There is a World War 2 bomb shelter in the Santa Barbara area converted into a wine cellar with unbroken decades of cases of Chateau Lafite and other desireable adult beverages which I'd be happy to reveal the directions to for a Blowtorch.
(This is the Blowtorch thread and i'm trying to link wine and preamps.)
(This is the Blowtorch thread and i'm trying to link wine and preamps.)
I think many of the people who own Hi end audio enjoy good wines etc.
Talking to many customers over 20 years you get a feel for their lifestyles.
Sell the wife and kids for audio gear are have enough for both are two broad categories. You try nice things and they are hard to live without. My Toyota isn't as comfy as the wifes new Benz.
Talking to many customers over 20 years you get a feel for their lifestyles.
Sell the wife and kids for audio gear are have enough for both are two broad categories. You try nice things and they are hard to live without. My Toyota isn't as comfy as the wifes new Benz.
As is posted, this is the 'John Curl's Blowtorch preamplifier' thread that originally started with the asking for free schematics, and has 'morphed' into a more general: 'Why the Blowtorch was designed and built the way it was' thread.
To remind everyone, including newbees, the CTC Blowtorch preamp was at the time of its introduction, one of the most expensive preamps ever offered to the audio public, about 12 years ago, and reviewed only once, in a now defunct magazine (in print copy version at least) 'Ultimate Audio', Winter 2001. Yet it gained world wide status, with a large percentage being purchased in Japan and other countries in the Far East, the rest sold mostly to doctors and successful businessmen who were audio extremists, and had the extra money to make such a purchase.
At the time, the late 1990's when we first built the Blowtorch, first for ourselves, and to show at CES, we threw virtually EVERYTHING we could think of at the design and construction of this preamp. Did we go too far? Many here would think so, BUT I have found, in my personal experience, that ANY substitution is detrimental to the overall sound quality of the unit. This includes: wiring, switches, circuit configuration, and potentiometers, and probably many other potential changes. How do I know? Because I have designed another preamp with these changes, and while it is pretty darn good, it is not a Blowtorch, in ultimate listening quality. The preamp called the Parasound JC-2, is however: Cheaper by about 3 times, remote controlled, full of features, balanced in and out, and LOWER MEASURED DISTORTION, than the CTC Blowtorch, yet it will never replace it. How do I know? Because we have people who have both, and they tell me so. WHY this is so has been what I have (patiently I might add) attempted to convey here, and I hope to continue to do so.
For those of you who do not believe me, take your best shot! '-)
To remind everyone, including newbees, the CTC Blowtorch preamp was at the time of its introduction, one of the most expensive preamps ever offered to the audio public, about 12 years ago, and reviewed only once, in a now defunct magazine (in print copy version at least) 'Ultimate Audio', Winter 2001. Yet it gained world wide status, with a large percentage being purchased in Japan and other countries in the Far East, the rest sold mostly to doctors and successful businessmen who were audio extremists, and had the extra money to make such a purchase.
At the time, the late 1990's when we first built the Blowtorch, first for ourselves, and to show at CES, we threw virtually EVERYTHING we could think of at the design and construction of this preamp. Did we go too far? Many here would think so, BUT I have found, in my personal experience, that ANY substitution is detrimental to the overall sound quality of the unit. This includes: wiring, switches, circuit configuration, and potentiometers, and probably many other potential changes. How do I know? Because I have designed another preamp with these changes, and while it is pretty darn good, it is not a Blowtorch, in ultimate listening quality. The preamp called the Parasound JC-2, is however: Cheaper by about 3 times, remote controlled, full of features, balanced in and out, and LOWER MEASURED DISTORTION, than the CTC Blowtorch, yet it will never replace it. How do I know? Because we have people who have both, and they tell me so. WHY this is so has been what I have (patiently I might add) attempted to convey here, and I hope to continue to do so.
For those of you who do not believe me, take your best shot! '-)
Last edited:
Makes me wonder how many hours the poor sultan spends on his plane.
A 747 has a jet fuel consumption of some 25000lbs/hr at 550 miles an hour (for a sfc of 0.60 lb/lbf/hr)
Is about 5.5 gal/mile.
Eclipse, Abromovich's new toy, currently docked in Barcelona.
Has been on the move constantly since it's final launch a year and a half ago, all across the caribbean and back, at the Spanish boat yard for refit work for the last three months.
