HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
Newsgroups: rec.audio

In rec.audio, u9264442@cc.uow.edu.au (Andrew William Easton) writes:


>I am considering buying a Sony CDP-991, which has (as I'm sure the audiophiles
>know) an optical digital output. I originally intended to buy a reciever (as
>opposed to seperate amp & tuner), something along the lines of the Yamaha
>RX-400 (yes, I know this is _very_ old, I haven't looked at recievers lately).
>My question is, if I did want to use the optical digital out on my CD player,
>is there a reciever with an optical digital in anywhere in this world? If not, 
>why not?
>My other question is, is there a _noticeable_ difference in sound quality
>between using optical digital or analog signal between components, or between
>using a reciever or amp/tuner?

Question #1:
I have a digital integrated amp, a Luxman, (yea I know, you want a receiver)
which accepts both optical/coaxial input plus coaxial output.

Sony has had full digital preamps.  Frankly I do not know why the 991
doesn't offer digital input since it must be dealing with the signal in
the digital domain.  I cannot recall ever seeing a reciever with a
built-in DAC.

Personally I would stick with a integrated amp/tuner which performs the
conversion upstream from the pre-amp OR going with complete seperates:
analog preamp/amp/DAC/tuner.


Question #2:
Depends upon your components, DAC's, and ADC's.  If the preamp section is
fully digital then stick with digital I/O.  Otherwise your signal path will
look like:  
  CD -> DAC -> ADC -> DAC -> speakers
	 ^      ^      ^
         |      |      |
	 |      -----preamp's
	 cd player's



Remember if you go full digital (digital preamp) you cannot upgrade your
DAC without replacing your preamp.

As far as coaxial vs. optical is concerned I cannot distinguish the two.
I can distinguish between different DAC technologies (1/16/20bit) but I
cannot distinguish networking technologies.


John Adams
Newsgroups: rec.audio
From: harley@tt.com (Scott Drysdale)
Subject: Re: Advice needed:  Pre-amp and Tuner
Organization: Telecommunications Techniques Corporation, Germantown MD
Date: Sat, 12 Sep 1992 18:15:15 GMT

In article <18qns9INN18t@agate.berkeley.edu> henken@ocf.berkeley.edu (Matthew J. Henken) writes:
>Hello!  I need some advice and hope that you can answer from the wealth of
>experience that is out there.  I have an Adcom GFA 555II amplifier getting
>fed directly from a NAD 5000 CD player and driving Magnepan 2.6R speakers.

adcom gtp-500 -> adcom gfa-545II -> magnepan tympani I-d's, here.

>I want to get a tuner.  In order to work that into my system, I'll have to
>get a preamp.  I like Adcom products and am thus naturally interested in the
>combination preamp/tuners that they put out.
>
>I'm looking for advice in two directions:
>
>1.  Since I'm most seriously considering the Adcom GTP-400 and GTP-500II, I'd
>    appreciate comparative advice about these two.  I can get the 400 for $325
>    and the 500II for $500 (total, including tax).  I would like a remote
>    control, and so I'm leaning toward the 500II.  I'd like to hear about the
>    relative merits of their sound (both as a preamp and a tuner).

the 400 and 500II are both very good.  the 500 (which i have) has several, uh,
bugs, which have been fixed in the II.

>2.  I'm looking for any sort of advice as an alternative to this sort of set-up
>    that would be a better buy, produce better sound, etc.

you're not going to get really significant sound changes within the price range.
if you like how they sound together, do it.  i'm happy.

>Any help you could give would be most appreciated.  And I mean *any*.
>
>
>Matthew J. Henken
>henken@ocf.berkeley.edu

  --Scotty
-- 
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
scott drysdale (harley@tt.com, ...!uunet!debbie!harley), software mercenary.
formerly mr. bridgeboard @ cbm.  soon to be a seaman recruit in the us navy.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Newsgroups: rec.audio
From: topgun@chaos.cs.brandeis.edu (Chandra Bajpai)
Subject: Need help with Mistracking CD Player
Organization: Brandeis University
Date: Fri, 4 Sep 1992 21:22:48 GMT

I have a Sony Discman, that after 20-30 minutes of use, does not seek
the next track correctly.  If it does, there is a repatitive sound
in the background.  I brought it to a CD repair place for an alignment.
They wouldn't fix it because they said it had a "weak laser".  They
claim a new laser is about $150, and suggested I buy a new player.

I would rather not buy a new CD Player.  My questions:
1.  Has anyone experienced this problem? what was the solution to fix it?

