Joshua, your 'critic' (TheShaman) is giving you an empty criticism, in demanding that you SHOULD learn a musical instrument, at your age. Perhaps your children or grandchildren should be encouraged, but you have found YOUR source of satisfaction, and WHERE you can use your ears and technical experience to develop something that you can be proud of.
In my earlier life, before real hi fi reproduction, I played guitar, both rock and classical. I bought a Fender Stratocaster in 1968, after playing for almost 2 years. In 1960, I bought a classical guitar and took lessons. I would take it with me almost everywhere.
In 1963, I acquired a 12 string guitar with excellent tone, (even though it played like a truck).
But so what? Just because I STARTED playing a guitar with earnest about the same time that Jerry Garcia (Grateful Dead) did, doesn't mean that I had the TALENT to really play WELL enough to be really successful at it. Sometimes that became obvious in comparison to other, more talented guitarists. So, except for personal satisfaction, my 8 years of guitar practice, lessons, etc. might get me by around a campfire, but no more than that. For example, I once let a local musician, Michael Wilhelm, in 1965, play my 12 string, and I wanted to give the guitar to him, he played it so well and effortlessly. Later in Scotland of the year, I borrowed a guitar from someone to 'impress' the other students with my guitar acumen, and they just kept talking as I played. So much for wowing the audience. I just quietly gave the guitar back to its owner, humbled by the experience.
Years later, in 1974, I was invited to play my 12 string guitar in an improvised folk group. As classical musicians, the others were not even as experienced in playing folk guitar as I was, but I quickly deferred to their superior playing skills. So much for playing the guitar, off and on, now for about 17 years.
In 1992, after two of my favorite guitars were stolen, and a third (Martin) was destroyed in a firestorm, I said 'no more for awhile', but later I picked up a Statocaster and an Alembic tube guitar preamp to play with. It was fun for awhile, but it now gathers dust. Some of us are destined to PLAY, and some of us are destined to support PLAYERS, to get THEIR musical message out to the audience. It is always satisfying to be both appreciated and to be able to personally appreciate the fruits of your efforts. I will leave my efforts at ballet, for another time. '-)
In my earlier life, before real hi fi reproduction, I played guitar, both rock and classical. I bought a Fender Stratocaster in 1968, after playing for almost 2 years. In 1960, I bought a classical guitar and took lessons. I would take it with me almost everywhere.
In 1963, I acquired a 12 string guitar with excellent tone, (even though it played like a truck).
But so what? Just because I STARTED playing a guitar with earnest about the same time that Jerry Garcia (Grateful Dead) did, doesn't mean that I had the TALENT to really play WELL enough to be really successful at it. Sometimes that became obvious in comparison to other, more talented guitarists. So, except for personal satisfaction, my 8 years of guitar practice, lessons, etc. might get me by around a campfire, but no more than that. For example, I once let a local musician, Michael Wilhelm, in 1965, play my 12 string, and I wanted to give the guitar to him, he played it so well and effortlessly. Later in Scotland of the year, I borrowed a guitar from someone to 'impress' the other students with my guitar acumen, and they just kept talking as I played. So much for wowing the audience. I just quietly gave the guitar back to its owner, humbled by the experience.
Years later, in 1974, I was invited to play my 12 string guitar in an improvised folk group. As classical musicians, the others were not even as experienced in playing folk guitar as I was, but I quickly deferred to their superior playing skills. So much for playing the guitar, off and on, now for about 17 years.
In 1992, after two of my favorite guitars were stolen, and a third (Martin) was destroyed in a firestorm, I said 'no more for awhile', but later I picked up a Statocaster and an Alembic tube guitar preamp to play with. It was fun for awhile, but it now gathers dust. Some of us are destined to PLAY, and some of us are destined to support PLAYERS, to get THEIR musical message out to the audience. It is always satisfying to be both appreciated and to be able to personally appreciate the fruits of your efforts. I will leave my efforts at ballet, for another time. '-)
Oh, they can be both. I know music loving audio gear fanatics who fall in both categories. J. Peter Moncrief (aka; J. Peter GoodGrief and Peter Cottonears for his wild pronouncements and outlandish claims) used to call one group the Golden Eared Subjective Reviewers (GESRs, pronounced "guessers") and the other "Meter Readers." I think there's also a third group, the "Muddle Headed Audio Mystics," who make wild claims about hitherto unknown forces that greatly affect sound reproduction that are The Answer as to why Wire Brand X sounds better than Wire Brand Y. Their claims always have absolutely no credible explanation in physics or electronics, but those claims sell expensive little gadgets that only the Muddle Headed Audio Mystic is allowed to sell.
In any event buy or build the system that sounds best to you, then sit back and enjoy it.
I am very disappointed in your opinion, PMA. I thought that you had found this thread both productive and engaging over the years. You should know that YOU are not the only person contributing here, in fact your degree of involvement has been relatively minor in recent times.
