John Curl's Blowtorch preamplifier part II

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#43,001
My subjective opinion is not what I rely upon, in general. I have to make stuff that virtually everybody likes, or even loves, to be truly successful. Heck, I am 71 years old, and I am amazed that I still hear subtle audio differences, but not like I used to. We will need a new generation of audio evaluators, no older than, let's say 40 years old, to gain further insight.
 
#43,002
Joshua_G said:
It reminds me of my own experience.
As a teen I attended technical high school, which taught general education along electronics (which was called 'radio' on those days. 'Radio' was my hobby, so I didn't do homework on the general education classes. Thus I was flunked before the final year, without any certification.
Onwards I worked most of the time as an electronics technician.

About 10 years ago, at about the age of 60, I was hired as a technician by an Hi-Tech startup company. The developed a satellite modem for digital data. On my first day at work, when I was shown the lab and the prototype they were working on, by the 2 engineers, I told them there was no way the thing could work properly. (The PCB, which included digital, analogue and RF circuit, was covered be a 'paste' made of dust and fingers moisture. It couldn't work properly due to leakages). The minute I pointed it out, the 2 engineers who were developing the product saw that it was so. A couple of weeks later I was given engineering tasks, on top of my technician tasks.

I never designed independently a whole product (other than simple voltage regulators). Yet, out of my experience and general 'sense' of the way electronic circuits work, I noted a major mistake that qualified engineers failed to see, until I pointed it out to them.
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Joshua_G said:
In some dictionaries, 'measuring' means also evaluating. Evaluating may well be done with one's ears.
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[Golden Ear Brigade Choir]

We don't need no education
We don't need no thought control
No dark sarcasm in the classroom
Teachers leave them kids alone
 
#43,004
john curl said:
Heck, I am 71 years old, and I am amazed that I still hear subtle audio differences, but not like I used to. We will need a new generation of audio evaluators, no older than, let's say 40 years old, to gain further insight.
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John, I think just about everyone can pick the differences, we all have a lifetime of listening at an instinctive level, and the mind is excellent at compensating for physical changes.

I realise it's very fashionable at the moment to ridicule mentioning of spouse's, or women in general, reactions - but these people have no agenda, or particular interest in pandering to the other's ego - if it sounds like poo they are quite happy to let you know that. My wife, who's a bit older, has hearing much worse than mine - playing tones in the middle 10's of kHz is a useless exercise as far as she's concerned -- yet many times she mentions a 'scratchiness' before I've turned my mind to it.

My personal feeling is that the guts of it is below about 12kHz - poor sound will be 'wrong' here and the majority will be able to sense this, even if they can't describe it precisely ...
 
#43,012
Punctuation is tricky. A comma after "I" would possibly have disambiguated. My friend Kathy (a QA-for-software specialist) errs on the side of clarity, even if it results in a certain ugliness sometimes. I confess I am increasingly being converted to her manner of expression.
 
#43,016
While I have everyone's attention:
Let me give the rest of you, out there, with a construction tip that many here ignore.

CLEAN YOUR LEADS JUST BEFORE SOLDERING.

The best way to do this is to SCRAPE THE LEADS, before bending and placing in the circuit board. It is possible and practical to lay down the resistors on a circuit board all at one time, before soldering, but be sure to clean them first.
Over the decades we have tried just about everything to more efficiently clean leads, including sanding, chemicals, steel wool, etc, but scraping is best and the least contaminating.
This is something that I cannot have done with Parasound, but it was done with all my personal constructions, under my own roof. It makes a difference, but that is just my opinion.
 
#43,017
Thanks sofaspud, your style correction is noted.
You know, everyone. I really try to be clear, without typos, in my input. I wish many others of you would do the same, but we are supposed to be tolerant of each other, I am lead to believe. This slightly ambiguous phrase should have generated a question, not a condemnation.
 
#43,019
john curl said:
I resent the word: 'peeking'
It is meant to be a personal insult to me, and I do not appreciate it.
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i'm amazed how much he tries to bait you.

and more amazed why the other moderators allow this.

SY said:
John is perfectly aware of this, he's just trying to stir things up. And as usual, he posted the same article that he knows full well doesn't say what he claims it does. Don't get trolled.
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SY said:
Then don't do it. Try just using your ears. It may not be good for business, but it's honest.
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sy reminds me of a small boy,

constantly pestering his older,

(and more successful) brother, just for attention.

in public, for even more attention ...
 
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#43,020
john curl said:
The best way to do this is to SCRAPE THE LEADS, before bending and placing in the circuit board. It is possible and practical to lay down the resistors on a circuit board all at one time, before soldering, but be sure to clean them first.
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John, have you ever tried any mechanism or technique which applies physical pressure such that the two metal surfaces to be bonded are clamped together as tightly as possible while soldering - the idea, obviously, is to minimise any solder having to span minute gaps.

Never tried such myself, just curious if someone has, and whether any effect could be noted ...
 
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