2.  Can I buy a laser mechanism myself and have someone put it in?

Thanks,
Chandra Bajpai
topgun@brandeis.cs.edu
From: chrisc@gold.gvg.tek.com (Chris Christensen)
Newsgroups: rec.audio
Subject: Re: Bi-Amp vs. Bridged Bi-Wire
Date: 7 Sep 92 18:17:17 GMT
Organization: Grass Valley Group, Grass Valley, CA

Thank's Mr. Pierce!

I knew that I was both right and "wrong" !

I have used networks of this type for input return loss compensation
of wide band analog video inputs, and other multi decade circuits for
many years....

I refered to Colloms book (third edition) on the topic and found that
he doesn't recommend impedance compensation on LF drivers but does for
mids and tweeters.

I refer others to this book, page 179.  Fig 6.25 shows a complex
netork who's intent is to remove the impedance hump at resonance.

The network is comprised of two sections,  the first is R, L and C and
the second is just R and C.

I intend to utilize impedance compensation on the LF and MF drivers of
a sound reinforcement system that I am designing.  My intent is to
present a load that is more like the rated output impedance of the
amplifiers only to minimise the change in impedance and present a load
that doesn't change.  This is because the amplifier may be required
to drive up to four drivers at a wack.....

Mr. Pierce do you have any words of wisdom for this application of
the Zobel network?

-- 
Chris Christensen                  The opinions I express are my own,
chrisc@gold.gvg.tek.com            and sometimes they are wrong!
916-478-3419 FAX 916-478-3887      After all, I *AM* only human.
From: palane@iastate.edu (Paul A. Lane)
Newsgroups: rec.audio
Subject: Re: FOR SALE: Perfect Audio Cables. $10,000,000.00
Date: 11 Sep 92 21:25:33 GMT
Organization: Iowa State University, Ames IA

In <1992Sep11.202232.24623@cypress.com> ssr@siberia.cypress.com (Bapcha/FPGA) writes:

>Zero resistance stranded Niobium wires sheathed in liquid helium.
>20 Amps per channel max (before Meissner effect kicks in and makes
>them high resistance wires).

>$!0M.  WIll be custom built.   Length of each cable will NOT exceed
>2 feet.  By appointment only.


>-- 
>Bapcha - A very bad boy from Cypress Semiconductor
>3901 N.  First Strasse
>San Jose,  CA 95134, 408-943-2719

Does include the dewar and service contract for liquid helium. If 
Oxford Instruments is supplying equipment, I'm interested.

BTW, is there any chance of an economy line using high Tc superconductors
and liquid nitrogen?

Paul
Newsgroups: rec.audio
From: nobody <nowhere@notany.machine.edu>
Subject: Home-made audio rack - looking for suggestions
Organization: What organization?
X-Useragent: Nuntius v1.1
Date: Sat, 5 Sep 92 19:41:58 GMT

I have been thinking about building my own audio rack, since most of the
commercially available boxes are not only too expensive, but also don't
offer the amount of cooling I would like.  One of my friends modified an
old refrigerator as a theft-proof audio-rack (hefty pad-lock on door).  I
don't live in such a bad neighborhood, so I am more concerned about looks
and function.  I've been thinking about using a wooden frame and some
kind of metal fencing material that I saw in a furniture display (there
used as room divider). 

I'd like to hear from people who have already approached this subject. 
What other options do I have?

Thanks
Peter
From: carlwu@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (Carleton Wu)
Subject: CD pricing
Organization: The Ohio State University
Date: Sat, 12 Sep 1992 15:54:38 GMT

Does anyone know why the cost of Compact Discs are still so high?

     Back in 1987 when I first bought my CD player, the cost of a CD was $15
US.  I predicted then that as more people bought into the format and the cost
of production decreased, that the price would dip below $10 in a few years.
It has been 5 years now and I'm still paying an average of $13.50 per disc?
What gives?  Who is cashing in--the recording industry?  The artists?  I read
somewhere that a CD costs about a dollar to manufacture in large quatities.

