Next Austin HT Meet 3/22 at Sound Mind Audio!" (1 Viewer)

[Greg Risley]

I'm looking foward to the JMLabs Sib/Cub set-up. I'm considering it for my room.

Greg

 

[Hank Frankenberg]

Well, I'm looking forward to a good comparo of CD versus vinyl if we can come up with the same recording on both mediums. Also I'd like to hear differences between SS and tubes (I know, that could be an all-day effort if done correctly) before I refurb my integrated tube amp and haul the vinyl out of my closet and go off the deep end as Jonathan is dangerously close to doing

 

[Jonathan DA]

Aside from the cool retro fun, a big driver in my consideration of vinyl is price. I am first and foremost a music lover, and a gear head secondly. I would love to own a lot of the older jazz, blues, and classic rock albums out there, but at $18 a pop for a CD I just can't justify the expense. I can get most of those same albums on vinyl for a third of that price. And as long as the sound quality degradation is only slight, then I can live with that. Now you could argue that I could do the same thing for free via MP3s and Kazaa, but there is something special to me about owning the original. I'm willing to pay $6 to get the physical media and cover art. Plus, most MP3's I've heard contained significant audible degradation.

 

[Hank Frankenberg]

Dr. J, if you will be buying $6 used vinyl, then you don't need a mega-buck TT and cartridge, and you don't need to go overboard on a tube amp. I'm being optimistic here - it's a good thing that you are focusing on the music instead of having the latest esoteric gear. You'll save a bundle in the long run. BTW, I have bids in on 4 original H.H. Scott amps. And there's mine in the closet. BWAHAHAHAHAHA!

 

[Jonathan DA]

Ah, but Hank, you misunderstand the audiophile mind! Don't you see, you spend $6 per LP so that you CAN afford the megabuck turntable and tube amp!

Actually, the tube amp is a totally separate deal, I don't need it to enjoy the ol' LPs. It's sort of a paradox to me. I have listened to some very expensive ones that just sounded like mush, I'd rather listen to the Yamaha receiver in my bedroom. On the other hand, I've listened to others, like the VTL IT-85, that just make me go "how'd they do that?" cuz it has the authority of a solid state amp, but the smoothness that tubes are famous for. Oh my, I sound like a freak! My present theory is that the frequency response variations caused by using an amp with a low damping factor in combination with the distortion inherent in tubes makes for an experience that, while not quite accurate, is very pleasing to the ear. Basically I think it masks the problems with current recording methods. And when I say methods I don't mean the use of digital equipment, I mean things like close micing performers in dead acoustic environments where each instrument is separated from the others and any ambience is manufactured during mixing. Just a theory.

 

[Hank Frankenberg]

Doc J, that's not just theory, but fact-based thinking, if you're talking about small groups ("chicks singing"). Studio-recorded small groups have totally contrived, unrealistic "soundstage". I'm beginning to think that's why I tire so quickly when listening to average one-singer and two or three instrument small group recordings. It's funny to watch audiophiles intently listening to high-end equipment, totally immersed as they stare ahead, localizing instruments and voices in the soundstage that was artificially placed by a knob-twisting recording "engineer". I prefer recordings of larger to "big" groups: jazz bands, big swing bands, symphonic bands to symphony orchestras performing on real stages in real acoustically designed halls. My humble 2-Hz worth.

 

[ChrisKo]

I'd like to join the meet if you still have room available.

Thanks!

Chris Kowalske

 

[Scott Oliver]

Yes we do have room, and welcome aboard.

That makes 22 RSVP's, should be a nice sized crowd.

Jonathan and Hank, you guys are definately on the engineering side of things. Why rationalize, if it sounds good then just enjoy it.

BTW I haven't given up on cables, I have for my current set-up. But the day I am able to get the CasaNova out of the way for music I am going to investigate again.

 

[Jonathan DA]

Is this a serious question or some of that dry as Texas dust humor? I'll answer assuming it's serious. We ask "why?" and "how can I do it better" because if there weren't people on "the engineering side of things" then you'd still be listening an Edison wax cylinder with an acoustic horn amplifier to some horribly produced recording before taking your horse and buggy into town to get some seeds to plant your crops while praying to the gods to send rain so that you could survive till the next year. That is, if you hadn't already died from Polio.

Actually, scratch that, Edison wax cylinders wouldn't exist because everyone would have agreed that allowing the elite class of society access to rare live performances was good enough. Everyone else could just bust out the fiddle after dinner and enjoy that. I mean, who needs recorded music anyway?

