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  1. sparkie

    QSA : My take on their expensive products

    a cap and a low value resistor in series between chassis ground and the power cord's green wire will do the same thing regardless if its built into the unit or not. But the only way to integrate it so that the unit passes UL is to put it in a power cord.
  2. sparkie

    QSA : My take on their expensive products

    Unbalanced audio always adds its power supply noise to the signal. Which is the unavoidable in its design. When DC gnd is linked to GNd from the outlet, now you making pathways that power supply noise to sum from several power supplies.
  3. sparkie

    Tesla/JJ EL84

    You must have the gold lettering versions of them. which are Sovtech builds. Other rebranded ones were Ruby, Electro-Harmonix, and Mesa boogie
  4. sparkie

    Redbook 44.1 kHz standard: theoretically sufficient timbral resolution?

    In full scale terms (dbfs of hardware) yes. Even though you used to seeing the weighted level (LUFS) used to express dynamic range on a recording and using either DB or LU as the units There is no simple formula that will give you x dBFS = y LUFS, because it depends on the frequency content of...
  5. sparkie

    New source for Master Calibration tapes; ATR Service Inc.

    Then it sounds like the Sony is out of adjustment.
  6. sparkie

    New source for Master Calibration tapes; ATR Service Inc.

    Everyone uses the same azimuth.in a format. That is why cassettes are consistent. But this post does remind me to get an alignment tape for a machine I have that malfunctioned on me (otari MTR10) and I can't find my MRL tapes. I think its the bias card. Recently, I just obtained an extender card...
  7. sparkie

    Top 5 Tube Integrated amps for 2024

    I was wondering who was using those chassis that was sold on ebay when I was looking for a preamp chassis to build on. One of these days, I should ramp up one of my designs since "the best" are boutiques instead of corporate builds.
  8. sparkie

    Hi-Fi is NOT a subjective hobby.

    For speaker cable most of the time it makes no difference. As most amplifier speaker outputs are balanced. But it depends on the amp. The wire run length and gauge size dictates what kind of performance. So how does that compare with a 10 gauge contractor extension cord at the same length?
  9. sparkie

    Redbook 44.1 kHz standard: theoretically sufficient timbral resolution?

    There is limits to it depending on the frequency balance and relative power. But what really limits it is too short of a distance between load and soft. which sounds over cranked and distorted. The other extreme of having the distance great reveals a soft and weak recording. But normally an...
  10. sparkie

    Redbook 44.1 kHz standard: theoretically sufficient timbral resolution?

    You can only compress a mix so much. But limiting which is a type of compression is the loudness war key. In the video above in post 129, the magic circuit that allows them to go above 0dbfs is a limiter.
  11. sparkie

    Redbook 44.1 kHz standard: theoretically sufficient timbral resolution?

    Compression is a necessary evil in recording and production. Without it everything would be thin and out of scale with each other when the instruments are recorded individually. converters made or modified for CD mastering changes the depth of the mix and like always the relative distance...
  12. sparkie

    Hi-Fi is NOT a subjective hobby.

    A few places I use in in stereo aligning analog inside equipment. Back when I was exposed to the pro recording world I interned as a recording engineer and would use the scope to set up stereo recording something. Because microphone placement is that critical. Sad thing is I can't tell anyone...
  13. sparkie

    Hi-Fi is NOT a subjective hobby.

    Great Hifi sound doesn't have to cost a lot of money either. Even though stereo world should have abandoned RCA/unbalanced connections a long time ago which is a source of a lot of issues.
  14. sparkie

    Hi-Fi is NOT a subjective hobby.

    I use a vector scope and look at the stereo image in a Lissajous pattern.
  15. sparkie

    Hi-Fi is NOT a subjective hobby.

