I would want to see the result from the analyzer in loopback mode to be sure it was not a signal generator level switch kicking in.
I have little to add other than to offer my disdain for the unimaginatively melodramatic and yet cloyingly precious writing style so popular in audio critiques. As seems to be the case so often these days, Stereophile's editors must have been fast asleep.
"Have you ever walked through fresh snow in the woods with all your senses heightened?" Heightened by what? Or rather, how does the laziness of purple prose advance the author's goal of assessing this preamplifier?
"Those mesmerizing moments were precipitated not by nature but by spending several previous hours listening intently for differences between three stellar preamplifiers...." Uhmm, oof.
I also thought this was special: "I didn't expect the three preamps to sound so different from each other, and I didn't expect opening my auditory senses this way to supercharge my other senses and refresh my wonder at the beauties of nature. But it did."
Regards.
"Have you ever walked through fresh snow in the woods with all your senses heightened?" Heightened by what? Or rather, how does the laziness of purple prose advance the author's goal of assessing this preamplifier?
"Those mesmerizing moments were precipitated not by nature but by spending several previous hours listening intently for differences between three stellar preamplifiers...." Uhmm, oof.
I also thought this was special: "I didn't expect the three preamps to sound so different from each other, and I didn't expect opening my auditory senses this way to supercharge my other senses and refresh my wonder at the beauties of nature. But it did."
Regards.
Anyone with some experience in audio and common sense can see that Stereophile, along with all those other "once reputable" audio publications are now full of crap, reviews full of lies, and driven by marketing perks.
They're all on the boat these days - it's the way things have gone, down the toilet.
60 grand for a what?.... phono preamp?
Give me a break already.
Besides, touting strict specifications about something is worthless garbage since even records vary in quality and RIAA accuracy. - and the recording technician's own biases and tastes.
They're all on the boat these days - it's the way things have gone, down the toilet.
60 grand for a what?.... phono preamp?
Give me a break already.
Besides, touting strict specifications about something is worthless garbage since even records vary in quality and RIAA accuracy. - and the recording technician's own biases and tastes.
It is not about sound or quality. It is about the ability to spend that amount of money. A show off, often sold to people that hardly use the equipment. Not always but often.
Like I said, he’d obviously been on the bungie or something maybe a bit hallucinogenic.
As jean-paul says, does it matter?
Plus, I don't care if it's a trip to the moon for 60 grand, it's overpriced BS.
Plain and simple.
A listening review could be just as faked.
Listen, I don't want to sound like a paranoid type or some overly suspicious old geezer, but do you really think that everything posted on the internet is real?
First off, you were not there, and how could you be.
That's the publisher's printed-online-description and writings.... for all it's worth, they could state that imported diamond dust from the ancient pyramids is used in the manufacture, but you'd never know if it was BS.
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Ya gotta hand it to those so-called reviewers, they sure dress up things to make readers enter an imaginary dream-world, and maybe, hopefully, open up their wallets.
Classic marketing tools.
Not even a phono pre! Its an effects box. And with tubes (that change with use) and no feedback, everyone will be different. (the 2 they tried were). So you will need to buy a few of them and use the one that sounds best with each song, depending on the effects you want. Cheaper to hire the band.
Well, snow does obscure a lot of things, like noise in a preamp. Maybe 'lifting the veil' will be replaced with 'removed the snowbank from the sound'.
"Following a Zoom conversation with the Engströms, a replacement Monica was sent. "
I guess for $60,000 you can't expect each one to be thoroughly tested before shipping.
and even after getting a replacement: "with the Engström a slight hum was audible from the listening position 12' away."
What, how is that acceptable with any piece of audio equipment at any price?
I'd be willing to bet the buyers of this mention the price at every opportunity. With equipment like this, the price is a feature.
There are "more Bass" ICs which do something like that, very popular in cheap-ish Japanese (think Sony - Aiwa - Sanyo - Panasonic - etc.) small cabinet Home Hi Fi (and now Home Theater) systems.
You know, those with a prominent 2800W!!!!! cardboard label for shop display, actually 40+40W RMS.
I was surprised at the strong Bass output in shoebox cabinets, using weak light 4"-5"-6" woofer systems ... until I downloaded a couple schematics from Elektrotanya .... ALL of them cheated.
ALL of them.
In the old days using those dedicated ICs, often called MaxxBass or something, I guess today that is done with DSP.
Did anybody miss the bit where it's mentioned that around $60k worth of cabling was used in the system?
While of course you " can't buy love " my missus is looking at me in obvious way this evening after I took her for " expensive" in our little world dinner ....What do you expect people who sport $200 million yachts and have several sport cars in garage to buy ? A kit from DIY audio and enclosure from Alibaba? And what do you expect a reviewer from a famous magazine to write? If I had that kind of money I'd spend it on something unique too . An object of industrial art available to few. There is absolutely nothing wrong with the notion.
While of course you " can't buy love " my missus is looking at me in obvious way this evening after I took her for " expensive" in our little world dinner ....What do you expect people who sport $200 million yachts and have several sport cars in garage to buy ? A kit from DIY audio and enclosure from Alibaba? And what do you expect a reviewer from a famous magazine to write? If I had that kind of money I'd spend it on something unique too . An object of industrial art available to few. There is absolutely nothing wrong with the notion.
I got (for free) a couple of those Boston Acoustics "Receptor" AM/FM clock/radios.
Small enclosure, cute for a bedside radio... made around 2003 or so. MSRP was about $200.
Has a decent 3" speaker in a rear ported design.
For its small size, it has distinctly impressive bass, clear sensitive radio, and electronic volume control.
Obviously also has some sort of DSP going on to produce that kind of sound.
I gave one to my neighbor, the other ones on my shop workbench.