On 28/11/2015 00:32, Dave Plowman (News) wrote:
In article ,
News wrote:
Recent fun has been resurrecting my turntable (TD125/SME3009) and having
great fun playing LPs that I have not duplicated on CD, and have not
heard for too many years. However, were I to play the same album on
vinyl and CD, I doubt I could tell the difference.

It's usually easiest towards the end of an LP where the lower velocity
between disc and stylus shows up the inherent problems rather more.


Don't follow that - I'd have thought the distance travelled would be
less, but the disc speed the same? Actually, having written that I start
to get it (disc/stylus-time/distance), but I thought the inner groove
thing was related to tracking anomalies caused by the geometry of the
various bits.

Anyhoo, and FWIW, I've found that 'inner groove' poor quality sound
could be all but solved by certain types of cartridge. Not sure why/how,
but in my case an AT 440, and AT OC5

--
Cheers, Rob

In article , RJH
wrote:
[snip inner groove distortion]

Don't follow that - I'd have thought the distance travelled would be
less, but the disc speed the same? Actually, having written that I start
to get it (disc/stylus-time/distance), but I thought the inner groove
thing was related to tracking anomalies caused by the geometry of the
various bits.

It occurs for both reasons. In principle, you can deal with the tracking
geometry with something like a parallel-tracking or articulated arm. But
the groove 'wavelength' for a given frequency still reduces as you get
nearer the center as the actual velocity (in m/s) falls. Thus the wall
curvature increases and 'pinches' the stylus.

Anyhoo, and FWIW, I've found that 'inner groove' poor quality sound
could be all but solved by certain types of cartridge. Not sure why/how,
but in my case an AT 440, and AT OC5

Stylus shape is critical here. And also being able to track at low playing
weight to avoid groove deformation for the best shapes in geometric terms.
These don't prevent a rise in end-of-side distortion, but can reduce how
severe it becomes.

Its a shame none of the current hifi mags ever print full explanations of
such 'technical' issues. I've been going though my early Hi Fi News issues
putting together a searchable index.[1] And they are full of careful and
detailed explanations of such matters. Alas the work by Kelly, Crabbe,
Walton, etc, seem to be long out-of-print. Maybe time for a new book or
some reprints.

Also, the old mags had lots of DIY/constructional features which - even if
you never built them - are a mine for info for anyone wanting to understand
such details. Again, such things are hen's teeth these days. :-/

Editor's seem to have decided that such things would frighten off
wooden-header readers. Personally, I suspect some would be put off, but new
readers would be attracted.

Jim

[1] If anyone wants a copy there is a zip of a csv version here
http://jcgl.orpheusweb.co.uk/temp/HiFiNewsIndex7.zip
As yet only up to volume 7 and I lack most of volume 1. But I am
slowly adding more volumes.

--
Please use the address on the audiomisc page if you wish to email me.
Electronics http://www.st-and.ac.uk/~www_pa/Scot...o/electron.htm
Armstrong Audio http://www.audiomisc.co.uk/Armstrong/armstrong.html
Audio Misc http://www.audiomisc.co.uk/index.html

In article , Huge
wrote:

Editor's seem to have decided that such things would frighten off
wooden-header readers. Personally, I suspect some would be put off,
but new readers would be attracted.

I fear you are wrong. Building things at home is dying (which is why the
DIY sheds are closing stores). Young people these days don't even know
how to change a fuse.

That's always been true for a large section of people. However the RPi has
been a spectacular success and hackspaces have grown. So when you consider
the small size of the number of 'hi fi enthusiasts" I suspect a magazine
could attract people who'd prefer to DIY and learn how things work rather
than pay 1,000 quid for mains cables. You only need to sell to a small
percentage of the UK population to make a monthly mag a success. Question
of which particular audience you're going for.

The problem at present is, I suspect, reader 'surveys' that by their nature
only cover the preferences of *existing* readers.

My speakers are "A no-compromise loudspeaker for the home constructor"
from HFN&RR around 1980-ish (possibly). Sadly, I seem to have lost the
magazine.

I probably have the issue, but off-hand don't know the speakers.

