Archive for 'August,2011'
Classical Corner: Baroque Orchestral Suites
Dance fever is nothing new. Lawrence Schenbeck discusses great Baroque dance music in new and old recordings of Bach, Rameau, and Handel by Jordi Savall, Frederick Fennell, Charles Mackerras, and others. [...]
Numbers and tastes
Numbers always tell the truth if they are in context - but without a reference, they can mislead us badly. [...]
Why simple is better
Crossovers for speakers range from the simple to the overly complex, breaking the sound apart in ever smaller parts. Brad Paulson expounds on his views about it. [...]
What is an Audiophile?
Remember the term Lunatic Fringe? Why would that be attached to someone who wants better sound? [...]
The pure and the practical
There's pure and then there's practical, sometimes you need a bit of both. [...]
It’s just wire…the last
Once you understand cables can only subtract, not add, the next step is to take advantage of their weakness. [...]
It’s just wire…again
Wire has no ability to add anything to the music. So when we say it adds bass or brightness, what we really mean ..... [...]
It’s just wire
This wire adds too much top end to the music! I choose instead a cable that is gentle on the top and brings out the bottom end....what's all that mean? [...]
Remarkable noise
If you've heard the phenomena of noise separated from the music, you'll get this right away. [...]
Jazz – what the heck is it?
Not into Jazz yet? Keith Copeland walks us through the history as we start our journey into a great musical art form. [...]
The quest for the objective ear
If people the world over can find faith in that which they cannot taste, smell, or hear, why can’t we believe in the thoroughly subjective musical experience? [...]
One at a time
Making multiple changes to your system can get you lost pretty quickly. [...]
How solid is your foundation?
Building a strong foundation for our AV systems is critical to your success. But there are many choices, which one is right for you? [...]
Bob Dylan’s – Blood on the Tracks
Dylan's latest release is reviewed for PS Tracks by Gilbert Heatherwick and he loves it! [...]
Guilty pleasures
I've been asked to hide the cost of high-end gear from family members more than once. The secret's safe with me. [...]
The magic of high-end audio
Nothing gets me more excited than to show someone the system, especially if they've never heard a high-end one. [...]
The perfect volume
Singers imaging the size of a Mack truck or as small as a cat? Size of image is all controlled through volume levels. [...]
Trusting the reviewer in you
We all have a reviewer’s mentality inside of of us. We review or pass judgment on just about everything every day. Yet I routinely speak with people who are uncomfortable trusting the internal reviewer when it [...]
The power of one
You'd be surprised at just how much of an impact you can make with one little word or demo. [...]
Classic Rock Corner
What is it that makes a piece of rock music "Classic"? What is it that can make a bar full of complete strangers start to bob their heads in unison and sing along upon hearing the [...]
The tiniest details
If something sounds great today, how does it sound tomorrow? Is the variability you or the equipment? [...]
The Quiet Revolution
We are right in the middle of one of the greatest revolutions in audio ever and some have hardly noticed. [...]
Don’t believe everything you think
CD vs. SACD debates rage on but most of us don't realize these two formats have more in common than not. [...]
Steve Tibbetts’ “Complex Little Cathedrals”
What album would work best with a lazy Sunday morning with coffee and the paper? A long drive in the country? While preparing for a hectic commute? Reining in focus in order to study? Winding down after [...]
Vinyl Vs. CD
Vinyl or CD? Why does vinyl sound more dynamic than CD's? Take a look inside to discover. [...]
Classical Corner Mystery Composers
Lawrence Schenbeck introduces three "Mystery Composers" whose music should be more widely enjoyed. [...]
The bit game
32 bit is certainly better than 16 bit. Or is it? We examine bit depth and what it means. [...]
Don’t forget the dealer
High-end audio dealers play a big role in helping people decide what to buy, but they are a shrinking category. Why? [...]
Audio vanity
How much are we paying for a beautiful chassis and is that money well spent? I can recall long ago, in the first few years of our existence, that Stan (The “S” in PS) was of [...]
Who do we believe?
Who do you trust when it comes time to make a purchasing decision? What the manufacturer tells you? A reviewer? Or your buddy who has no more knowledge than you do? [...]
The lens of microphones
Everything you listen to is most likely colored by a microphone so "real" is truly subjective. [...]
The ear’s adaptability
How we evaluate live vs. recorded is anything but an exact science and can never get close to real. [...]
Power as the foundation
There are many thoughts on the right approach to building a proper foundation for your system. This article argues it should be power. [...]
The process
Are you rushing through your tasks to get to the other side so you can hit the next milestone? [...]
