Nov. 2009
Dear Marty: If you want to go to double issues with Bound-for-Sound that is fine with me. Just keep publishing BFS! With your e-mail updates we get the "hot" news ASAP anyway. Tom Barfknecht
Marty, The coverage of vintage Advent's is a great idea, but maybe you could go deeper. From my point of view there is a new trend in audio that looks like it is here to stay, and vinyl is part of the reason. More and more people are interested is audio components from late 70's, all of the 80's and part of 90's; reel to reels are in fashion again. In the last 3 months I bought 3 R2Rs just because they bring back memories of my youth (I’m 50 now) that I thought were lost. There is nothing today that can be compared to those incredible machines; the way the look, how they were built (the hundreds of small parts working together to play music), and the sound is marvelous. Returning to vinyl and R2Rs, is for me, like being reborn into the world of music. Those years were the golden era of audio, as all the technology needed for superb analog was there; today everything is digital with ICs, and there are very few components with personality (happens the same with cars, all look the same today). Audio is not just music, it is a romance with your TTs, your amplifiers, your decks, etc. After all this long introduction, it would be great if you could include in BFS a section that covers how units from years ago compare with the ones that we have today… After 2 glasses of wine, that is what I think… Regards MGD responds: I think our ages may have something to do with our view of audio’s "Golden Age." Oh, and the economy of purchasing vintage gear may impact a few others with things the way they are. It is my intent to do as you suggest and cover units from years ago and determine how they sound in their vintage state, compared to how they sound updated, and how they compare to today’s products. I’m glad you are on board, and I think it would be nice to check out a couple of reel-to-reels.
Marty: MGD responds: Hello Steve. I have the new Signature cords from LessLoss and have completed my written observations, which will be in the upcoming double issue. Did I like the cords? Is Chicago windy?
Marty, I'd like to know if you have installed an IEC jack and a Lessloss power cord on a vintage electronic piece. It’s going to be tough to live with those old cracked power cords. Best Regards, MGD comments: Bill, you have an evil mind - I hadn't thought of that!!! Thanx
Marty, If you have any tips on refurbishing vintage gear, I would love to
hear about them. I talked to Madisound about re-doing the AR3A's
and the first thing they suggested is to get the woofers re-done, as
most likely, they have rotted. Madisound said that the
below-business will re-do the woofers for about $40 apiece: Midwest
Speaker Corporation 651/645-7385. MGD comments: Always good to hear from you Eric. I’m just now starting work on my AR3A speakers. The two pots on the back are really bad and I’ll be changing them as well as the caps inside. The way this crossover is laid out, I anticipate some careful and intense labor will be involved. The pots they used were weird and I’m going to have to do some careful research and studying before I tear into them. OTOH, my cabinets and drivers are near perfect and the woofers have been re-foamed by a guy in Indianapolis. So they should look pretty awesome when I’m done, even if I screw up the pots. I’ve checked out Peter Gunn’s web site, and he does some marvelous things with Maggies. I can see why he would flip out if you were to share his work indiscriminately with others; a lot of prior effort has gone into his improvements and they are valuable. The guys at AudioProz sound interesting… FWIW, as far as I know, Eric has no affiliation with the folks at Midwest Speaker Corporation or AudioProz.
Marty, I am thrilled to hear of your intention, and follow through, of reviewing vintage equipment, including making strategic changes to improve sound quality. Vintage equipment has great potential to bring in new readers who don't have the money, but maybe have the time, to explore the range of used equipment presently available. Besides, for many of us, "old" does not mean bad or using components which otherwise should be consigned to the scrap heap. There is a lot of good quality stuff out there which deserves to be heard, even if it is not the absolute last word in sound. Gonthar Rooda
Hi Marty: I would love to see articles/reviews on the following items:
Dahlquist DQ10, Threshold, original McCormack electronics, Small
Advents, Dynaco speakers and ST70 tube amp, Fisher and Scott BTW - Did you happen to contact "Peter Gunn" (the Magnepan
modder) ? MGD comments: Nice want list of review gear. Actually, the DQ10s, along with a Threshold amp are on my want list too. Presently I’m buying and borrowing the gear to be covered and the Thresholds are not only rare, but they bring a pretty penny too – even used. So, I’m waiting on those and the Krells. But, my eyes are open for both products, and who knows, maybe somebody will send me a Threshold amp to audition for a period of time. In looking for vintage and used gear to review, I am truly amazed at the apparent quality of some of the lesser known labels - Things such as SAE amps; receivers from Concept, Project/One, Luxman, Carver, Nikko, Toshiba and even Realistic; loudspeakers from ADS/Braun, Avid, EPI, Allison, ESS, Dynaco, KLH and Bozak all look good. Finding the Krells, Thresholds, Pioneers and Dahlquists are no brainers – searching out the diamonds in the rough are far more difficult. Peter Gunn?, not yet.
