John Curl's Blowtorch preamplifier part II

[DavidL]

No, most are honest but human like you and me. They make mistakes,
The Wavac for example works with high efficiency. It has monotonic decreasing distortion with level and a nice harmonic spectrum that gives a very attractive sound.

I will come out and say bluntly that most of the "high end" reviewers are liars and on the take.

 

[john curl]

A reminder of design differences. These are two different phono designs that do almost exactly the same thing, but one is discrete, the other IC. The discrete unit is about 6dB quieter. They sound somewhat different too, even though they may use the same EQ caps and resistors.

 

[john curl]

Really? I haven't caught one at it for the last 30 years, but it is possible. I don't even give them anything.

 

[Joachim Gerhard]

I can not hear better then 1% harmonic distortion, exponential decreasing.
I landed in the middle group at the Klippel website.
There is a distortion test you can share on KLIPPEL
I do hear nothing above 16kHz althoug doctors detect activity in my brain when high frequencies over 20kHz where inserted into the signal.
I am super sensitive to hum and hiss. I even go to my speakers and listen on the tweeter.
My room has a self noise of 32dB at the listening seat so i am perfectly happy with the dynamic range of CD.
One of my engineers measured over 400 CDs and unfortunately only two had a meager 14Bit.

 

[Triodethom]

Having meet most of the reviewers at the two big underground mag and been in the same listening room with them. Davidl your comments may look that way but you will have a hard time proving them beyond a shadow of a doubt. Reviews are some one thoughts and views on a product not fact. I am not saying I agree with their view of much of the equipment . However libelous comment are not a wise thing to do.

 

[john curl]

Hi Joachim, these guys think that everybody in audio is a crook! '-)
As you know, audio design is a 'labor of love' and we are not getting rich by doing it.
This Klippel test is interesting, but I don't think I would do very well with it.

 

[Joachim Gerhard]

I have a substantial C5 hole between ca. 2 to 5kHz. That was measued some years ago in an anechoic chamber in switzerland , typical for my age so i have the privilege that my ears did only got older but not hurt as the young people will have because of constant headphone listen.
When i EQ my system for that flaw it sounds totally unnatural.

 

[Triodethom]

I have a substantial C5 hole beteen ca. 2 to 5kHz. That was measued some years ago in an anechoic chamber in switzerland some years ago, typical for my age.
When i EQ my system for that flaw ir sound totally unnatural.

Give your brain more credit than your ears alone.

 

[DavidL]

However libelous comment are not a wise thing to do.

I'm not worried, I didn't specify who is on the take or liars but it's pretty much easy to tell anyway 😛

 

[a.wayne]

@ Gerhard,

Believable , its how you hear things naturally, Compensated would be unnatural
Sounding to you ....

 

[Joachim Gerhard]

Every one is a liar, the biggest was Picasso that stated right in the open that he is a thief.

 

[DavidL]

So was he lying about that too? 😉

 

[Joachim Gerhard]

Sure, we are in the illusion busyness.

 

[AVWERK]

That's why my pre states Audible Illusions, and I,m perfectly comfortable with its mission statement.

Regards
David

 

[TheGimp]

Couldn't get MONO ot load under linux, so I cant' take the test

 

[Joachim Gerhard]

I measure. This is the resolution floor of my ( old ) equipment, 5 years ago.
I published it on my MPP thread in the beginning.
That was a selected DAAS Analyser with intersected 24 Bit converters.
Today -160dB is posible, with a lot of averaging.

 

[Joachim Gerhard]

Send an e-mail to Klippel. They are clever enough to assist you.

 

[Joachim Gerhard]

In the beginning of the MPP thread i made an MC Phono input stage with AD797.
I configured it as an instrumentation amp with several AD797 in parallel at the input.
This is a simple 1kHz harmonic measurement at -30dB ( ca. 33mV output ).
Besides the slight increase in noise i could find NOTHING.
No PIM, no IMD, no inferface distortion, no TIM no nothing !!!!
Mission acomplished. Why did i not close the thread ?

 

[scott wurcer]

Scott, what you can read in the magazines and what the reviewers tell you in person is not the same.

Please read nothing more into my comment than what you said. The reviewers write one thing for the magazines and say something else in private. If that is not your intent let us not elaborate on the issue.

 

[john curl]

I find the reviewers very consistent.