     What will be the impact of MD and DCC on CD pricing?  Wouldn't competition
among formats foster price drops?  I predict it will.  But, alas, I'm 0 for 1
on predictions!
Newsgroups: rec.audio
Subject: Does anyone know the Marantz importer in the USA
From: <A605A410@HASARA11.BITNET>
Date: Tuesday, 15 Sep 1992 09:42:38 CET
Organization: SARA - Stichting Academisch Rekencentrum Amsterdam

Hello I'M patrick and i live in the netherlands but not for long because i'm go
ing to work in the US. Therefor i need to know the Marantz importers address in
 the US because i want to buy Marantz HIFI.
If you know please send your reply to
Patrick (a605a410@hasara11.bitnet)
From: Richard.Chalk@bbs.oit.unc.edu (Richard Chalk)
Newsgroups: rec.audio
Subject: Re: Advice on scratched CD
Date: 12 Sep 92 22:52:51 GMT
Organization: Extended Bulletin Board Service


 I have had pretty good luck taking damaged CDs back to a MAJOR record
store (in my case Turtles Records and Tapes) and getting them to
exchange them.  I have done this about 4 times, without any argument.

Give it a try !!

Richard

--
   The opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the University of
     North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the Campus Office for Information
        Technology, or the Experimental Bulletin Board Service.
           internet:  bbs.oit.unc.edu or 152.2.22.80
From: qemx@vax5.cit.cornell.edu
Newsgroups: rec.audio
Subject: Re: Off-center sound stage?
Date: 9 Sep 92 02:06:16 EDT
Distribution: world,rec
Organization: Cornell University

In article <18hivfINNbec@agate.berkeley.edu>,
henken@ocf.berkeley.edu (Matthew J. Henken) writes: 
> Hello all!  I'm hoping you can help me with a problem I'm experiencing and
> I've never even *heard* of before:  My soundstage is shifted to the left.
> 
> That is, things seem to be in a proper relation to one another, but the whole
> works seems to be centered about a point much closer to the left speaker than
> the right speaker.
> 

I've had this problem with my Definitive bipolars, and found a *very* simple
solution.  I brought the speaker on the "weak" side of the soundstage (the
right in your case) closer to me, the listener.  Voila!

The reason it worked for me, I believe, is because the relative loudness of
each chan, as well as the timing of the signal, plays a critical part
in imaging the instruments on the soundstage.  My test for the correct balance
of loudness was accomplished by playing a vocalist track on a jazz CD.  The
voice seemed to emanate from midway between the speakers once I found the
ideal placement of my speakers.

Another possible solution (though in my opinion less elegant) is to adjust the
balance control on your preamp or receiver.  The purpose of this control is
to compensate for any imbalance in either listener/speaker distances or the
efficiency of the speakers.  Of course, if you're powering your stuff 
directly from CD player=> power amp => speakers, then its a moot point.:-)


				Philip Soo
				MS&E
				Cornell University
From: checksix@flyboy.EBay.Sun.COM (Al Conte)
Newsgroups: rec.audio
Subject: Re: Big CD changer
Date: 9 Sep 1992 23:51:04 GMT
Organization: Sun Microsystems, Inc.
Distribution: world
Reply-To: checksix@flyboy.EBay.Sun.COM
NNTP-Posting-Host: flyboy.ebay.sun.com
Keywords: Wadia

|> Anyboby with any info on a 100 or so disc changer??  Ideally I would 
|> like to get one like in a Jukebox and hook it up to a computer to control it.


Yeah, I think Stereo "vile" just did a write up on the humongous CD juke box
from Wadia.
It holds 100 CDs, and I think you can patch in to it with a PC.
The damage to you wallet is around 13 to 17 k though. OUCH!!!!!!!



Al

Newsgroups: rec.audio
From: shiv@bnr.ca (Shiv Naimpally)
Subject: Re: paradigm speakers - opinions?
Reply-To: shiv@bnr.ca (Shiv Naimpally)
Organization: Bell-Northern Research Ltd.
Distribution: rec
Date: Mon, 14 Sep 92 15:48:50 GMT

I like Paradigms. They make great speakers. IMHO the 7 is an excellent
buy. There is not much difference sound-wise between the 7 and the 9
and the 7 and 11, especially for the price difference so for the money,
the 7 is the best buy.

Paradigm 5 : Same drivers as 7 but smaller enclosure
Paradigm 7 : 2 way bass-reflex
Paradigm 9 : Same drivers as 7 plus an additional woofer = little more bass.
             The extra woofer also changes the impedance to 4 ohms
             whereas the 7 is 8 ohm.
Paradigm 11: 3-way bass reflex

Get some stands (12"-18") for the Paradigms.
Newsgroups: rec.audio
From: yoda@deathstar.Stanford.EDU (Terry Lee)
Subject: New Nakamichi line (Orig. Re: CHOOSING CASSETTE DEC)
Organization: Residential Computing, Stanford University
Date: Tue, 8 Sep 1992 16:11:48 GMT

In article <4732.71.uupcb@cutting.hou.tx.us> erich.lim@cutting.hou.tx.us (Erich Lim)  writes:
>  Yeah, I think Nak's also make one of the best cassette decks in the
>world.  I have the Cassette Deck 2 and have had no problems with it.
>The sound is perfect and clear.  One question about the new Nak's,  when
>are the redesigned one's coming out.  I am just about to buy the CD
>Player 4, but I may have to wait now.

