remember I'm a jazz musician) are considerably
more straightforward than the rest of the population. Obviously searching for
'the truth' within art has some bearing on this, or maybe they're just naive.
They just aren't as shifty and Machiavellian as the rest of the population.

=== Andy Evans ===
Visit our Website:- http://www.artsandmedia.com
Audio, music and health pages and interesting links.

Is Hi-Fi delusional?
 

The likely benefits - if any - are by removing artifacts outside the 50 Hz
mains waveform. But this is rather more easily and cheaply achieved by
normal methods.


Hello Dave - what 'normal methods' are you suggesting? Chokes and capacitors
etc? I know you can make mains cleaners in small boxes, and an isolation
transformer is a pretty large beast. I don't know what I'm hearing with this
monster variac, which isn't even an isolation transformer, but it's cleaning up
something. Evidently this sounds counter intuitive, but in the googling I've
done I've turned up a fair amount of disagreement on mains cleaners, even from
engineers.

=== Andy Evans ===
Visit our Website:- http://www.artsandmedia.com
Audio, music and health pages and interesting links.