Lies about our gainclones

[orkaniusz]

Hello,
Last week I boyught Audio Video magazine in Poland and read article about YBA Initial CD player. Author of the article wrote something strange to me - he said that after opening the player he had noticed, that interior of the CD had looked just like HarmanHardon HD750, which is 5 times chipper than YBA.
So, I began to think: how many times we (customers) are betrayed and how many times we lie to ourselves (that we hear the DIFFERENCE). Do we really hear the Difference between 5% resistors and 1% resistors, FETs and bipolars, golden plated connectors and not goldenplated, feedback resistor very close to LM's or not etc. ?
I've lately built gainclone and I'm not sure, that if I had used 1% resistors or polipropylene capacitors, the sound would be better.
I think that it is very important: DO NOT LIE TO YOURSELF.

I'm interested if anyone of you think about it.

[karahara]

Sure, my opinion is: A lot of "tweaks" aren't 'listenable' (don't know the right word, 'audible'?). If you don't believe it: Try it. Build the same thing 2 times, one with good and expensive components, the other with 'standard' components. Then do a 'blind' listening test and guess at which unit you are currently listening.

I could write more, but I don't know all the technical terms.

so long
karahara

[Chris8sirhC]

I think that besides the psycho accoustic effects (like when bose found that one of the main variables in sound perception that influenced how the speaker was rated was the price paid for the speaker....) is that when the humitidy and air pressure change in the house, it changes the sound somewhat. That is why people believe that mods that shouldnt really have any impact have alot of impact, and why you have people spending $500 on a volume controll knob.

[neutron7]

Originally posted by Chris8sirhC
(like when bose found that one of the main variables in sound perception that influenced how the speaker was rated was the price paid for the speaker....)

LOL! i never knew that! so bose actually has a scientific "reason" for ripping people off

[carlosfm]

Originally posted by orkaniusz
Hello,
Last week I boyught Audio Video magazine in Poland and read article about YBA Initial CD player. Author of the article wrote something strange to me - he said that after opening the player he had noticed, that interior of the CD had looked just like HarmanHardon HD750, which is 5 times chipper than YBA.

Does that mean anything?
Does that mean they sound the same?
On the 80's almost every CDP from the smaller brands was a modified Philips.
I'm modding a Pioneer DV-575 and it still looks like a Pioneer inside.
The thing is, it's now playing much better than in original form and it could be sold by 10x more money.
Rebranded with a fancy name.

[phn]

Do we really hear the Difference between 5% resistors and 1% resistors, FETs and bipolars, golden plated connectors and not goldenplated, feedback resistor very close to LM's or not etc. ?

Of course not. H.C. Andersen wrote a story about audiophiles once. It's titled "The Emperor's New Clothes."

[Steve Eddy]

HarmanHardon? Was that intentional?

se

[indoubt]

Originally posted by carlosfm


Does that mean anything?
Does that mean they sound the same?
On the 80's almost every CDP from the smaller brands was a modified Philips.
I'm modding a Pioneer DV-575 and it still looks like a Pioneer inside.
The thing is, it's now playing much better than in original form and it could be sold by 10x more money.
Rebranded with a fancy name.

Interesting Carlos, I own a 656A and purchased it for its sonics and relatively good dacs. What are you changing?

By the way, your snubberized layout functions also very well with 4* 4700uf at the boards (of course you need to do the snubber cirquit 4 times except bleeders) Now playing Joe Jackson

Orkaniusz: Dont't buy anything where you can't hear the difference. I played a lot with silver speaker wires but could hear any difference with OFC copper. So.. everything might have its merrits but if they are of 0 value to you than don't use em.

[carlosfm]

Originally posted by indoubt
Interesting Carlos, I own a 656A and purchased it for its sonics and relatively good dacs. What are you changing?

That's a different player/circuit, and each one demands different things. What works here doesn't work there, and so on...

Originally posted by indoubt
By the way, your snubberized layout functions also very well with 4* 4700uf at the boards (of course you need to do the snubber cirquit 4 times except bleeders) Now playing Joe Jackson

You don't need the 4 snubbers.
I like Joe Jackson.
A member e-mailed me some days ago saying he was astonished about the improvement the snubber made on his amp.
He was listening to Beck, and then Jeff Buckley.
If you guys are back enjoying good music in an impulsive way when you improve your gear I'm very happy.

[lazyfly]

Originally posted by carlosfm


A member e-mailed me some days ago saying he was astonished about the improvement the snubber made on his amp.
He was listening to Beck, and then Jeff Buckley.
If you guys are back enjoying good music in an impulsive way when you improve your gear I'm very happy.

That would be me... I think

Carlos was kind enough to help me implement the snubber circuit into a kit I bought that uses 3300uF Nichicon's. Before the snubber caps it sounded like a boom box with bass boosters switched on and lots of other unpleasant nasties. Boomy, bloomy, whatever you like to call it


Afterwards it was as if someone had told the rest of the musicians to come out from behind a brick wall and if the bassist didn't tighten up his act in a big way he'd get a kick in the pants. The 'group' are playing together now and the amp is great with a synergy that wasn't otherwise present before the tweak!


Thanks Carlos