Martin,
Hello Marty, I went through a set of 10 year old Yamaha speakers with very good results. I had a better crossover made, better wiring and binding posts, and beefed up the cabinet a little. It doesn't cost much, but it does involve work. I invested about $800.00 total, and I would say a comparable new speaker set of this construction, would run about $2500.00 or more. I'd like to know if you have installed an IEC jack and a Lessloss power cord on a vintage electronic piece yet. Regards, MGD comments: I’ll get around to the IEC jack and LessLoss cord ASAP, Bill… rebuilding the Yamaha was a great idea.
Hi Marty: I hope this email finds you and Laura well. I am a long time subscriber and buyer of some of your used gear. Let me get right to the point: Why do better power cords make music sound better? How's that for not beating around the audio bush? I just came back from RMAF (my third visit). I love that show. An audiophile's Toys 'R Us convention!! Anyways - so I decided to finally go to the long standing Nordost demo given by Lars. To make things short, he did a demo on listening to the same piece of music starting with the $2 generic power cord and moving up the Nordost ladder from the $150 cord to the $500 cord, and finally to the Odin which I have no idea how much it cost but probably more then the Hyundai Pony that I once bought for $5500.00. I do not profess to have Golden Ears, but you would have had to be deaf not to hear the improvements along the path, especially the very first change from the generic to the $150.00 OK - so I heard it. As I left the room and went down to the lobby I noticed Frank Van Alstine having a slightly heated discussion with a man and a woman. I stopped walking and in my best clandestine manner listened in on their conversation. The gentleman was being adamant about what he had just heard in the Nordost room and Frank was telling him that it was all bullshit. I then walked over and explained to Frank that I too had heard the demo and that the results were undeniable. "So, what is it that we are hearing, Frank, if nothing else has been altered?" His response was that either something had been altered that we could not see, or there was some electronic incompatibility between cord and gear that could easily be explained if he had a chance to open the various cords. But it has nothing to do with the "quality" of either of the cords. In other words, all cords will sound the same if all have been properly assembled. Power is power. Period. Or so says Frank Van Alstine So - why am I writing to you Marty? You may be one of the few people that I know that has absolutely no vested interest in your opinion on power cords. (Other than I like being right. Ed) Any retailer, cord manufacturer, audio manufacturer, audio rag publisher/reviewer, engineer, etc., all have opinions that relate to either their profession or business - i.e. money! (Of which I have none, so I must be honest! Ed) I hear a difference but I don't know why. Do Van Alstine and those like him have a point? Is it all in fact some kind of sinister swindle or a pseudo auditory trick being played out in my brain? I will ask again: Why do better power cords make music sound better? I await your response when your precious leisure time permits. Yours very sincerely BTW - I don't mean to pick on Frank, but he is a very self assured kind of guy. He invited me up to his room and I sat down and listened to his new valve integrated amp playing through Salk speakers. Speaker cables: Frank's self named "Rope Cord". Actual rope that is hiding a very thin strand of wire. He asked me how I thought the system sounded; I told him very nice. But that doesn't mean that it couldn't have sounded better!! MGD responds: Hello Sam, great letter. Power cords do have an obvious and immediate impact on a system. Some people can’t hear it because they simply don’t want to, or they can’t hear well enough to make the distinction. It’s possible that Frank is in both camps. Does he really think his rope speaker cable sounds better than others? – he shouldn’t if he’s not to be a total hypocrite. And if he’s not a total hypocrite, then why go to the trouble of snaking a tiny conductor within a piece of rope? Maybe he should make a rope power cord – that should help. For Frank to insinuate that Nordost was fixing the results of their power cord demo is disingenuous on Frank’s part unless he can come forward with some hard evidence of it. I doubt that will ever happen. I’m surprised that Frank didn’t tell you that power cords only impact other manufacturer’s equipment, but not his! Why? Because his cheapest is better than their best! The fact is Sam, the power coming off your power line is nothing like the 60 hz sine wave produced at the power plant. By time it gets to you, distortions are present upon signal all the way up into the megahertz range and down to DC. Half of the power generated in this country never even gets to the end user so decrepit is our delivery system – it’s lost to the ether in the form of heat and radiated energy. A properly designed power cord works when it stands at the very end of the power deliver sequence and acts as a filter to everything before it. Liudas at LessLoss calls his power cords "AC power filters," because they effectively filter out a large portion of the garbage carried on the line. Caps and chokes are routinely used in line conditioners (filters), and there is essentially nothing that can be done with a cap and choke that can’t also be done with a wire or power cord. Leading edge cords like those from LessLoss and Luminous simply do it better than some others. Problem is, I’m sure that if you gave Frank a LessLoss or Luminous power cord to use he would claim he couldn't hear the difference… whether he did or not.
