A prayer for Ukraine

 

 

Let's pray for PEACE and help the Ukrainan people as much as we can.

Audio can wait.

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Even XLR cables aren't all the same

This interesting comparison test of XLR line cables made by a user in the Audio Science Review forum shows that there are measurable differences between short (1 meter) line cables, even balanced ones that should be immune from any kind of problem. To be fair it also shows that the one that differs the most from the others is not assembled correctly. But it is always interesting to get into the small details and see that there are still differences even in the most theoretically uniform category of parts. Audiophilia is mostly about the small details.

As a side note, if shopping for XLR line cables from the EU, you should seriously consider the Cordial CCM 1, which performs perfectly, seems well made and sturdy, and doesn't cost much. I would consider it myself even though I already have (presumably) good Gotham and Mogami XLR line cables.

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The ubiquity of the RIAA equalization (in stereo)

 Michael Fremer in Analog Planet (in 2014, but in the vinyl playing world news last a long time) published a few relevant testimonies to the effect of RIAA being the universal equalization curve for stereo vinyl. Some rough expression but a very interesting read. I discovered this yesterday reading the follow-up of Stereophile review of the Pro-Ject Phono Box RS2 which I found also very interesting (but more on that later).

So, if what Michael Fremer writes is true, a RIAA preamp is all we need if we're going to play stereo records. It's relevant issue when shopping for phono preamps, at least for perfectionist listeners.

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Vanishing Act

 The most beautiful song in Lou Reed's The Raven

But also the work of the recording engineer according to Jim Anderson, who wrote a nice article about this for Stereophile.

I quote the last paragraph: "With my listener hat on, a great recording is one that, as I listen to it, I'm not aware of any recording technology. I don't want to listen to microphone placement, panning, reverb, compression, or equalization. I want to listen to music. My engineering success depends upon not letting you hear my struggles in the recording. I'd be happy if, in attempting to describe a recording's sound, you find yourself at a loss for words. My goal as a recording engineer is to disappear."

Certainly a very interesting perspective on sound quality.

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remarkable post: TWOGOODEARS - トゥーグッドイアーズ: Some highlights from Jean-François Pontefract

TWOGOODEARS - トゥーグッドイアーズ: Some highlights from Jean-François Pontefract:   M. J.F. Pontefract recorded among the very best recordings issued on Harmonia Mundi French label from Aix-en-Provence. He’s still active t...

Amazing post on the creation of some of the best of the best recordings ever on the Twogoodears blog. La Folia is one of my favorite albums of all time, and I guess many audiophiles would say the same. There is some new information here, as well as still unpublished pictures (AFAIK). Enjoy! 

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New Year Swap... or not exactly?

2022 will certainly be better than the last few years, but for me it started with a new problem. My wife asked me why I haven't made any changes to the living room audio/video system in the last few months...? Strange question indeed. On enquiring, I discovered that she was actually waiting for the time when my beloved Audio Exklusiv Tubular Bells would go. Turns out she just can't stand them. Nothing new, really, as she's always been a tower speaker hater. But this time I thought the excellent sound had convinced her... No, it hadn't.

Now, as much as I like the sound, I think I will change them. In fact, the wife and kids use the system more often than I do. And she's very interested in furniture, design and decor. Certainly more than me.

First thought was to swap speakers: Audio Exklusiv Tubular Bells will go in the home office system and Acapella Duke's in the living room system. But I might choose differently. Something simpler, with less cables and fewer boxes, would be more suitable for the living room. I think each system should be "site specific" and the architecture should come first. So why not leave the Dukes in the home office with the Tubular Bells and buy active Bluetooth speakers for the living room? They would also have to have S/PDIF inputs for the TV and Blu-ray player and I'd have to work out if a remote control would be necessary or not, but if I have to make the compromise of the 'bookshelf' installation again (not optimal for the sound in my living room, as in many others) then the simplest route might be the right one. So much for the notion of a 'definitive' system. S3 (living room) is changing again! And S4 (home office) too!

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Origin of the term 'audiophile'

 I thought it all started with a French magazine in the 1970's... but no, that doesn't seem to be the case. Interestingly, there is an entry for 'audiophile' in the Online Etymology Dictionary which says "1951, originally in "High Fidelity" magazine, from audio- + -phile." I'll check that out. What interests me most about the history of the term, is to see if there is an original and persistent strong connection between the use of the term and the subjective experience of audio, rather than objective measurement.

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