    JBL monitors were never great, but reviewing monitors are way different in a lot of ways than some mixing booth monitors. A prime example for "studio monitors" for high end hifi applications would be PMC MB3 XBD-A . Which is a standard in movie mastering studios:
  16. sparkie

    RCA 12BH7 Black Plates versus Grey Plates

    What is interesting is they made tubes for each other and for OEMs. So a RCA tube could be their own, an Amperex/Phillips/Westinghouse, a Mullard or a Telefunken depending on if and who they outsourced manufacturing. So like a RCA EL34 that is marked 6CA7 made in England with red letters was...
  17. sparkie

    RCA 12BH7 Black Plates versus Grey Plates

    I like all of them. The results vary depending on the resistors in the circuit. If you find them tin can or edgy, then its not a good fit for the cathode resistor used. 12au7 RCA clear tops are nice, but they have to been stored correctly as they are prone to handling noise. The 50's 5963 RCA...
  18. sparkie

    RCA 12BH7 Black Plates versus Grey Plates

    if you just trying different tubes, try RCA 5963 tubes. They are my favorite series of 12au7. Either the white lettering or the red- orange ones labled RCA or Hewlett Packard. The 12BH7 tungsol that came in a blue and white box, black plates wasn't bad as a phase splitter but had a very good...
  19. sparkie

    RCA 12BH7 Black Plates versus Grey Plates

    its just like 12at7. they have good drive but they are microphonic when trying to use in a stage that not just a buffer. I wouldn't worry about it unless you trying to make a combo guitar amp or some powered monitors. Noise is more of a resistor and tube design than the tube itself.
  20. sparkie

    RCA 12BH7 Black Plates versus Grey Plates

    They are more suitable to be an output tube on a preamp than a gain stage tube. But as far as micro-phonics, its not really an issue however they are prone to get noisy and microphonic if you mishandle them. Just like any other medium mu triode.
  21. sparkie

    Testing 6336 Tube with Amplitrex AT1000

    I wonder why it needs an adapter and a 6as7 doesn't. A 6336 is basically two 6as7 in parallel with twice the heater current.
  22. sparkie

    QSA : My take on their expensive products

    There is only a few things you can address by inserting a circuit on a power cord. Because a lot of people address what could be wrong with power, but can not address the ground side problems with this sector's ground on the RCA connections. If you do in the appliance, the it fails UL standards...
  23. sparkie

    Does DSP belong in State of the Art Systems?

    Strange setup, but never the less, the DSP has always been the go to to correct the situation since the mid 80s. Its only been recently the technology has been trickling into other areas of audio. Its only been recently that its price to build the circuit has gone down enough to be integrated...
  24. sparkie

    QSA : My take on their expensive products

    I have to admit the regular IEC cord is weak sauce, But looking at their cord looks like they are addressing the common issues associated with unbalanced and some balanced interconnects. Because if you incorporate the fix in the unit it does not currently pass UL compliance. I know because I had...
  25. sparkie

    Baking vacuum tubes

    I use my electronics oven that is a toaster oven I got from the thrift store and modified it by taking out the mechanical timer and installing a switch. I initially created my oven for soldering/re-flowing SMT boards, but I've used it twice to bake out gassy tubes. Its a little aggressive, but...
  26. sparkie

    Aliexpress Isn't Messing Around.

    Looks like they reused a tacky looking computer case and installed those kit boards they sell individually.
  27. sparkie

    QSA : My take on their expensive products

    I look at it from a scientific point of view. Because I see no relative measurements/comparisons demonstrated. Especially on what I call a macro device (a device that easily changed that everything counts on it. Power cords speaker cords, etc ) where comparison tests can be performed by anyone...
  28. sparkie

    Does DSP belong in State of the Art Systems?

    Using the old bolt area methods, the room is long, but only wide at one end because of the self cancellations. If you use the mode method you might be able to clean most of it up, But like I said before, most effective bass traps are customized for the installation. Here is your room in a...
  29. sparkie

    Does DSP belong in State of the Art Systems?

    For years the approach was Impusle response files and some have different speaker libraries, but they are limited. The newer approach is to characterize the speaker's IP with measuring it with a calibration mic. Of course there are ways to load new profiles and the older ones had supplemental...
  30. sparkie

    Does DSP belong in State of the Art Systems?

    Treating rooms is important. But there are some rooms that are harder to treat than others. The more square and more smaller the room is, the harder it is to treat. Btw, the best bass traps are not commercially made and if the room is very small, the trap ends up in a weird place because of the...

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