|
| Dear Marty
To update you on print magazines. I don’t know if you are aware of the HiFi Critic in the UK. They operate like you, with a no advert philosophy and have an excellent reviewing team, including Paul Messenger and Martin Colloms. They put out a high quality, quite lavish product with good content, but high cost. They were I think £55, about $90 (US) for 6 copies. Now they have come down to 4 copies a year, for the same cost. The writing seems to be on the wall, they simply haven’t got enough subscribers to keep going (in my opinion) at that high cost. I am sure there is also a suspicion from suppliers, if they don’t advertise, they have no hold over you in terms of getting a good review. More a question, ever thought of publishing on line? I am sure you have and that one problem is security. How you stop subscribers passing on the magazine to all their friends. I suppose they can still photocopy your magazine and pass it on that anyway. It would get over the extra costs, albeit very small, for your overseas subscribers, like me. Regards David Wise MGD responds: I haven’t seen the magazine, though I can sympathize with their dilemma. Editorial freedom comes at a cost, but $90 for four issues may bit a bit too much for most audiophiles to stomach. I firmly believe that going without advertisers means cutting back in other areas of overhead. That’s why we look the way we do and have lasted as long as we have. When the primary source of your income is advertising, I don’t have to tell you which master you will serve. As for publishing on line, we have entertained that idea many times. Yes, security is a problem, though I think it can be worked out with the latest technology. The other problem with a small outfit like ours are the logistics of getting it done. One thing at a time. We are still trying to get the bugs out of our mass e-mail system since the number of requests went way up.
Marty, I strolled over to the BFS website, took a look at the Current Issue (#193) and was pleasantly surprised to see that our correspondence on digital data storage made it into the current issue. I guess I have no excuse for not renewing now 8-}. I'll get the check in the mail tomorrow. My only complaint is that you spelled my name wrong - at least on the web page. It's Gary Bronner - not Gary Bonner, unless you are trying to cleverly hide my identity. Best regards, Gary MGD responds: I wish I were that clever. However, we made the spelling change to "Bronner" in all the issues mailed after we received your e-mail. It was a great letter. Feel free to write any time you want.
Marty – As a fellow 54 year old I made the jump to a music server last
August. I went with the ModWright Transporter. I cannot say
enough good things about this product. Simple to use and great
sounding. The cost is $3800. At this price point I think it is
a great buy. For a few additional $$$ you can get pretty close to
nirvana by adding an Emission Labs 5U4G mesh plate ($220) regulator tube,
a set of adaptors from Boulder Cable ($120) that will let you use 6SN7
output tubes and of course a pair of good 6SN7s to put into those
adaptors. There is a pretty extensive thread about this tube rolling
journey on the ModWright forum on Audio Circle. By the way, 96/24
files sound pretty special when played on this. I don't know if it's
feasible for you to obtain one for review, but I think a lot of people
would be interested. Mark Paul MGD responds: You really have me intrigued regarding the ModWright Transporter. I’ll try to get one for review, though I don’t think the folks at Modwright were real happy regarding the outcome of my review and comparison of their preamp to the SAS 11A (which I in turn purchased) a little over two years ago. I admit, that the idea of downloading and playing 24/96 files has my mouth watering. Do they have anything by Yes or Pink Floyd? Just before I received your e-mail I contacted Steve McCormack about the possibility of reviewing the VRE-1 preamp. It’s here right now and I am allowing it to burn in. It’s extremely good…
Hi Marty, Thank you so much for the advice. I really enjoy your magazine and I love the fact that you have managed to integrate integrity into the review process. Boy that is unusual these days...integrity that is....
My best to you and your family Charlie Mathews MGD responds: Thanks Charlie!!!