Jim

--
Please use the address on the audiomisc page if you wish to email me.
Electronics http://www.st-and.ac.uk/~www_pa/Scot...o/electron.htm
Armstrong Audio http://www.audiomisc.co.uk/Armstrong/armstrong.html
Audio Misc http://www.audiomisc.co.uk/index.html

In article , Jim Lesurf
wrote:
I suspect a magazine could attract people who'd prefer to DIY and learn
how things work rather than pay 1,000 quid for mains cables. You only
need to sell to a small percentage of the UK population to make a
monthly mag a success. Question of which particular audience you're
going for.

Occurs to me to add: I've noticed an increasing tendency for people to
write to magazines, etc, asking for help with computer-based audio. And
that the magazines tend to be a bit shy of this topic. "Ooo! Too
complicated, we're not a computer mag." Which again seems a weird fear of
DIY to me given that the same mags often praise the quality of high rez
files. Again the assumption seems to be that such files are dealt with via
expensive closed dedidcated consumer devices. Not by the user learning or
doing anything.

Stark contrast to earlier decades. And I can't help feeling that a magazine
that *did* deal with these matters with enthusiam might well gain readers.

Jim

--
Please use the address on the audiomisc page if you wish to email me.
Electronics http://www.st-and.ac.uk/~www_pa/Scot...o/electron.htm
Armstrong Audio http://www.audiomisc.co.uk/Armstrong/armstrong.html
Audio Misc http://www.audiomisc.co.uk/index.html

On 28/11/2015 11:09, Jim Lesurf wrote:
In article , Jim Lesurf
wrote:
I suspect a magazine could attract people who'd prefer to DIY and learn
how things work rather than pay 1,000 quid for mains cables. You only
need to sell to a small percentage of the UK population to make a
monthly mag a success. Question of which particular audience you're
going for.

Occurs to me to add: I've noticed an increasing tendency for people to
write to magazines, etc, asking for help with computer-based audio. And
that the magazines tend to be a bit shy of this topic. "Ooo! Too
complicated, we're not a computer mag." Which again seems a weird fear of
DIY to me given that the same mags often praise the quality of high rez
files. Again the assumption seems to be that such files are dealt with via
expensive closed dedidcated consumer devices. Not by the user learning or
doing anything.

Stark contrast to earlier decades. And I can't help feeling that a magazine
that *did* deal with these matters with enthusiam might well gain readers.


I've been quite intrigued by some of the Raspberry Pi projects. If I get
some spare time (not likely right now), I'll have a go at a media server
and connect it to my NAS. 3 things:

1. I'm not that sure about the hardware - the Pi itself, and the DAC -
in objective terms. Would they be as good as, say, the Cambridge NP30 I use?

2. The interface, box, knobs, remote. This is something I am interested
in - making it look good and easy to use.

3. The software. I use 3 'apps' to control the NP30 - each do slightly
different things I like - proper listing (ignoring 'The' prefix for
example), playlist creation, and an ability to not crash. I have a
feeling there'd be steep learning curve, but it's probably this more
than anything that'd motivate.

(1) I'm not that bothered about, and there's plenty of blog and wiki
type resources for support.

(2) and (3) I'm not so sure of.

--
Cheers, Rob

In article , RJH
wrote:

I've been quite intrigued by some of the Raspberry Pi projects. If I get
some spare time (not likely right now), I'll have a go at a media
server and connect it to my NAS. 3 things:

1. I'm not that sure about the hardware - the Pi itself, and the DAC -
in objective terms. Would they be as good as, say, the Cambridge NP30 I
use?

IIRC someone like Woolfson make an excellent decidcated RPi ADC/DAC. But
beyond that I couldn't say if the 'Pi's own DACs would match something
else. Never even had an RPi.

2. The interface, box, knobs, remote. This is something I am interested
in - making it look good and easy to use.

3. The software. I use 3 'apps' to control the NP30 - each do slightly
different things I like - proper listing (ignoring 'The' prefix for
example), playlist creation, and an ability to not crash. I have a
feeling there'd be steep learning curve, but it's probably this more
than anything that'd motivate.

(1) I'm not that bothered about, and there's plenty of blog and wiki
type resources for support.

(2) and (3) I'm not so sure of.

I'd also check if the system is using Pulse Audio. That can be the kiss of
death for good audio. The developers are obsessed with 'mixing' all streams
to a nailed-to-the-wall sample rate and bit depth. And it can be a real
PITA to control, despite the claims. Devil in various details.

