Paul McGowan Prefers Digital

[spiritofmusic]

That front cover is from a loft apartment in my old property.

 

[NorthStar]

That front cover is from a loft apartment in my old property.

Serious Marc? There are quite few windows in there.

 

[Lagonda]

That's funny. Jim told me 10 years ago that he had yet to encounter a playback system he cannot improve. Anybody who possesses even some head knowledge in this industry could probably make this same claim and be honest about it because everybody brings potentially something different to the table. Moreover, when one actually hears what some of the systems sound like out there, it doesn't take much to vastly improve some of them. I'm confident I could elevate Jim's playback system to levels he did not think possible and be honest about that. Big deal.

I'm not saying Jim lacks skills nor that his playback system is lacking when compared the majority but we gotta' remember that Jim is also a marketing guy and his writing a book on getting better sound doesn't necessarily make him an expert. Then again, maybe it does. I never bought his book nor read it, but I remember reading segments of his book that he provided through variuous means years ago and as I recall perhaps everything I read there was audio 101 type of stuff. Good stuff but still basic audio 101 stuff I had already discovered or figured out on my own.

And if anybody thinks writing a high-end audio book makes one an expert, then we'd better also consider the author of the book, "The Audio Expert" who has claimed more than once in various forums that all cables sound identical and all components sound identical because all retain the fidelity of the input signal. That's crazy stuff. Yet, for all I know The Audio Expert may have a bigger following than Jim.

Im sure Jim can improve most systems, im sure he has good ears and an ability to implement his advice in person. As for his book, i found it pretty basic advice, mostly common sense and tweaks most audiophiles have heard about before. In all fairness i posses the 2008 edition, it could have improved.

 

[spiritofmusic]

Serious Marc? There are quite few windows in there.

Oh, these apartments are all concrete and glass. My place had somewhat fewer windows.

 

[NorthStar]

Preferable for analog music listening...glass and concrete?

 

[spiritofmusic]

NS, it was appalling LOL.
All macro, no micro.
I love the photo showing Ferguson Hill horns. I bet they were never powered to play any music LOL.

 

[stehno]

Books on Audio - Music Production & Audio Engineering - click ^

For all we know any such books may have been ghost-written by The Audio Expert. Or the equivalent thereof.

Just sayin'

 

[stehno]

Im sure Jim can improve most systems, im sure he has good ears and an ability to implement his advice in person. As for his book, i found it pretty basic advice, mostly common sense and tweaks most audiophiles have heard about before. In all fairness i posses the 2008 edition, it could have improved.

Never said he couldn't but I also never said he could.

But how is it you are so sure Jim has "good ears" in an industry where "good ears" are a real rarity? Is it because he wrote an audio book on pretty basic common sense advice?

How are you certain Jim has good ears and he can improve most systems? Because he said so?

Are you just as certain The Audio Expert has "good ears" and he too can improve most systems?

 

[Al M.]

Never said he couldn't but I also never said he could.

But how is it you are so sure Jim has "good ears" in an industry where "good ears" are a real rarity? Is it because he wrote an audio book on pretty basic common sense advice?

How are you certain Jim has good ears and he can improve most systems? Because he said so?

Are you just as certain The Audio Expert has "good ears" and he too can improve most systems?

You don't have to take Jim at his word, there are many who rave about Jim's services, also on Audioshark. Here are a few examples:

https://www.audioshark.org/general-audio-discussion-15/my-session-jim-smith-8606.html

https://www.audioshark.org/general-audio-discussion-15/jim-smith-my-house-10781.html

https://www.audioshark.org/showthread.php?t=15555&p=255978#post255978

https://www.audioshark.org/acoustics-194/jim-smith-shoutout-16137.html

 

[Lagonda]

Never said he couldn't but I also never said he could.

But how is it you are so sure Jim has "good ears" in an industry where "good ears" are a real rarity? Is it because he wrote an audio book on pretty basic common sense advice?

How are you certain Jim has good ears and he can improve most systems? Because he said so?

Are you just as certain The Audio Expert has "good ears" and he too can improve most systems?

Jim has a good reputation and i trust PeterA’s hearing to. Jim seems to teach
when he sets up to, PeterA has picked up some skills in the cartridge department. If he was close to me i would seek his advice to.
And if ddk lived closer to me i would rent a van and kidnapp him for a day or two They both seem to not only deliver the fish, but also teach how to catch it.

 

[NorthStar]

For all we know any such books may have been ghost-written by The Audio Expert. Or the equivalent thereof.