(fuel tanks of +250.000 gal, full refuel cost close to $1M at $1K-$1.1K per metric ton MGO/MDO)
4-5 times the cost of a 747, does ~2000 gal/hr at 25 knot speed.
Is about 70 gal/mile.
All things relative.
(the Eclipse has an anti digital photographing system installed, most pictures and all close-ups i took were ruined by a laser beam.
)Attachments
That is what it comes down to in the end, does the customer enjoy it and live with it for a long time. John your designs do this. The Vendetta is still talked about and then you have Halcro come and gone last seen being used as a coffee table at a dealer. Good design stands the test of time.
I haven't heard a Blow Torch but I am sure I wouldn't be unhappy with one.
I haven't heard a Blow Torch but I am sure I wouldn't be unhappy with one.
Hi,
I also do not see the people who get into a rage foaming from the mouth about the "obscene profits" high end audio makers, compalin about the price average people pay for their food, McDonald meal, KFC, Coca Cola or Electricity or fuel at the pump and the obscene profits the makers/producers make on these...
So to speak "selective objections"...
Ciao T
I also do not see the people who get into a rage foaming from the mouth about the "obscene profits" high end audio makers, compalin about the price average people pay for their food, McDonald meal, KFC, Coca Cola or Electricity or fuel at the pump and the obscene profits the makers/producers make on these...
So to speak "selective objections"...
Ciao T
Chris; you remind me when I worked for KAMAZ, one of major Russian truck and car manufacturers. We had own jet that we used to go on business trips to Moscow. Once President of corporation was there, and he offered to everyone a drink. When he was pretty drunk he demanded pilots to come and drink with him. When they refused he said, "If you refuse I fire you right now; if you don't drink with me you don't respect me, I can't trust my life to persons who don't respect me!"
You aren't. That company reports similar profit percentages as other companies of its size. P/E is about 17. Earnings of $1.3B on revenue of $12.6B (10%). Gross profit is $3.49B (27%) on that revenue.
Whenever someone tells me that some huge corporation is making "obscene" profits, I wonder why they aren't buying stock.
John,
I also occasionally eat at the House of the Venerable and Inscrutable Colonel, even knowing precisely what is in the food (the 13th ingredience in the legendary mix of 12 herbs and spices BTW is MSG, at five times the amount of herbs and spices, you would not even notice if they cut out the 12 Herbs & Spices) and how the franchising works. That said, you may want to consider frying your own Chicken at home.#
That said, I do not constantly bang on about people being ripped off, given unhealthy food and so on.
I live somewhere where I may choose what I eat. No-one forces me to buy from Fast Food outlets or patronise high end audio makers and so on. It is my money in my pocket and I may spend any way I choose.
My point is that there those who constantly heap abuse on anyone in Highend Audio as being a rip-off, simply because their personal standards of evidence to support the advertising are not met, yet the same or worse practices in other industries that operate on massively different scales are of no concern to their crusading...
Ciao T
# For your own much more Healthy Fried Chicken (HFC) do as follows:
1) Purchase a Free Range Chicken (they are a very healthy choice, plenty of Omega 3 fatty acids and generally low on fat), preferably grain fed, if squeamish get the butcher to part it into pieces.
2) Marinade the chicken over night in milk.
3) Poach the chicken in the milk, this will also make a lovely base for a cream of chicken and mushroom Soup to go with the chicken main course.
4) Mix Flour, Baking powder and Italian herbs mixture, some Paprika, freshly ground black pepper and freshly ground sea-salt or rock-salt. You can be more generous with herbs and spices than KFC, they use around 1lbs mixture which is 4/5th MSG - so maybe a 1 part herbs and spices and 20 parts flower will be okay.
5) use eggs and some of the poaching milk to make a mixture to allow the chicken to be coated in flower, throw chicken and liquid into a ziplock back and shake it like a polaroid picture.
6) Take chicken pieces out one by one and coat liberally in the herbed and spiced flour.
7) Take either pure olive oil or mix olive oil with sunflower oil (and throw in some butter or lard for extra taste) around 1/2"high in a normal pan. Use some onion and garlic first to flavour the oil, then fish out the browned and crisped onion and garlic and start frying your chicken pieces until the coating is crispy and golden, turn when one side is done.