In a recent Linux mag I read a smug comment that Pulse now has excellent
mixer software for good audio. Erm. My Oxymoron alert buzzed. Good audio
means *avoiding* any software resamplings you can avoid. Particularly ones
you can't check or control.

Jim

--
Please use the address on the audiomisc page if you wish to email me.
Electronics http://www.st-and.ac.uk/~www_pa/Scot...o/electron.htm
Armstrong Audio http://www.audiomisc.co.uk/Armstrong/armstrong.html
Audio Misc http://www.audiomisc.co.uk/index.html

On 28/11/2015 11:46, Huge wrote:
On 2015-11-28, Jim Lesurf wrote:
In article , Huge
wrote:

[19 lines snipped]

My speakers are "A no-compromise loudspeaker for the home constructor"

... built by yours truly ...

from HFN&RR around 1980-ish (possibly). Sadly, I seem to have lost the
magazine.

I probably have the issue, but off-hand don't know the speakers.

If you came across the issue (IIRC, it was on the front cover), I'd
cheerfully swap a photocopy for a bottle of something nice!

Although I'm still mulling over buying a pair of Quad ESLs. I'm about
to move into a house with a very big lounge, so I could probably fit
them in.


You can describe your speakers though. What drivers, crossover and
enclosure type?

ESLs are not for the faint-hearted. :-)

--
Eiron.

On 28/11/2015 12:02, Huge wrote:
On 2015-11-28, Eiron wrote:
On 28/11/2015 11:46, Huge wrote:
On 2015-11-28, Jim Lesurf wrote:
In article , Huge
wrote:

[19 lines snipped]

My speakers are "A no-compromise loudspeaker for the home constructor"

... built by yours truly ...

from HFN&RR around 1980-ish (possibly). Sadly, I seem to have lost the
magazine.

I probably have the issue, but off-hand don't know the speakers.

If you came across the issue (IIRC, it was on the front cover), I'd
cheerfully swap a photocopy for a bottle of something nice!

Although I'm still mulling over buying a pair of Quad ESLs. I'm about
to move into a house with a very big lounge, so I could probably fit
them in.


You can describe your speakers though. What drivers, crossover and
enclosure type?

That's why I want the article. I made them nearly 30 years ago, and
can't really remember what's in them, other than they're sealed box (aka
"infinite baffle") with two enclosures (one bass, one mid-range) in the
same box. The bass, midrange and treble drivers are KEF and I can't
recall the supertweeter manufacturer. (Nor indeed, hear it any more,
I suspect). The crossover is home-made from the design in the article
with components supplied by Wilmslow Audio.

They stand nearly 4ft tall and weigh a great deal, since they're lined
with concrete. It was amusing to watch the removal man trying to pick
one up, the last time we moved house.

Here's a transmission line from the mid seventies with the standard issue
Wilmslow Audio KEF drivers and supertweeter.
http://p10hifi.net/planet10/TLS/downloads/Pro9TL-1.pdf
The crossover and drivers might well be the same.

--
Eiron.

On 28/11/2015 11:46, Huge wrote:

Although I'm still mulling over buying a pair of Quad ESLs. I'm about
to move into a house with a very big lounge, so I could probably fit
them in.

By a strange coincidence I looked in my local bazaar today;
it had a 303 (£150) and a pair of 57s (£400).
I managed to resist temptation.

The proprietors have no idea of marketing as these were hidden away
in different corners of the shop and not connected up.
Or maybe they were defective so playing music through them would
deter the punters.

--
Eiron.

In article ,
Eiron wrote:
On 28/11/2015 11:46, Huge wrote:

Although I'm still mulling over buying a pair of Quad ESLs. I'm about
to move into a house with a very big lounge, so I could probably fit
them in.

By a strange coincidence I looked in my local bazaar today;
it had a 303 (£150) and a pair of 57s (£400).
I managed to resist temptation.

The proprietors have no idea of marketing as these were hidden away
in different corners of the shop and not connected up.
Or maybe they were defective so playing music through them would
deter the punters.

ESL 57 could well have faulty drivers etc if not recently serviced. Nice
though they are - assuming you don't need more than moderate levels.

--
*IF A PARSLEY FARMER IS SUED, CAN THEY GARNISH HIS WAGES?

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