Ask the tough questions
Head in the sand or asking the tough questions over and over again? [...]
eLyric features
As close to 10,000 copies of this free UPnP server program are in the field, we wanted to post the operating instructions so you can see all the features and cool things eLyric does for you. [...]
Personal filters
We selectively hear and see what we want to and many times this gets in the way of designing and reviewing audio products. [...]
Everything’s obvious
“Everything’s obvious once you know the answer” is the title of a really interesting book I am reading right now (thanks to my son Sean). The title makes everyone snicker because it’s so obvious and because [...]
Audio artists
Yamaha or Peachtree Audio? Sonos or PS Audio? Support the artists. [...]
Bad vibes
Snake oil or real? Aftermarket vibration controls are the real deal. [...]
Consistency
Consistency may be the least consistent product of any organization; yet it's what's expected of us all. [...]
Market research
What happens when you apply committee mentality to new technology? [...]
Recent Comments
- Treat the cause or the symptoms? (11)
Paul McGowan: Aging memory Mark. I wrote what I remembered and then went back and actually measured it.
The Q...Soundminded: Paul, on April 27 you posted “The main listening room at PS Audio is approximately 16 feet wide...
oliver T. Finch: Simple. Treat the cause and there won’t be any symptoms.Regards.
Brooklyn: A listener’s ears adjust to the room. If you were to walk with me from one room to another as I...
stimpy2: I like Dennis’s suggestion very much.
- Get that mole! (3)
petewilson: As suggested above, it’s a Good Idea to fix the cause(s). But, in general with real-world rooms,...
Soundminded: In response to the question about treating the cause or the symptom in medicine it’s my...
jb4: Thank you for very interesting posts and video’s. I totally agree with your approach, cure the cause,...
- Jelly rolls (3)
oliver T. Finch: Excellent posts. I look forward to them everyday. Very informative too.I am being convinced more...
Paul McGowan: Oh my goodness yes, depending on the capacitor type the inductance is certainly an issue – for...
coppy: Great articles, Paul, Thanks. And thanks also to all those knowledgeable folks who add their comments as...
- If you have to ask ….. (1)
demeter: “…You cannot hear 1Hz – but you can hear 20Hz and you can feel 16Hz and even...
- Capacitors (1)
Bassman23: It’s been a very long time since I earned my Third Class broadcasting license. Thanks for the...
- Direct coupling (3)
Paul McGowan: The 20 year period between 1973 and 1993 peaking in the early 80′s
oliver T. Finch: What is the second golden era of audio? This a new term to me. Regards.
Soundminded: The purpose of capacitors in the signal path in amplifiers and preamplifiers is to allow independent...
- Gas pedals and plucks (9)
Soundminded: Yes as I pointed out in another thread some time ago the sound of the string itself is barely audible...
Paul McGowan: Sorry, I didn’t mean to suggest “more energy” in a literal sense – I guess...
Soundminded: If you could get more energy out than you put in without an external power supply or built in stored...
Paul McGowan: I’d have to agree with Mark on this one – it really depends on whose hands to instrument...
Paul McGowan: You are absolutely correct about resonance build up – just think about how a whistle or a pipe...
- Ringing (3)
Soundminded: I don’t agree. One way to measure frequency response is one frequency at a time. The input and...
Paul McGowan: Well, correct me if I am wrong but those frequency response peaks won’t occur without...
Soundminded: “We don’t see this added energy in typical audio measurements such as THD and IM because these...
- Just pluck it! (1)
Soundminded: Bowing a string is just like plucking it many times a second. As the taught rosined horsehair on the...
- Music loving animals (5)
Mike48: Our late cat listened with me often. I always thought he enjoyed the music, and he especially seemed to...
oliver T. Finch: In yesterdays post it was mentioned that if the leading transients were removed the sustained...
Newk Yuler: When my cat was younger he would look around the room when I played something atmospheric with birds...
- Lion’s roar (9)
Soundminded:
Oh but I am horrified. I went into the wrong profession. Had I only known I could have this...Paul McGowan: Mark, don’t be horrified – and please don’t feel anything other than welcome here....
Treat the cause or the symptoms?
Aging memory Mark. I wrote what I remembered and then went back and a
Treat the cause or the symptoms?
Paul, on April 27 you posted "The main listening room at PS Audio is a
Get that mole!
As suggested above, it's a Good Idea to fix the cause(s). But, in gene
Get that mole!
In response to the question about treating the cause or the symptom in
Get that mole!
Thank you for very interesting posts and video's. I totally agree wit