Just sayin'

By Ethan? • https://www.sciencedirect.com/book/9780240821009/the-audio-expert

 

[stehno]

Jim has a good reputation and i trust PeterA’s hearing to. Jim seems to teach
when he sets up to, PeterA has picked up some skills in the cartridge department. If he was close to me i would seek his advice to.
And if ddk lived closer to me i would rent a van and kidnapp him for a day or two They both seem to not only deliver the fish, but also teach how to catch it.

I think I understand now.

 

[NorthStar]

I see Jim Smith setting up sound acoustics like a professionnel video calibrator does @ home.
It makes all the best difference in the world.

 

[Gregm]

>> Originally Posted by Jim Smith >>

"Since I have not encountered a turntable - including ANY of those set up by "experts" - that was properly set-up in dozens of years, I would recommend the best (and affordable) digital for most - if not all - audiophiles.

That being said, it's only fair to also say that I have not listened to any tts that Mike (from AS) has set-up.

Those that come here for a Room Play Reference session forget all about whether it's digital or vinyl, because it's about falling into the performance, experiencing the music's immersive and engaging qualities.

So I would prefer digital on the desert island - if no other reason than I wouldn't be able to get a replacement cartridge or even a stylus - eventually the music would suffer until it no longer was listenable. IMO, of course."

Agreed on all of the quoted points, bar one: the properly set-up TT. The reason for my divergence is two-fold:

1. Firstly, the properly set-up TT in practise: the problem is, I do not know whether the plethora of TTs I have had the pleasure (or misfortune) to frequent in the past 25 years were properly set-up, because other than the geometry......
2. I suspect that the phono equaliser following our contentious TT was NOT optimised for the cartridge bolted on the edge of said TT's arm... which, in turn,
3. Somewhat complicates the issue of setting up the TT correctly: unless you know the particular quirks of the mechanical DUT, and can hear the result of what you're doing, how can you fine tune the thing?

The one time I know that the phono (a 30 yr old Goldmund) had its input impedance & capacity (allegedly) matched to the cartridge (Clearaudio insider) as quoted by its manufacturer, the sound was magical. I still don't know if the TT had been optimally set-up however; at least it was done well enough to sound very good.
When all is said and done, probably neither of my TTs is optimally set up and the phono matching is sketchy at best. In this respect and subjectively, well-recorded hi-res digital files can better just as good if not better than my vinyl.
However, the problem with my digital rig on a desert island is that it still runs on electricity...

 

[microstrip]

Agreed on all of the quoted points, bar one: the properly set-up TT.(...)

I would like to learn what can be set wrongly by an experienced user or a good installer in an SME30/V ...

 

[NorthStar]

I learn from people like David, Mike, Christian, Peter, Bruce, Tango.
It's an art spinning good music recordings on a TT ... and all that jazz.

The music ...

 

[Elliot G.]

? https://www.rfvenue.com/blog/2015/0...ndispensable-books-for-the-audio-professional

sitting in a high back chair over his ears with all glass walls and stone floors


Yes he MUST be an expert LMAO

 

[spiritofmusic]

I've been in that apartment, and lived down the hall. That property made SO much income from advertising and film shoots. I don't suppose they ever listened to those horns.

 

[NorthStar]

sitting in a high back chair over his ears with all glass walls and stone floors

Yes he MUST be an expert LMAO

Lol I just had to post it. ...All glass no substance (photo only).
But no big deal, it's only a photograph to advertise an audio book; whatever makes people buy the book. And who knows, perhaps the content is based on scientific audio studies?
I could investigate further just for curiosity sake. I'll check it out...the author, to see his audio credentials and affiliations...Mendel Kleiner.

 

[NorthStar]

He seems like the real deal ...
• https://research.chalmers.se/en/person/galactic

• http://proaudioencyclopedia.com/aco...-mendel-kleiner-and-jiri-tichy-a-book-review/

* Just don't judge the book by its "glass" cover.
I think it's for people with poor room acoustics, and the photograph just shows that.
This guy will fix it.
_____

The speakers (transparent glass horns) are interesting. Check the subwoofer "bubble" modules.
Those speakers too I can investigate and find out what they're all about ...
My best guess; they are for the decoration but I could be totally wrong as I see an open-reel-tapedeck in the background @ the end of the white couch.

Yes, they are serious ...
• https://www.luxury-insider.com/luxury-news/2008/09/fh001-horn-speakers-from-ferguson-hill

• https://www.fergusonhill.co.uk/fhoo1/