Apparently, Nakamichi got some complaints about the charcoal grey color
and the curved lines of the current line.  People thought that the front
face looked like plastic.  Of course, it's not, it's really pretty high quality
aluminum bent into smooth curves.  Personally I like the way it looks, but
it seems that Nak has really gotten a lot of complaints.  The complaints
I've confirmed with Nakamichi.  At this very moment, Nakamichi is blowing
out there entire line.  All home HiFi components are anywhere from $50 off
to $1000 off for the CDplayer 1.  It's my opinion that it's a good time
to buy a Nakamichi.

What follows if unconfirmed information and speculation.  Nakamichi 
is getting ready to introduce a entriely new line.  The main difference will
be cosmetic.  It will be black.  According to a reliable dealer, the list of
performance improvements are insignificant for this new line.  Just enough
to be a good excuse to change the line cosmetically.

Terry Lee
Newsgroups: rec.audio
From: rsd@sei.cmu.edu (Richard S D'Ippolito)
Subject: Re: DAT vs Analogue (was Who dat say dey gonna buy dat DAT?)
Organization: The Software Engineering Institute
Date: Tue, 8 Sep 1992 19:38:17 GMT


|> >A cheapo $600 DAT deck outperforming $2000 analogue decks?  har har har!
|> >Leave those scopes alone and listen to the damn thing!  The *APPALLING* ADC
|> >set ups in consumer DAT decks with their magnificent pre-sampling filters
|> >are just a joy to behold.  Har har har!!!!  Not to mention the things being
|> >full to the brim with poxy op-amps giving cheaps**t Japanese sound.
|> >
|> >Sheesh, do you people only listen to bass?  Are your ears so damaged by
|> >years of excessive volume listening that you cannot hear the detail you are
|> >missing?  The life?

Gee, Shane, what's the point of this?  Are you lacking in convincing technical
information, or just unwilling to share it with the masses?  I suppose that
kind of a response makes you feel better, but how does it contribute to the
discussion?

                                  -----0-----

The other day I brought home a recording of Beethoven piano sonatas (played by
Klemmp, DDG).  The first thing I heard before the music started was hiss.  The
next thing I heard was warbling tones on the sustained high notes.

Now, in my listening room are two grand pianos, and I know enough about the
sound of them to be sure that I was listening to wow and flutter and not
mistuned strings.  My wife, a pianist who has toured with orchestras,
auditioned the analog CD and a new O'Connor Beethoven DDD CD.  Guess which one
she bought?

Isolated experience?  Not to me.  I own over 600LPs and none get me as close
to the illusion of performers in my house as the newest CDs do.  In fact,
until CDs, I never got any hint of the illusion at all except for some (fewer
than 5) digitally recorded LPs with extra-quite surfaces.

By my hearing, it took 50yrs to get analog magnetic recorders and Edison's
reproducing machines to a level that CDs easily surpassed in five.

Rich


   "Please keep in mind that the ultimate goal [of hi-fi] is the
   reproduction of art, and that the invocation of science, while a neat
   parlour trick, is often unnecessary, flawed, and unreasonable."
   --  name mercifully withheld...                            rsd@sei.cmu.edu
Newsgroups: rec.audio
From: basiji@milton.u.washington.edu (David Basiji)
Subject: Re: Cat crushed the speaker
Organization: University of Washington
Date: Wed, 9 Sep 1992 15:37:19 GMT

johnston@cs.utexas.edu (Mark Stuart Johnstone) writes:

[girlfriend's cat ate my speaker story...]
>over-driving the speakers).  Do any of you have any advice?  Should I worry,

Get rid of the girlfriend.

>Thanks,

No sweat.