So WHY to you take the position of my critics to attempt to suppress this thread? Many here, (not you), have both P'eed on this thread, and simultaneously demanded that it be blocked. Do you really want to be with this bunch? I can't help that we are CONSTANTLY diverted from our mission, which is essentially to make better hi end hi fi, and to discuss the methods that lead to doing so. I have NO control over this, but I slog on anyway. Why? Because this thread can cover a number of topics that are NOT specifically denoted in other threads on this website. It fills a 'gap' so to speak, even though its path is winding and difficult, sometimes. Let's remember that this is where the MOMENTUM is, at least in broad coverage of new ideas in audio.
So WHY to you take the position of my critics to attempt to suppress this thread? Many here, (not you), have both P'eed on this thread, and simultaneously demanded that it be blocked. Do you really want to be with this bunch? I can't help that we are CONSTANTLY diverted from our mission, which is essentially to make better hi end hi fi, and to discuss the methods that lead to doing so. I have NO control over this, but I slog on anyway. Why? Because this thread can cover a number of topics that are NOT specifically denoted in other threads on this website. It fills a 'gap' so to speak, even though its path is winding and difficult, sometimes. Let's remember that this is where the MOMENTUM is, at least in broad coverage of new ideas in audio.
Hi,
He sound slike some 2nd hand car sales people I know. Are you sure he was a real audiophile, or just a 2nd hand car sales man posing as one?
You would not believe what 2nd Hand Car Sales men and Encyclopedia Sales men will do for a sale...
Monty Python Burglar Sketch - YouTube
Ciao T
I also recommend the hilarious Curt Russell movie, "Used Cars". Here's a clip: Used Cars: Test drive for Tobey 1980 - YouTube
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Oh, they can be both. I know music loving audio gear fanatics who fall in both categories. J. Peter Moncrief (aka; J. Peter GoodGrief and Peter Cottonears for his wild pronouncements and outlandish claims) ...
Don't forget the rather clever, J. Meter Pontiff, as Harry Pearson once referred to him. Although, I freely admit to reading his website and find him thought provoking, which is more than can be said for many other audio journalists.
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Please satisfy my curiosity: Why shunt regulators over series regulators?
Second: Why the current trend to using two transformer secondaries, each with a fullwave (non-CT) bridge, and each supplying only the positive or negative rail?
dual secondaries with identical reg circuitry cuts # of different part types, its really only extra pennies for the duplicate rectifier diodes if using bridges
some argue that matching +/- regulated rail impedances, noise properties is good in of itself for audio circuits
certainly the "usual suspect" 3 term regs differ considerably in performance, optimum loading, bypass for pos vs neg regulators
avoiding the extra cost of managing more parts types, the expense of beefing up the poorer performing reg with bigger/more passives can be a cost win
some argue that matching +/- regulated rail impedances, noise properties is good in of itself for audio circuits
certainly the "usual suspect" 3 term regs differ considerably in performance, optimum loading, bypass for pos vs neg regulators
avoiding the extra cost of managing more parts types, the expense of beefing up the poorer performing reg with bigger/more passives can be a cost win
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Because low dynamic resistance in wide frequency band matters more than close to zero on zero Hertz. The same as amp's THD and DF that you don't need to force to be close to zero in some convenient for certain topology & measurement points.
John,
You've recomended circuit breakers for protection over fuses. Would i be right in thinking you'd favour a 2 pole breaker with interlocked poles so that a fault in either polarity would open both DC rails simultaneously so as not to leave the output sitting at full DC rail voltage? You also reported an improvement with silver or gold plated AC fuses - yes/no, maybe so?
You've recomended circuit breakers for protection over fuses. Would i be right in thinking you'd favour a 2 pole breaker with interlocked poles so that a fault in either polarity would open both DC rails simultaneously so as not to leave the output sitting at full DC rail voltage? You also reported an improvement with silver or gold plated AC fuses - yes/no, maybe so?
John,
The way this forum and the world in general operate are technical topics, to be precise, social engineering, a subject the first Zamorin of Calicut excelled in.
And it may be noted, which, as long as his principles where followed made Calicut, which was basically a malarial swamp, fabulously rich.
Because as a truly free port and save haven it attracted so much business, it eventually killed it when jealous neighbours coveted these riches, but that as say is a whole other story.
But lets go back to the technical side anyway.
Ciao T
The way this forum and the world in general operate are technical topics, to be precise, social engineering, a subject the first Zamorin of Calicut excelled in.
And it may be noted, which, as long as his principles where followed made Calicut, which was basically a malarial swamp, fabulously rich.
Because as a truly free port and save haven it attracted so much business, it eventually killed it when jealous neighbours coveted these riches, but that as say is a whole other story.
But lets go back to the technical side anyway.
Ciao T
Well, by way of explanation: I've been away from DIY/Hobby audio for about 25 years, so I'm not really familiar with current (no pun intended) practices.
I was thinking more along the line of Sulzer's regulators, where the error amplifier feedback kept the series pass transistor's effective impedance very low over an extraordinary bandwidth. I built several beginning in 1980 and it quieted down preamp circuits and some amplifier input circuits very well. I believe Lambda marketed an expensive regulator around that time that was pretty good; far better than the three-terminal jobbies available then. It's certainly less convenient than an LM317T, but sometimes you just have to go that extra yard to get the extra mile of improvement.
So, is a well designed and built shunt regulator superior and what makes it then better choice?
Parasitics I understand; how does Kirchoff apply here. Same question about loop area.
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