Thanks Scott for pointing this review out to me. I didn't even know that this amp existed. (and they used my name anyway) '-(
Yes, this amp must have classic Xover distortion, and I would never had allowed so much if I knew about the amp previously. I will certainly call the company and complain today.
This is the problem with working with overseas manufacturers. I have no direct contact with them these days, and they often make amps with a design formula that I started with back about 25 years ago using a complementary symmetry jfet input stage, a single sided push-pull driver stage and then a complementary Darlington output stage. There are several levels of quality that can be made with this template. The A52+ is the worst case that I have ever seen them use with my name associated with the product and I will certainly complain.
Normally I only work with the Halo JC series 1-5 directly, where I evaluate the amp myself. But Parasound makes a number of cheaper models like the A-21, A-23, A-33, and even some 5 channel models. Of course for a given power output AND heatsink, something has to give. They just cannot put enough bias current into properly passover the xover zone and clearly described by Bob Cordell in his book in Figure 10.2. because they want too much output power, for the heatsink provided.
I am continually having problems with underbiasing these designs, they always want to 'starve' the output stage of even designs many times more expensive. I have one unit on my bench at the moment, and it has an underbiased channel, not nearly so bad as the A-52+, but enough to upset me. I like smooth, monotonic, lower order distortion, not added Xover distortion.
The offsite manufacturer has other challenges, like saving money, size, and still offering high power output. I don't complain about what they make without my name on it, but if they put my name associated with it (because they are following my design template) it better be designed with minimum xover distortion. I don't even have a schematic for this model, so I will get one and hopefully I can improve it. Mainly by getting them to use as much bias as possible, and perhaps increasing the value of emitter resistors used for smoothest transition between positive and negative.
Yes, this amp must have classic Xover distortion, and I would never had allowed so much if I knew about the amp previously. I will certainly call the company and complain today.
This is the problem with working with overseas manufacturers. I have no direct contact with them these days, and they often make amps with a design formula that I started with back about 25 years ago using a complementary symmetry jfet input stage, a single sided push-pull driver stage and then a complementary Darlington output stage. There are several levels of quality that can be made with this template. The A52+ is the worst case that I have ever seen them use with my name associated with the product and I will certainly complain.
Normally I only work with the Halo JC series 1-5 directly, where I evaluate the amp myself. But Parasound makes a number of cheaper models like the A-21, A-23, A-33, and even some 5 channel models. Of course for a given power output AND heatsink, something has to give. They just cannot put enough bias current into properly passover the xover zone and clearly described by Bob Cordell in his book in Figure 10.2. because they want too much output power, for the heatsink provided.
I am continually having problems with underbiasing these designs, they always want to 'starve' the output stage of even designs many times more expensive. I have one unit on my bench at the moment, and it has an underbiased channel, not nearly so bad as the A-52+, but enough to upset me. I like smooth, monotonic, lower order distortion, not added Xover distortion.
The offsite manufacturer has other challenges, like saving money, size, and still offering high power output. I don't complain about what they make without my name on it, but if they put my name associated with it (because they are following my design template) it better be designed with minimum xover distortion. I don't even have a schematic for this model, so I will get one and hopefully I can improve it. Mainly by getting them to use as much bias as possible, and perhaps increasing the value of emitter resistors used for smoothest transition between positive and negative.
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By this point in time I've moved in the same direction as you although I don't get physically ill when I hear their music yet, my stated opinion was in the 1982 time frame...I feel the music from the 60's which as aged the best is from bands like Soft Machine, 1910 Fruitgum Co., Can, The Archies, Magma, etc, you know, the good stuff. 😉😉
Cheers!
Howie
Where does Albert Ayler fit? Again please get the audiophiles to learn how the circuits work.
I still have the picture in my head but I can't remember if it was second or third grade, the nuns always had a music class with all the formal notations, etc. One day my brain just said f**k this, I can't play five notes on any instrument.
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Ayler was the first LP I bought that I was banned from playing whilst the (then) wife was at home 🙂. Despite learning an instrument teachers were not big on theory in my day, but that doesn't hinder my enjoyment. If anything it enhances it, as can be seen from the stories of serious musicians who can't actually enjoy listening for pleasure anymore.
Playing 'out' is not random. It's a kind of improvisation where melodies are composed out of the diminished 5ths and maybe other dissonances of the 'in' harmony, and the out can be played out of time too, or actually with an out of time feel. Normally, it is enough of a challenge to improvise along with quickly moving harmonic progressions. Knowing not only all the in notes, but all the out ones all at the same time is, shall we say, advanced. He's still counting along in four or six or whatever of course so he knows where he is, but the trick is to make it sound like he's not.
OK Mark let's just say I'll spare you a youtube link. Others here understand. Playing can be completely random.
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Yes, I fear the same can happen to your average audiophile, that is, if they have an obsessive nature, which they do by definition
And there is a tooth fairy, and Bybees work. 😀
My position would be that there are tricks to making it sound random. I know what some of them are and to the uninitiated they sound random, really random.
EDIT: I can think of two videos with examples. Herbie Hancock's Master Class shows an example performance. Steve Smith's 'Drumset Technique / History of the US Beat' DVD set has some too.
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The title says noise, not music.
Okay, I would agree that people can make noise. I was speaking in the context of highly practiced skill such as is seen in some jazz. Of course, sitting a two year old on the kitchen floor with some pots and pans can make noise. Whether or not it should be classified as music might be questionable.
Okay, I would agree that people can make noise. I was speaking in the context of highly practiced skill such as is seen in some jazz. Of course, sitting a two year old on the kitchen floor with some pots and pans can make noise. Whether or not it should be classified as music might be questionable.
I'm not, if it's horrifyingly boring is it still music? I was confronted recently by a person that hated contemporary art and they offered up several artists painting in the ultra (almost photo) realistic style. All portraits of perfect Nordic men and gorgeous women, boring as hell in fact creepy.
Boring to one person can be interesting or emotionally compelling to another.
Music does seem to need some repetition combined with or punctuated by some surprise. Without the surprise it is boring. Without the repetition it is noise more than music. All this based on fairly recent research by musicologists who have taken interest in experimental psychology methodologies. 'Sweet Anticipation' is one book in that area. Being a book there is a lot more to it than my very, overly brief summary.
Music does seem to need some repetition combined with or punctuated by some surprise. Without the surprise it is boring. Without the repetition it is noise more than music. All this based on fairly recent research by musicologists who have taken interest in experimental psychology methodologies. 'Sweet Anticipation' is one book in that area. Being a book there is a lot more to it than my very, overly brief summary.
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Mark we can all take this lightly, we are not vying for tenure here. I'm disappointed in the recent move in the art community to discredit (devalue) artists like Rothko just as I am disappointed when the blue hairs run for the doors at intermission when the BSO hosts an Asian ethnic music group.
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