>--Mark Johnstone

Seriously, I've had good luck popping crushed domes back into shape
by using _very_ sticky tape on the dome and pulling (gently at first,
snappier if necessary) it out.
-- 
David Basiji 
"C neophyte, Bioengineering Grad Student, Internet Personality"

email: basiji@u.washington.edu          
NeXTmail: basiji@larry.pathology.washington.edu

	"Whining is just anger coming out of a very small opening."
            --Stuart Smalley
Newsgroups: rec.audio
From: jhansen@convex.com (James Hansen)
Subject: Re: Dolby Pro Logic in Music and Vidio Tapes anyone ?????
Date: Tue, 15 Sep 1992 23:53:29 GMT
Organization: Engineering, CONVEX Computer Corp., Richardson, Tx., USA
X-Disclaimer: This message was written by a user at CONVEX Computer
              Corp. The opinions expressed are those of the user and
              not necessarily those of CONVEX.

Robert Scott writes:
>In that case what is the difference between Dolby Pro-Logic
>and simple Dolby Surround decoders?
>What does the Pro-Logic bit stand for?

Pro-logic derives a center dialog channel, and uses five speakers.
Regular dolby surround uses only left, right, and rear (four speakers).

--
James B. Hansen                                  {sun,uunet}!convex!jhansen
CONVEX Computer Corporation                              jhansen@convex.com
3000 Waterview Parkway, P. O. Box 833851
Richardson, TX 75083-3851                              Phone: (214)497-4802
From: larry@cs.com (Larry Spence)
Newsgroups: rec.audio
Subject: Re: CD pricing
Date: 14 Sep 92 21:46:34 GMT
Organization: Computer Support Corporation,  Dallas,Texas

In article <-17462460@nemesis> root@nemesis.UUCP writes:
>
>And locally, our Sound Warehouse chain recently changed their default
>price on CDs from $14.99 to $15.99 US, even as it costs less to make the
>discs.

Sound Whorehouse in Dallas did this quite a while ago ( > 1 year ago).  I
asked the manager why ("I thought CD prices were supposed to _decrease_!")
and his response was that due to the recession, they wanted to get as much
as the market would bear from those consumers who could still afford to buy
CDs!  I.e., if you can afford the already-ridiculous $15 price, raising it
one dollar probably won't make you stop buying CDs.  Dallas is not exactly
a hotbed of CD pricing competition, as you can see. %(

>I think the big labels decided that we were willing to pay this price and are
>simply holding street prices high as pressing prices fell to almost nothing.
>Looks like price gouging to me.  Where's the FTC when you need them?

Hey, do what I did and stop paying those prices.  Order by mail from places
like Noteworthy Music, who sell new CDs for $8-12.  If you've got to walk
into a store and impulse-shop, they're going to screw you on price.  If you
can plan periodic purchases of 3-4 discs at a time (to keep the shipping
cost down), you can save $$.  The premium you pay for getting that "instant
CD fix" from a store is steep... The only way prices might go down is if
people stop buying from those g*dawful chain stores.  

-- 
Larry Spence
larry@cs.com
uunet!csccat!larry or sun!texsun!csccat!larry
Newsgroups: rec.audio
From: ec49726@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Manny C. )
Subject: B&W and KEF Q series - info wanted
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana
Date: Sat, 5 Sep 1992 09:14:20 GMT

Hi All,

I'm speaker shopping and have found (so far) 2 speakers which fit my taste
and budget.

The B&W 600 series bookshelf speakers are my first choice price wise. I was 
comparing them to the KEF Q series 101. The B&W's ran for $350/pr and the 
KEF's ran for $674. Both sound equally good. Bass below 85hz is not a prob.
I have a Velodyne taking care of that, so I am mainly interested in a pair of
sat's.

Here's what I'm looking for:
Compact size- must be nbigger than, 13x9x9. That's, of course, an approx-
imation. 
Good Mid and high's. Not too worried about bass for later reason stated.
Metal dome tweeter.
able to support Bi-amping
approx be able to support 110 watts nominal.
MUST be at least 8 ohms. -NO LESS. (I've got a finicky amp)

Both speakers have performed well to my standards in all types of music (Rap
left out), The B&W's are obviously the better buy.

I would like any input on either of these speakers. Please Email (let's keep
the NET clutter as little as possible). 
ALSO- I would like input on any other speaker comparable to these two and
lying within the parameters of the specs given above. 

All suggestions and comments are welcome!

Thanx in advance

Manny

-- 
Manny Chen                                   |      Summer of '92!
NREMT-A, CPR - Instructor  American Red Cross|
University Of Illinois @ Urbana - Champaign  |      ec49726@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu
Illini Emergency Medical Services            |
From: myers@hpfcso.FC.HP.COM (Bob Myers)
Date: Mon, 14 Sep 1992 18:07:05 GMT
Subject: Re: Green Pens & CDs (was Re: Very expensive cables)
Organization: Hewlett-Packard, Fort Collins, CO, USA