BTW, which definition of "rationalize" were you referring to?

1. To interpret from a rational standpoint.
or
2. To devise self-satisfying but incorrect reasons for one's behavior.

It seems to me that people who assume that if X makes A sound better than Y, then X fixes the root cause of the problem, are rationalizing according to definition two. When in fact, X may not be the solution to the root cause of the problem it may only be a point solution that masks the symptoms. Hank and I are actually looking for the root cause, not the fix for the symptom. Which puts us in the definition one camp.

 

[Scott Oliver]

OK...
sorry I posted that.

Hey Greg you might want to drop Brian a line and let him know you would like to hear the Cubs at the event, because last I talked to him he planned on having JM Labs Electras only hooked up in the home theater room, and basically all his rooms were going to drop down to a minimum level of equipment on display, the rest in safe strorage. Basically to help avoid any mishaps by having too much stuff littered everywhere, which if you have ever been to Brian's house or his new store you would know what I am talking about.

 

[Greg Risley]

Hey Scott

Brian and I have emailed a couple of times about the Sib/Cub. I will probably swing by some other time so I can have a good audtion, so if he doesn't have them set up at the meet, no big deal. I'm just looking foward to seeing the new shop.

Greg

 

[Jonathan DA]

Errr, my last post was supposed to be funny, sorry if it came across too virulent.

 

[Hank Frankenberg]

You boys will have to excuse my intellectual friend Jonathan. Being as how he's not a native Texan, he's trying real hard for subtle humor and he's struggling.
I thought our exchange regarding phony soundstage in studio-recorded music contained all the elements of a good forum discussion:
1. Interesting topic
2. Exchange of opinions
3. Exchange of facts
4. Not boringly technical
5. No premature lines drawn in the sand with "this is the way it is" statements.
6. No name-calling (Rats, maybe next time )

Engineer? I don't need no stinkin' engineer!!

 

[Scott Oliver]

We need to organize who is going to bring what.

Things I can think of that we may need.
1) Portable Chairs - I have got about 5 or 6 of these that I can bring - Anyone else?

2) Snacks and Drinks - Are we still going to have food and drinks available. I think we for sure need some soda or the like but are we still wanting to have some snack food. What types?

3) Plates, bowls, cups, and silverware - I have already volunteered to bring all of these type items, just need to know what food items are finalized.

4) Raffle tickets - does anyone have a small roll of those colored numbered tickets that carnivals use or can someone create ~30 tickets of equal size for the drawing.

5) I would of course encourage folks to bring some LP's, SACD's and CD's of stuff you like otherwise you might just end up with a bunch of chicks singing

6) Tables - I am pretty sure we are going to need some type of table to sit the food and drink buffet on, also we could probably use a small sign-in table to sit near the entrance. Anyone have some folding card tables?

7) I will also create a sign-in sheet, which we will use to assign a raffle number to each attendee and this sheet will also have a statement at the top stating the you break-it you pay for it policy at the top and then everyone will need to print and sign their name upon arrival.

8) Name tag stickers - Anyone have some of these around the house?

 

[Hank Frankenberg]

1) I'll bring two folding chairs
2) I'll bring nuts (as usual) and soda - what else?
3) -
4) don't have any
5) GOOD IDEA
6) don't have any
7) -
8) I'll buy some bought some last night

 

[Rich_Ave]

Scott,

I can bring:

1. 5 or 6 folding chairs
2. a couple bottles of soda and chips (any preference??)
3. I can bring some plates/utensils if you want me to
4. -
5. a couple of CD's
6. 2 card tables
7. -
8. -

If you think of anything else, let me know.

Rich Avery

 

[Jonathan DA]

I can contribute to 2 (and 5 of course). How 'bout a veggie tray? Any requests?

 

[Scott Oliver]

Hank,

Are you still going to do your presentation on FP differences?

I have talked about this with Brian and he said the plasma screen will be able to accept the computer graphics with a VGA connection. If you are wanting a bigger screen then someone will need to a bing a FP, for he will not have one in the store yet.

 

[Keith Shaw]

I'll toss in my RSVP as well if no one objects to having a rowdy San Antonion on board

Edit: Scott Hinson still lives, waddya know? :p)

 

[Hank Frankenberg]

No, no formal presentation. I'll bring it hardcopy and leave it on a table so that anyone interested in projection basics, including the three basic types, resolutions, lens info, etc can look through it.