Archive for 'Tag Archives: 'high end''
Opening up an age old debate
Several of you have written me suggesting the issue we’ve been discussing on purity has more to do with the playback equipment than the way it was recorded. I think it’s more complicated than that. There [...]
Walking backwards
The Audiophile's dilemma of resolving every last detail and accepting slightly less to enjoy all your collection more can have a good resolution if you let it. [...]
‘Tis the (Choral) Season
Lawrence Schenbeck recommends new choral recordings that would make nice gifts, with asides on record packaging and choral music's place in American life. [...]
Is it pure?
Is our goal in high-end audio to get as close to the original recording, or is it something else? [...]
Building project
We take our high end systems personally as opposed to a commodity and this is exactly the right thing to do. [...]
Discovery
Many great discoveries in all fields happened by chance. It's important to develop and trust in your powers of observations. [...]
Chasing the dragon
Chasing The Dragon is another in depth look at multi-channel audio by Joe Adams. With 4 Martin Logan CLX and ML Stage for the center channel, this system has the potential to really show off [...]
Social media
Social media has the ability to change the high end for the better. Are you helping out? [...]
What if no one was there?
If you forward an email, write a comment, make a post and no one reads it, does it matter? [...]
Golden ears
Most people believe they can't hear the differences between a low end system and a high end system - and of course that's wrong. [...]
Mastering or media?
Michael Fremer loves vinyl played back on his digital audio player. Filter or something else? [...]
Teaching art
Designing something can be accomplished by a lot of people but connecting with people's emotions is something unique [...]
Endless loop
Audio used to be hardware centric, not it's mostly software based. This powerful shift in the industry will bring wonderful changes. [...]
The Enthusiast
The term Audiophile has long been associated with a love of great sound but I think it perhaps has a different meaning. [...]
The lowly receiver
The idea of a receiver, done correctly, is something I think might well go over today. [...]
Power of cables
When we talk about wireless we don't really mean it because we're leaving out one of the most important wires of them all! [...]
Bi-wiring
Is bi-wiring your speakers the way to go? I believe so and here's why. [...]
No Band Aids here!
AC regeneration and power conditioning are two completely different and unrelated topics. One rebuilds and generates new, the other a simple Band Aid. [...]
Powered speakers
Powered full range loudspeakers have never gone over big - or even small. Why? [...]
Up against the wall!
Why do we have to continue placing speakers into the middle of the room? Isn't there someone that can design a different course? [...]
Millimeters matter
Small changes in speaker placement make huge differences in imaging, but why? [...]
Open mind
Some things just can't change, or can they? [...]
The sweet spot
How do you get a wider sweet spot? By giiving something else up. [...]
The business model
Every dollar the manufacturer does not receive for his products is a dollar spent to access a customer. Is it money well spent? [...]
Direct shot
Music is an emotional experience when we're "into it" and an analytical experience when we're just "listening". [...]
I will remember yesterday
Some remember the day when Buddy and the music died. Some the day when Elvis the king died. Others remember John when the inspiration died. I remember yesterday, when my hero died. Bye Steve. You made [...]
Audio shows
Local audio fairs are growing in number, but is this the answer to great access to equipment to demo? [...]
Fatigue
Do you suffer from listener fatigue with your system? Here's some things to look out for. [...]
A new day
The last in a three part series of how we might resurrect the local high-end audio dealer and what it would take. [...]
Maybe Frito Bandito?
I promised yesterday to get into specifics about the idea I put forth of manufacturers adopting the Wal Mart approach of not owning inventory as way to get local “audio experts” to become high-end retailers. Reader [...]
Wal Mart?
Here's the start of an idea we are kicking around about how to get high-end dealers back into our communities. [...]
An idea
High end audio dealers are getting fewer and fewer, is there a new model we might look at to fix this? [...]
Designing by ear
How do you learn to design high-end equipment by ear? [...]
What’s it take to be high-end?
What makes a design high-end even if it measures the same as one that is not? [...]
Audiostream launches
There's a new online magazine on the horizon called Audiostream by the folks at Stereophile. It covers all things computer and audio related. [...]
Adult children
Every few years a new generation enters into the field of possible high-end devotees. What are we doing to welcome them into the fold? [...]
Enhance the senses
Enhancing your own senses can lead to a better listening experience [...]
Break in
Break in of equipment is a hot topic, Paul gives his opinion on the subject in perhaps a surprising way. [...]
Foreign networks
Home networking is getting easier everyday. We should embrace this change rather than fret over it. [...]
Getting all your system has III
French Audiophile Florent Duchateau finishes the last article in his three part series on getting the most out of your system without spending any money. [...]
Subwoofers are essential
Subwoofers are an essential element in any system if you want the total experience available on the music. [...]
Audio mindset
Commitment to the ritual of audio focuses our attention but we can make a slight tweak to the mindset to get the same results if we want to. [...]
Tone controls
How come tone control haven't yet made their appearance again in high-end? [...]
Changing stripes
Have people changed and does that spell a decline in the high-end? [...]
Before the Monster
Long before the Monsters, Kimbers and AudioQuests, we used lamp cord and loved it! [...]
What’s wrong with the status quo?
High-end never lost its appeal, but it certainly has lost its footing. [...]
The Man Cave
Is interest in high-end audio declining or is it a rejection of the dedicated audio sanctuary? [...]
Where’s the music supposed to be?
It's a surprise to many that the sound of your system should come from behind the loudspeakers. [...]
Your Dirty Dozen
When you audition something new are you prepared? Here's an interesting idea for you. [...]
It does something?
