John Curl's Blowtorch preamplifier

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#7,981
john curl said:
Now, some can understand why the Blowtorch cost so much. We didn't compromise and used these TKD pots. They got so expensive, later, that this made us not want to make any more units, as well as the extra cost of the cases over time. This is why the CTC is not made anymore.
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If $20K was going to the manufacturer, even more complex things full of top quality design, parts, and cases would have been available. But a ''High-End'' commercial product has to be sold 1/3 the suggested retail to the dealer if export in cash. And it still has to make at least double its material cost for the manufacturer. So an $20k component has $7k export price list and must cost $3.5k to make, all costs included. Am I right John?
 
#7,982
Not exactly, many importers raise the price of the component in their country. So, a Vendetta SCP-2 sold in the USA for $2500, would sell in Japan for $7500. A CTC that sold here for $15,000, might cost almost 5 million yen in Japan, or maybe $45,000. We can't give big discounts as we have no extra margin, so the importers just raise the price.
 
#7,983
I prefer to use the old Resista resistors for general design. Sometimes I like to use the old Holco resistors for feedback circuits. I don't know why the old Resista resistors are so successful, but they are. They appear better 'balanced' sound-wise than many. For example, old Holcos are slightly 'soft' sounding so they are good for taming solid state power amps. Vishays are almost too 'clear' or 'etched' and may be best for tube circuits. This has been found from experience, but advanced measurements might bring out why.
For example, a friend of mine is making advanced noise measurements of Vishay resistors and finding problems, compared to a cheaper brand. I don't know why, but I trust his measurements.
 
#7,984
Bratislav said:



Mike,

I enjoy home reproduction just as much as the next guy. It is just impractical to only listen to live music, even if one had funds and time for it.
I'm just questioning the value of constantly searching for the minute deficiencies that only God given few might hear after listening for them for several weeks. In devices that are well known to be the strongest links in the sound reproduction chain.

Bratislav
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But this thread is not about 'the next guy', the 'masses'.
it's about the very few.
the blowtorch is not mass-fi.
 
#7,986
john curl said:
Not exactly, many importers raise the price of the component in their country. So, a Vendetta SCP-2 sold in the USA for $2500, would sell in Japan for $7500. A CTC that sold here for $15,000, might cost almost 5 million yen in Japan, or maybe $45,000. We can't give big discounts as we have no extra margin, so the importers just raise the price.
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What is the average discount % that an established US manufacturer is giving in the very expensive category when a dealer is paying in cash for 1 to 5 pieces?
 
#7,987
lineup said:


Jan.
People are interested in how we perceive sounds.
99% at this forum are.
It is just that not many care that much
as to do some serious research using scientifically approved methods.


Subjective listening is nice and well enough to give us pleasure or less pleasure.
So why explore this matter further?
It is rather good as it is.


It is only we, 'scientific minds', that would have the drive and motivation
to find out more knowledge.
😎.
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eventually, you can find the 'scientific minds' are limited in other areas of how the mind works.
 
#7,990
G.Kleinschmidt said:


[OT]

Like car reviewers, audio revievers in popular print are mostly full of cr@p. Despite the hype and BS track figures released by Subara, the STi never was a particularly fast car.
I really hope the latest STi has a much better engine, because the previous versions were just plain junk.

Here is a decent review of a previous model:

http://www.autospeed.com.au/cms/A_1463/article.html

[/OT]

Cheers,
Glen
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[way OT]
Well, if you don't know to drive, you will be left at traffic lights by a lot of cars. Old STi was hard to launch dure to highly strung engine and all wheel drive, but so is any top end tuned turbo (including EVOs and GTRs).
There is no way that Colt will beat a properly driven STi off the line. Even less so with a new 2.5l model which even incompetent journos from autospeed should be able to launch.

[/way OT]
 
#7,991
Bratislav said:

[way OT]
Well, if you don't know to drive, you will be left at traffic lights by a lot of cars. Old STi was hard to launch dure to highly strung engine and all wheel drive, but so is any top end tuned turbo (including EVOs and GTRs).
There is no way that Colt will beat a properly driven STi off the line. Even less so with a new 2.5l model which even incompetent journos from autospeed should be able to launch.

[/way OT]
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[waaaayyyyyyyy OT]

Ermm, the point wasn't that the colt is faster that the STi, but the fact that the STi has utterly woeful tractability in ordinary traffic due to its abysmal torque delivery, which is a lot worst than that of its competition.
For an STi, I guess “driven properly” means driving like a wiener, revving the tits of the crappy engine and making a lot of noise, just to pull ahead of the average grandma putting around in her Nissan pulsar or Ford festiva. Sad.
No doubt a contributing factor to the cars equally woeful reputation in terms of gearbox and clutch reliability.


[/waaaayyyyyyy OT]
 
#7,993
G.Kleinschmidt said:



[waaaayyyyyyyy OT]

Ermm, the point wasn't that the colt is faster that the STi, but the fact that the STi has utterly woeful tractability in ordinary traffic due to its abysmal torque delivery, which is a lot worst than that of its competition.

[/waaaayyyyyyy OT]
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Stop reading crappy magazines. Test drive a new STi some day.

Sorry for OT guys. It won't happen again (from me anyway).
 
#7,994
Re: Re: Re: Re: Lyra

Sigurd Ruschkow said:
No,
best suited for the job.
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I still don't get it.

Could somebody point me to a study (not necessary "scientific", but at least driven by some common sense) justifying a $800 pot and what would be the advantages over e.g. a decent and reasonable priced Alps?

What exactly means "best suited for the job"? What are the criteria that would make a pot "improper for the job"? I am, again, talking about decent pots, not about a $5 piece of c**p?
 
#7,995
myhrrhleine said:


But this thread is not about 'the next guy', the 'masses'.
it's about the very few.
the blowtorch is not mass-fi.
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myhrrhleine said:


many of us care.
I make my living and thus fund my audio pursuits working with the mind.
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myhrrhleine said:


eventually, you can find the 'scientific minds' are limited in other areas of how the mind works.
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Perhaps, but a $800 pot won't bring one among "the very few". It will only bring one between either snobs or suckers, both pretty common species.
 
#7,998
And who cares what some might do?

There's no such thing as perfect pot, and if you find one for $800 it's still a bargain.

I went cheap way and was simply hand switching shunt resistors for a while, didn't need many of them as I'm not too fussy about listening levels 😉
 

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#8,000
Bratislav said:
There is no such thing as perfect anything.
The question really is where the sanity stops.
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It's a hobby, sanity stops wherever you want it too.

I used to be a HO model train nut, perfectly good engines were available for $29, plastic and nicely done, but we all wanted hand crafted brass at up to $1,000 each. Not counting the $300 or so for a good paint job. That was years ago, they're probably more now.
 
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