Hey Marty, MGD responds: That’s not good regarding The Sensible Sound. For a long time I’ve wondered exactly what their position was in the audio print press. Some years ago they went the way of the Audio Critic in terms of things sounding the same. I thought it amusing then that Peter Aczel basically refused to take them under his wing and acknowledge their take on audio as a reality. But look where Peter Aczel is now and I think TSS was better off that he stayed away. To stay alive as a print publication today, one has to have something unique to offer – plus be able to roll with the punches. I think we do both… I miss Larry Rosine’s store. It was one of the last audiophile havens around. Unlike the pressurized atmosphere of the New York stores, it wasn’t unusual to see a bunch of guys sitting around reading papers and drinking coffee while chatting about the newest gear on a Saturday morning. Lurkers were always welcome at Rosine’s Audio.
Dear Marty: Congratulations for 20 years of publishing Bound For Sound! I have been a subscriber since issue 6/95 and have enjoyed every BFS. I do remember many of the defunct audio magazines you mentioned, some of which I subscribed to. So, keep up the good work and here is to another 20 years of BFS! Regards, Tom Barfknecht MGD responds: I’m all for another 20 years, and then some… And those now defunct audio magazines, I subscribed to them all too.
Lowe’s Wire Letters I’m including below a few of the letters received over the years regarding the home made Lowe’s wire that we recommended in issue #153. Some of the letters are older, but they contain useful information regarding experiences and observations. BTW, a very burned in set of 6 awg cables from Lowe’s are still my reference… These are just a few of the letters we received.
Dear Marty, You're quite right about audio cables. The mumbo jumbo, as well as the markup, clearly has nothing to do with actual performance or manufacturing costs. For over a decade, I've been using the late Harvey Rosenberg's technique of making up double-runs of solid 16awg silver wires to use as speaker cables. The silver wire can be purchased directly from a refinery for about $1/foot, Teflon jacketing adds another $0.50/foot, and Goertz Alpha-Core sells flat silver spades for $2.50 each. You do the math! For me, there's still an open question about the optimal gauge for speaker wires, especially in long runs. Some years ago, I took a 24-foot pair of the original Fulton Browns (I think they were made from stranded 14 awg copper) and cut them into different lengths. It was only when they exceeded 8 feet from amp to speaker that I could clearly hear a difference (less of everything). Right now, both my amps and speakers use 16awg silver internal wiring and are located within two feet of each other. With a run that short, they effectively become a single unit, so this is one issue that does not keep me up at night. Regarding the Lowe's copper cable, BFS arrived yesterday and since I had another errand in that direction, I stopped in at local Lowe's. Looking over the reels and remnants, all of the 6awg E51583 was gone. However, I suspect that the actual part number or brand is not critical and that any 6awg type MTW/THWN-2/THHN/AWM copper will do. The key here is the type, which refers to the configuration and insulation, and that it must be copper, not aluminum. BTW, Kimber Postmaster spades (available in unplated copper) will accept 6awg wire without modification.Finally, some years ago a colleague give me a white paper that was presented to the Audio Engineering Society by a scientist who was doing research for the Navy. He needed to ensure that audio signals transmitted by a sonar unit in a submarine were passed correctly to a computer. In fabricating different cables, he discovered that the most important factor was the use of identical materials throughout. In other words, his results were only consistent and repeatable when both the wire and connector were made of the same metal. Copper wire had to be terminated with copper plugs/spades, silver wire with silver plugs/spades, etc. Whenever metals were mixed or plated, the signal could never be passed the same way twice. Just more food for thought!Regards, Joseph Levy MGD responds: One thing that I wanted to comment on here was the use of same materials for wire and termination. I think there might be something true about that. In the past I’ve never really given any consideration to the metallurgies of the two components of the wire. But it makes sense. And what can it hurt? When a tweak doesn’t cost a lot and it can’t hurt anything, why not? I’ll try it and see what happens…
Dear Bound for Sound, I just wanted to let you know that I tried making the Lowe's wire speaker cable that you described, and I am absolutely amazed at the difference it's made in my system. There may be better cables out there, but as of right now, I can't see any reason to look for them. I am just blown away by the music (and the sound) coming out of my speakers. This cable fixed things that had been bugging me for years and also fixed things I didn't even know needed fixing. The stage width and depth doubled, there is much more life in the music, and everything just has an enormous presence. Thank you, thank you, thank you, for your tip. By the way, I found the wire you described at Home Depot, and it seems like they had plenty of it, in four colors. Thanks again for making my music more musical. All the best, Mark Cherrington MGD responds: Your comment on the wire fixing things you didn’t know were a problem struck a chord – I found the very same thing.