Due to the risk of splashing wear an apron and gloves... You can use the same oil to fry slices or sticks made from nice Spuds. Oil can be filtered and re-used for other dishes.
8) Serve on a plate with your favourite sauces and sides and tell me that it ain't "Finger Lickin' Greaaaaaat". Take some to your lab and have them run a battery of tests on this vs. the "real" commercial article and observe "Jaysuz weeeept"
I also occasionally eat at the House of the Venerable and Inscrutable Colonel, even knowing precisely what is in the food (the 13th ingredience in the legendary mix of 12 herbs and spices BTW is MSG, at five times the amount of herbs and spices, you would not even notice if they cut out the 12 Herbs & Spices) and how the franchising works. That said, you may want to consider frying your own Chicken at home.#
That said, I do not constantly bang on about people being ripped off, given unhealthy food and so on.
I live somewhere where I may choose what I eat. No-one forces me to buy from Fast Food outlets or patronise high end audio makers and so on. It is my money in my pocket and I may spend any way I choose.
My point is that there those who constantly heap abuse on anyone in Highend Audio as being a rip-off, simply because their personal standards of evidence to support the advertising are not met, yet the same or worse practices in other industries that operate on massively different scales are of no concern to their crusading...
Ciao T
# For your own much more Healthy Fried Chicken (HFC) do as follows:
1) Purchase a Free Range Chicken (they are a very healthy choice, plenty of Omega 3 fatty acids and generally low on fat), preferably grain fed, if squeamish get the butcher to part it into pieces.
2) Marinade the chicken over night in milk.
3) Poach the chicken in the milk, this will also make a lovely base for a cream of chicken and mushroom Soup to go with the chicken main course.
4) Mix Flour, Baking powder and Italian herbs mixture, some Paprika, freshly ground black pepper and freshly ground sea-salt or rock-salt. You can be more generous with herbs and spices than KFC, they use around 1lbs mixture which is 4/5th MSG - so maybe a 1 part herbs and spices and 20 parts flower will be okay.
5) use eggs and some of the poaching milk to make a mixture to allow the chicken to be coated in flower, throw chicken and liquid into a ziplock back and shake it like a polaroid picture.
6) Take chicken pieces out one by one and coat liberally in the herbed and spiced flour.
7) Take either pure olive oil or mix olive oil with sunflower oil (and throw in some butter or lard for extra taste) around 1/2"high in a normal pan. Use some onion and garlic first to flavour the oil, then fish out the browned and crisped onion and garlic and start frying your chicken pieces until the coating is crispy and golden, turn when one side is done.
Due to the risk of splashing wear an apron and gloves... You can use the same oil to fry slices or sticks made from nice Spuds. Oil can be filtered and re-used for other dishes.
8) Serve on a plate with your favourite sauces and sides and tell me that it ain't "Finger Lickin' Greaaaaaat". Take some to your lab and have them run a battery of tests on this vs. the "real" commercial article and observe "Jaysuz weeeept"
Hi,
Funny, when you put high end audio on the pillory you never quote these kind of figures, but always insist on breaking down how big the margin on individual items. Why not do the same to prove that the margins on individual articles sold by the companies I mention are ever so much lower than High End Audio?
And while you are at it, why don't list the amount everyone pays for advertising as part of each and every such product they are buying.
What little stock I own is in AMR and Apple (much wiser to invest in Apple stock than Apple products), though I really should ditch that Apple stock on moral grounds and to take some profit (it ain't much). I'm not what most would call rich, though I make a living...
Ciao T
Funny, when you put high end audio on the pillory you never quote these kind of figures, but always insist on breaking down how big the margin on individual items. Why not do the same to prove that the margins on individual articles sold by the companies I mention are ever so much lower than High End Audio?
And while you are at it, why don't list the amount everyone pays for advertising as part of each and every such product they are buying.
Whenever someone tells me that some huge corporation is making "obscene" profits, I wonder why they aren't buying stock.
What little stock I own is in AMR and Apple (much wiser to invest in Apple stock than Apple products), though I really should ditch that Apple stock on moral grounds and to take some profit (it ain't much). I'm not what most would call rich, though I make a living...
Ciao T
I recommend something like this as antidote to all that finger-lickin' goodness:
Last edited by a moderator:
- Status
- Not open for further replies.