The Audiophoolery Thread.

[Radio Wrangler]

Originally Posted by stevehertz

Intriguing!

Seigfried Linkwitz and I worked, for a while, for the same part of HP. He was a marketing manager in the network analyser division when I met him. Had a rather interesting chat!

Before moving into marketing, he was involved in designing spectrum analysers, etc. The network analyser bunch were located up Fountaingrove Parkway in Santa Rosa (currently the HQ of Keysight) while the Spectrum analyser bunch had moved out, needing more space to a new place built 20 miles down highway 101 at Rohnert Park (That place is now a mixture of Nursery (kids) indoor gokarts, truck stop and tomayto farm.)

David

[stevehertz]

Originally Posted by Radio Wrangler

Seigfried Linkwitz and I worked, for a while, for the same part of HP. He was a marketing manager in the network analyser division when I met him. Had a rather interesting chat!

Before moving into marketing, he was involved in designing spectrum analysers, etc. The network analyser bunch were located up Fountaingrove Parkway in Santa Rosa (currently the HQ of Keysight) while the Spectrum analyser bunch had moved out, needing more space to a new place built 20 miles down highway 101 at Rohnert Park (That place is now a mixture of Nursery (kids) indoor gokarts, truck stop and tomayto farm.)

David

You (and Craig) mix in some high up electronic circles David! I used to have associations with many electronics companies, including the very big ones from the mid 90s up until 2010 in my capacity as their PR provider. My job being to promote their new components and application success stories by way of press releases, feature articles, arranging European press tours etc etc. I still do freelance writing for a few now.

[Beobloke]

I have been pondering new speaker cables recently.

These seem reasonable... https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/AUDIO-ACO...AAAOSw1RJfQS8Z

Ridiculous.

[Radio Wrangler]

Originally Posted by Beobloke

I have been pondering new speaker cables recently.

These seem reasonable... https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/AUDIO-ACO...AAAOSw1RJfQS8Z

"Wow Resonance" cables?

Huh? I've spent many good years of my life trying to get rid of Wow and to avoid resonances.

For the prices I see several of these cables being offered for, I'd fly down and give them 1:1 tuition in how to fix wow and resonance problems.

David

[GrimJosef]

Originally Posted by Radio Wrangler

... For the prices I see several of these cables being offered for, I'd fly down and give them 1:1 tuition in how to fix wow and resonance problems.

You'd be too late. It's mind-blowing, you see. Once their mind has been blown no amount of tuition is going to be much help. It might explain why they think the cable is so special though.

Cheers,

GJ

[Radio Wrangler]

They can't be totally mindless, can they? Otherwise where did they get £100k from for their last set of cables?

Inheritance?

David

[Sinewave]

What's the view here on bi-wiring? Or is that a no no also?

[MickMcmichael]

Originally Posted by Beobloke

I have been pondering new speaker cables recently.

These seem reasonable... https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/AUDIO-ACO...AAAOSw1RJfQS8Z

Crikey. I'd have expected the full 12 pictures at that price!

Am now trying to imagine trying to solder one of those wires to a 2 pin speaker DIN plug to use on my old Teleton SAQ-206.

What's the view here on bi-wiring?

Waste of copper, one bit of wire carries the bass the other the treble, a single bit will just share the task. That is current, of course in all cases have the same PD across them.

Am now trying to imagine trying to solder one of those wires to a 2 pin speaker DIN plug

You have lost the plot, screw terminal DIN plugs are available. Grin!

[Radio Wrangler]

You'll need audiophile speaker DINs, price-matched to the cable.

Bi-wiring is an amazing development. At a stroke doubling the profits of the cable companies.

David

[The Philpott]

The sad thing is they actually appear to be serious. There was recently (and may well still be) an 'in joke' on said buying/selling website, where vastly inflated prices were being asked for worn out 2 pence coins from around year 1971. It gave me a laugh, but somehow what i have just seen from the link shown in post No.1743 leaves me cold.. and rather suspicious actually. Enough said.

Dave

[MickMcmichael]

Well this would make a nice Christmas decoration to sit in the window.

Make a change from the five illuminated candles we've been using since 1988.

https://www.nataudio.com/products/va.../26-magma.html

[Radio Wrangler]

Snigger!

It's got "Super damping factor" (their underline)

It's a single ended monoblock, but it has a "pure symmetric output transformer"

High mass output connectors (Um, the output is electrical E-L-E-C-T-R-I-C-A-L, idiots, not mechanical.

THe HT even for the output stage is regulated... Um just a minute... I don't see an even bigger tube as the regulator. Does that mean they let Silicon inside it? That'll poison the sound for sure ... and no big heatsink means switch mode! They don't tout that in their brochure. All the power getting to that big choob might have been processed in class D! How can it ever benefit from the right choice of mains cable if that gets done to it?

It seems a pair comes in a flight case (130kg) No mention of money, so if you need to ask, it's out of reach.

Five of 'em in place of those candles, even only at Christmas might make your room too warm, Mick.

David

[The Philpott]

Ah yes, if you need to ask, it's out of reach. Represented as 'POA' in other circles.

[GrimJosef]

I've serviced a pair of those (strictly speaking, an earlier version, but I suspect they have a lot in common)

Originally Posted by Radio Wrangler

... THe HT even for the output stage is regulated... Um just a minute... I don't see an even bigger tube as the regulator. Does that mean they let Silicon inside it ...

Yes. I seem to recall that in one of the reviews on their website there are some details of the regulating devices. But right now I can't find the reference. They don't hide it though.

... and no big heatsink means switch mode! ...

No. Given what the whole thing weighs it'll be no surprise to learn that the chassis forms a very big heatsink indeed .

Cheers,

GJ

[joebog1]

I reckon they are right !!!

That cable should be perfect for a 1950's set of hearing aids.

Joe

[Beobloke]

Originally Posted by Sinewave

What's the view here on bi-wiring? Or is that a no no also?

The advantage is that it allows you to use two different cables for the high and low frequency, assuming of course that you believe different cables can sound different!

I have a pair of bi-wire Heco loudspeaker cables which have four cores - two with a handful of very thick conductors and two with lots of very thin strands. If you plug them into bi-wire capable loudspeakers they sound noticeably better the "correct" way round than the "wrong" way.

However, I would agree that bi-wiring with two runs of the same cable is indeed pointless.

they sound noticeably better the "correct" way round than the "wrong" way.

I would only accept that if a double blind test was done.