Marty, It's been a busy week, so I haven't had any time to listen. I'm glad you have warned me about a "down period" with the cables. I might have taken them out. I have never used any high priced speaker cables. I just couldn't get myself to take that chance. In the past I've used OCOS, Virtual Mode, Dunlavy (I used to own the IVs), and, most recently, Millersound. The Millersound are supposed to be a clone of the JPS cables. I couldn't tell you about that, but they are awfully good cables. However, the difference in the Home Depot (Lowe’s) cable is astonishing from anything I've used. Not only does the system have a "fuller" sound, it is better with micro detail, and, I believe, it has better balance, something I have never been displeased with before. Soundstage has widened and deepened. Singers are more natural sounding than before. The sound now is simply more natural. What at deal! I certainly can imagine that many audiophiles won't accept these discoveries. If someone wants to give me (or loan me) some Cardas Reference or Nordost Vahalla, I'm all for doing a comparison. No doubt that these are fine cables, however. Further thoughts about this cable working as power cords; I'm not sure one could get them terminated into an IEC and plug. I'd really like for you to try this and let me know what occurs (I'm not much of an electrical person and electricity from the wall must be handled correctly for me to sleep at nights). Anyway, I enjoy your magazine very much. And this discovery has me very excited. Thanks again, Jim MGD responds: As with the above letter, this cable improves things that you didn’t know needed improvement. As for the power cords made of the 6 awg wires. I tried them in every configuration that I could think of, I even received some from readers. They just don’t make for good power cords…
Hi Marty, I was in Kalamazoo, MI today. As we did our errands I went to Lowe's in Kalamazoo at Kilgore Rd & S. Westnedge Ave. Went to the Electrical Dept with my issue of BFS in hand. Found a Lowe's employee in that Dept and asked if they had the 6 AWG as described in BFS. Guess what? They had a fair amount but only in green jackets and white jackets. I purchased 40 ft of each as I need an 18 to 20 ft run. Tomorrow I will do the termination and twisting of about a twist per foot or so. What does the twisting do and what happens or doesn't happen if I don't twist? Anyway, just to let you and other readers know that the Lowe's I visited had the cable. I am using Alpha Core 10 AWG flat cable which sounds at least as good as most other cable. I'll let you know how I think the Lowe’s sounds once I use it for awhile. I currently have and have had for almost two years a Wyetech Labs Opal Preamp like The Inner Ear guys have, an Art Audio PX 25 amp pushing the Merlin VSM's - great sound but not enough power. Good job on the publication. I guess I will send in a renewal. Joe Nemedi MGD responds: Shortly thereafter, Joe followed up with the next letter.
Hi Marty, Thanks for the speedy reply. I found the same numbers as you published. I paid 27 cents per foot, so the total including tax was $22.90 - not bad for a great cable. How do I know this is a great cable? I picked up some used spades today that have oxidation and some corrosion and I didn't clean them yet. I may get better spades later. They have a hole and you push the wire in and tighten a screw on the side to tighten the cable up - no soldering. I then twisted the cables together not paying attention to how many twists over the twenty feet but enough to keep them nicely together - they are really stiff. I connected them to the Merlin VSM's and then to the Art Audio PX 25. Turned everything on as normal and listened to Jennifer Warne's Famous Blue Raincoat (made in Germany). For about the first four cuts all I could say was WOW! Then I put in Eric Clapton's 2001 Road Tour CD and said WOW! WOW! WOW! The wifw factor was also a WOW! I had been using 10AWG Alpha Core in the 20 ft run. This cable from Lowe's is really great and has not yet been broken in. I don't think that you really "hear" the cable. I think that, as much as possible, I now am hearing the music which is why I bought all this stuff. What's better? Everything. Now I think the Merlins have some bass even w/o the B.A.M. I do use a Sunfire sub, but it is not in the system right now. My equipment was not really warmed up and you could immediately tell the difference. My wife was tapping her feet! Mid range was great with lots of detail, resolution, image, etc. and the highs were also great. And now I know why I bought all this expensive stuff! Next should be some wire for home made interconnect! Anyway, thanks for some great reporting. The subscription is worth the money. Anyway, I don't know how much remaining stock Lowe's has and I have not checked Home Depot yet. Thanks again. Joe Nemedi
|