A power conditioner that actually does something? What a novel concept! [...]
Lost in the desert
Here at the CEDIA show I feel like I am walking through a foreign land. [...]
Feedback
Feedback systems require errors to happen before fixes take place [...]
Push, pull or drag
When it comes to implementing new technology, are high-end companies pushing it? Or are they being pulled or even dragged into using it? [...]
Broccoli and opera
Expanding your musical horizons so you can enjoy more is always challenging but worth it. [...]
Window dressing
It's weird that prototypes sound better than fully finished production units in beautiful chassis [...]
Have you ever noticed?
Have you ever noticed how much better your car runs after you wash it? This isn't something unique to just you. [...]
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. [...]
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? [...]
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. [...]
The power of one
You'd be surprised at just how much of an impact you can make with one little word or demo. [...]
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 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? [...]
The lens of microphones
Everything you listen to is most likely colored by a microphone so "real" is truly subjective. [...]
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. [...]
Ask the tough questions
Head in the sand or asking the tough questions over and over again? [...]
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. [...]
Market research
What happens when you apply committee mentality to new technology? [...]
Nelson’s my hero
From Pass to Sarmento, it's the people hand crafting our high-end products that matter [...]
The resurgence is near
Lots of hand wringing about the high-end. I have a different view. [...]
Meeting expectations
There's nothing more disappointing than having your high expectations for something not met. We write about three examples of interest [...]
My first time
I'll never forget it, Edgar Winter's Frankenstein out of the JBL's was so lifelike that my jaw dropped. I have never been the same. [...]
Why am I writing daily posts?
It's frightening for me to make a daily commitment to write something of interest but I think every bit helps to bring us together in the high-end [...]
Turntables in the movies!
Ken Kessler finds a glimmer of hope for high-end audio while watching a remake of the Mechanic while in flight. Great how he finds something high end in everything he does! [...]
What is the High-End?
We use the term "high-end" a lot but what does it actually mean? How do you define high-end? What separates high-end from the everyday when it comes to audio? We examine in detail [...]
Why I left TAS
Magazines about the high-end like Stereophile and TAS have been around for years but do they still live up to their promise? Here's an insider's viewpoint. [...]
T.H.E. Show report
You've read tons of show reports but none like this. Brad Paulsen gives an insider's view of the T.H.E. Show and includes an overview of shows past. [...]
Getting all your system has
Does buying expensive high-end equipment or upgrades to existing equipment make for a high-end experience? No says author Florent Duchateau in the first of a series of articles on how to get the most from [...]
The difference between the P5 and P10 Power Plants
Find out the differences between the two Power Plants, why you would choose one over the other, the specifications between the two and an overview of what a Power Plant is and does in your system. [...]
Welcome to PSTracks
There's a new kid on the block, PSTracks. This is the online newspaper dedicated to connecting the high-end together, both figuratively and electronically. Find out what we're all about by reading our charter. [...]
MOG is it high-end?
There's a new streaming music service that's claiming to be "CD Quality" on-demand music streamed to your home for $10 a month. Great if it's true. PSTracks investigates the claim of high-end and find [...]
Moving from old to new
After 10 years of writing the PS Newsletter it's time for a change and not a small one. The Newsletter connected PS Audio customers together with the company. Now it's time to expand that [...]
Music industry turned upside down
If the music industry is in shambles, is anyone doing well? Absolutely. In this report we learn about the new paradigm of delivering music through independent labels and music lovers are the ones that [...]
The state of audio retailing today
Are high-end brick and mortar audio stores going away? If so, why? Ken Kessler delivers a scathing report on the state of audio retailing, why it is in this position and what retailers might [...]
Reflections on Recording Vijay Iyer’s latest album
What's the recording process like when making a high-end album from scratch? Blue Coast Records engineer Cookie Marenco walks us through the process of making a high-end recording with artist Vijay Lyer. [...]
The very first product
What goes into designing a high-end audio product? PS designer Paul McGowan walks us through the process started nearly 40 years ago as PS Audio designed its first product ever, a phono stage. [...]
Have a network and just don’t know it?
Just what is a network and do you have one at home? Chances are good you already do but you may not understand what it is or what it can do. The PSTracks staff [...]
Home networking part 1
You just bought the best router on the market and you're all set. Really? Actually, what you have is the low end of what's possible for a home network and expert Aaron Gutin starts [...]
PSTracks Mobile ready
PSTracks is an online newspaper about the high end and it's available now as a special mobile viewing edition on Apple, Droid, Blackberry and other mobile devices. Check out this high-end viewing experience. [...]
3-D sound real or a gimmick?
Anyone into high-end audio knows the goal with a great system is to create a three dimensional lifelike image from the system, one that sends tingles when the lights are off. New advances in stereo [...]
Google’s Music Service
First there was iTunes which lives on your computer. The trend today is to get the media out of your storage and into the "cloud". Apple's rumored to be going this way and Google [...]
Ham fisted upsampling
Some downloaded music that claims to be high resolution isn't - yet customers are asked to pay a premium price for it. Is upsampling something really high resolution or is there more to it than [...]
The First CES
The first in a new series about the high-end. Industry veteran Paul McGowan shares with us some funny stories about the high-end, the first trip to the consumer electronics show and we relive some of [...]
A bias right in the middle
True - which is ne of the reasons we use complimentary symmetry design
A bias right in the middle
But in a sense in your single ended example there is no real middle. I
Odd or even?
So that others can find it on the internet, read it for themselves and
Odd or even?
Why would you mention the individual's name in a post, which I believe
Odd or even?
I've heard this assertion for the longest time and I must say I can't